Euskadi

Euskadi, or the Basque Country, is an Autonomous Community located in the north of Spain, bordering to the north the Bay of Biscay and France (Aquitaine region), to the south La Rioja, to the west Cantabria and Burgos and to the east Navarra. It has 3 provinces, Álava, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, and its capital is Vitoria-Gasteiz, which is the seat of the common institutions of the Basque Parliament and Government.

It has a total area of 7,234 km² and a population of 2,199,088 inhabitants (INE 2018), with Bilbao its most populated urban area.

Euskadi is a small country with a great identity that has more than 5,000 years of history, in fact there is evidence that the territory was inhabited from the Palaeolithic times. This long history is reflected in its unique culture and its own language, Euskera, the oldest language in all of Europe and of unknown origin.

In general, Euskadi enjoys a temperate, humid and rainy climate in the coastal area which becomes drier the more inland it goes, mainly after crossing the threshold of the plateau of the Plain of Alava. This climatic variety offers a diverse landscape consisting of plains, mountainous massifs and green forests and impressive cliffs and beaches, with waves up to 10 metres in height.

Thus, nature lovers have plenty to discover in this territory, but visitors can also enjoy a rich historical and artistic heritage, which goes from cave paintings to contemporary buildings with avant-garde architecture, not forgetting the peculiarities of the local culture and traditions, such as the rural sports, the local fairs and festivals or the spectacular Basque gastronomy.

Check here the 10 reasons for coming to the Basque Country.

Take a close look to the Responsible Tourist Guide, which includes tips designed to help your trip to be an enriching and sustainable experience.