April 21 - 30, 2024 NOW BOOKING

Bilbao/Bermeo/Basque Villages/San Sebastian with castle stay.

Welcome to the Basque Country Portland Food Adventures style hosted by Urdaneta’s Javier Canteras and two of the people who make Portland’s Urdaneta so hospitable, Javier’s wife Jael, and server Aundre! It’s a deep exploration into the roots of this special restaurant, which blossomed from Javier’s popular Basque Country Suppers before taking shape as Urdaneta.

Our exciting itinerary takes you from the bustling city of Bilbao, through the hills and small historic towns of the central Basque region, and finishes in breathtaking San Sebastian and its unrivaled views of La Concha. Explore the incredible contrast of this region, touring the Guggenheim, walking over the sea to reach San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, sleeping in a castle in the Urdaibai Nature Reserve, and of course extraordinary eating all along the way!

This itinerary is subject to changes as we get closer to the trip, either in the interest of enhancing the trip or necessary changes due to size of the group, reservation availabilities, etc..

Come be a special Urdaneta and Portland Food Adventures VIP for life. LIMITED TO 16 GUESTS IN ADDITION TO YOUR HOSTS.

Day 1
Welcome to Bilbao

Arrive in Bilbao, either at the airport or by train,arrange for a cab (right out front) to your beautiful hotel just across the street from the famed Frank Gehry designed Guggenheim Museum. Welcome to the largest city in the Basque region! Along the way you will capture some first glimpses of this beautiful city and its blend of “old meets new”, ranging from gothic cathedrals to modern sculptures. (For those of you coming from Portland, you'll see another beautiful city on a river with crisscrossing bridges.) Get yourself situated by late afternoon. You’ll join your fellow adventurers for a welcome drink at a nearby bar, and then we’ll take a short walk to one of Chef Javier’s favorite casual Bilbao restaurants for dinner.

Day 2
Siete Calles – The 7 Streets (Bilbao)

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the hotel and soak up the view.  We will meet and take a scenic stroll over to the famed Seven Streets of Old Town, Chef Javier's favorite part of Bilbao. These 7 streets were once the original walled start of the city and packed with history. Filled with shops, bars, and pintxos, the narrow streets lead from one discovery to the next, some opening up to hidden cathedrals, others with your new favorite bar around the corner.  Chef Javier will take us on a tour of some of his favorite areas, we will visit a beautiful cathedral and then we’ll go on a little pintxo crawl.

You’re now free to wander and shop, maybe check out the Ribera Market on the waterfront, full of food vendors and local products, or get just a little lost in those narrow streets and find that perfect pintxos spot you noticed along our walk. (We have plenty suggestions if you need a little guidance!)  

After a break at the hotel to drop off some of your new-found treasures, we may reconvene for a traditional late evening, with a casual dinner at one of Chef Javier's preferred asadors. One of his favorite styles of cooking, you will experience this traditional, over flame preparation, something fun to compare to our future meals on this trip.

Day 3
The Guggenheim (Bilbao)

After breakfast, explore the environs of your beautiful hotel. We will meet for lunch at a traditional fish and meat restaurant, one of Javi’s faves. After lunch, you may want to visit the Guggenheim, right across from our hotel.

The evening is yours to do as you wish.  Enjoy your final night in this city. It's a wonderful place to do any sort of shopping or eating. Don’t forget, many shops are open until 8:30! But that’s because they’re closed between 1 and 5!!. We will of course be more than happy to make some recommendations.

Day 4
Gaztelugatxe (Basque Coast)

After breakfast, we will be picked up at the hotel for a ride to the to the coast, and lunch at one of Javier’s favorite spots overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Gaztelugatxe, one of the most incredible sights of the Basque coastline. A narrow bridge winds out into the middle of the ocean, leading to a tiny church atop an islet. This chapel dedicated to John the Baptist dates back to the 10th century. Then a delicious lunch in a gorgeous restaurant you won’t forget.

For the final leg of the day, we’ll head a little further south and check in to a beautiful 13th century castle nestled in the breathtaking Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve and home for the next two nights. Tonight, a delicious wine-tasting with some light bites in the wine cellar of the castle. Perfect, after the hearty lunch we will have had.

Day 5
Bermeo/Castle Stay

Breakfast at the Castle.  Enjoy the grounds of the estuary and it's many offerings. You are truly in the heart of the Basque countryside today, and so we’ll take a ride to Bermeo, where Chef Javier was born and still maintains a residence. Get a little bit of Javier's personal history in this picture-perfect town on the sea. (You can see his grandmother's house from the park!) Once the hub of the Basque region and the most important fishing town, Bermeo is full of maritime tradition, particularly in whaling. We will walk the park along the marina, where all the locals congregate.. A 30 min hike will lead you to the Caves of Santimamiñe, one of the most important Basque archaeological finds of ancient cave paintings. Then we’ll find our way to a favored asador in the country overlooking the sea for a wonderful lunch. We will return to the hotel and some of the group may join your Urdaneta hosts for some bar-hopping in historical Gernika.

Day 6
Azurmendi/GinTonics in San Sebastian

After breakfast we’ll bring our bags downstairs to be transported to one of the best meals you’ll ever have in your life, a 3 Michelin Star experience in the heart of the Basque Hills.

After lunch we now bid farewell to the Basque countryside and head towards San Sebastian! Check in to your 4-Star hotel, get refreshed, and head out for one of the things San Sebastian does best, Gin Tonics! Let’s toast to this beautiful city.

Day 7
San Sebastian - Pintxos and more

After breakfast at the hotel, meet up with Chef Javier at the local street market and peruse the vendors to help him pick the day's produce. We’ll then meander around Old Town and enjoy what the city is famous for, some pintxos at some of Javier’s favorite pintxo bars.

Tonight, we’ll have a great meal near our hotel.

Day 8
Farm lunch in the mountains

The morning is yours to do as you wish, but around Noon we’ll hop on a minibus and make our way deep into the Basque Hills, where will spend the afternoon at a sprawling farm, run by the same family for over FIVE CENTURIES. We will spend time cavorting with Basque Pigs, and maybe even cuddle with some of the piglets.

Then, we’ll be treated to a beautiful lunch in the family’s dining room featuring jamon, croquetas and grilled meat unlike you’ve ever had.

After we return to the hotel before evening, the evening is yours to do as you wish.

Day 9
Supper Club/Urdaneta in San Sebastian!!

After your morning and last afternoon to yourself, we’ll meet before dark at a private Basque Supper Club in Old Town, where chef Javier will don his chef’s apron and cook a spectacular Basque Supper with the ingredients procured from the market. Jael and Aundre will assume the roles they so wonderfully and hospitably provide back in Portland, and they’ll be serving us this day. It’s URDANETA in San Sebastian!! We will all reflect on what a wonderful trip we had on our final meal of this fantastic journey.

Day 10
DEPART

We strongly suggest you avoid planning a flight out of Bilbao on this day. Keep in mind the Bilbao Airport is almost 90 minutes away, so if you have a morning flight, you’re looking at getting up pretty early. It would be best to use the day to go to Bilbao or train to another city, and fly out a little more leisurely the next day or later. Head to wherever you’re going by train or shuttle.

We are sorry for the spoilers with all these pictures, but we hope you agree that our trip is so special, it’s hard not to share. Also check out @portlandfoodadv on Instagram.

SEE PRICING AND TERMS IN THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN

Pricing/Terms

10 days/9 nights

Save by booking early!!

Pricing: Book by Sept 1, 2023: $7550/pp. All bookings Sept 2, 2023 and later: $7850/pp Double Occupancy
$1700 single supplement. (There may be a surcharge due with any significant fluctuations in the dollar/euro exchange rate.)

(see deposit and payment details below)

Spring, 2024 Bookings: Non-refundable deposit of 50% of cost of trip due to secure your spot(s) via check only. Then, balance of full cost of trip due by 1/15/2024. All payments are non-refundable. PLEASE CALL CHRIS AT 503 314 4221 TO INITIATE THIS PROCESS.

While our trips feature smaller groups for maximum enjoyment and interaction, this trip is subject to a low minimum number of guests. Please do not buy airfare until we inform you that the minimum has been met.

WHAT IS/ISN’T INCLUDED: This trip includes accommodations in beautiful 4-Star hotels, hotel taxes, at least 12 food and/or beverage experiences and associated gratuities, and transportation to our excursions in the country away from the cities during the trip. 

They do NOT include airfare or transfers to and from airports or trip insurance (which we strongly recommend — especially because of the possibilities Covid presents us) and can be purchased online, mini-bar, incidentals, food not published on itinerary, gratuities (generally for drivers, tour guides) and personal expenses.

Pescatarians can be accommodated. Please ask about other food issues/allergies. This is called Portland Food ADVENTURES for a reason. Our trips are not great for people with restrictive food issues.

Lastly, our groups are really fun, and we want to make sure we keep them that way. So, if you’re a flexible, open traveler who appreciates the opportunity to sit back and let us do the planning and the legwork while you eat and drink really well, this trip is for you. If you need to be in complete control of your schedule, and need to know what’s happening months in advance on Friday at 3pm during the trip, this may not be the best way for you to travel. Our guests who put this in our hands report the times of their lives!!

We can help you with excursions before, during and after as well.

YOU ARE WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED TO CALL CHRIS AT 503 314 4221 TO DISCUSS THE TRIP BEFORE OR AFTER MAKING YOUR DEPOSIT. 

We strongly urge you buy travel insurance.

We cannot refund your deposits, but trip insurance can help so much!

Chef Javier Canteras

Inspiration

Javier Canteras is the Owner and Chef of Urdaneta, a tapas-style restaurant deeply rooted in the appreciation for traditional Spanish gastronomy and drink. Quietly tucked away from the bustling Alberta neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, Canteras’ urbane menu dedicated to inventive pintxos, and alongside a menu of hearty, old world tapas, celebrates his Basque upbringing with bold, sophisticated flavors that transcend the typical Spanish fare.

Canteras’ family moved to the US when he was five. A native of Spain, he frequently took trips back with his family where he learned to make desserts and family dishes alongside his father and grandfather. His family cooked together, creating simple yet inventive meals that drew inspiration from recipes passed down throughout the years, the fresh produce found at local farmer markets, food trucks, and tapas bars found across the vast Basque region. The ideas of family meals were – and still are –important to Canteras and his family. Before his grandfather’s passing, Canteras’ fondest memory was of the traditional txokos, a somewhat secret society made up of members who came together to cook and experiment with new techniques.

Canteras holds an impressive culinary track, spanning almost two decades as an established Executive Chef and Owner in several restaurants and projects globally. Upon graduating from the Western Culinary Institute, he immediately dived into the restaurant industry, leading Noir, Northwest Grill, and the Portland’s Living Room Theaters as Executive Chef. He was the personal chef for Stahancyk, Kent & Hook law firm in Portland, Oregon and launched Salt and Flame Catering in Vancouver, Washington. In honor of the traditional txokos he once attended, Canteras established the once-a-month Basque Supper Club pop-up in Portland, Oregon. His most recent venture led him to a brief staging role, working alongside Albert Adria of Bodega 1900 in Barcelona.

Itching to make his roaming supper club a permanent business, Canteras opened Urdaneta in 2016. Urdaneta is a celebration of traditional Spanish fare that sings an ode to the bustling tapas bars found within the heart of Madrid. The thoughtful menu straysaway from the standard Spanish-fare while still honoring the elements and traditions rooted in classical cooking techniques. Many of the dishes reflect those rare moments in time – a fond childhood memory or recent homecoming – of his native Spain, which he now shares with Portland’s growing Spanish food scene.

Outside of the kitchen, Canteras loves to spend time with his wife and stepdaughter. He also considers himself to be a huge movie buff and loves to play music in his free time.

IN HIS OWN WORDS:

Please take a listen as PFA and Right at the Fork podcast host Chris Angelus interviews Javier.