# Cerca de Vitoria-Gasteiz

From Vitoria the nearest thing is wine: Haro and Laguardia, 40 and 45 minutes away, south of the sierra. To the north are Urdaibai, Getaria and Hondarribia; to the south-west, Burgos, Atapuerca and Silos, and to the east, Olite, on the way to the Pyrenees.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/basque-country/vitoria-gasteiz/getaways

## Planes de un día
- [Haro: winery, grill house and Briñas](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/la-rioja/haro/itineraries/station-quarter-wineries-and-lamb.md) (40 min en coche): You stroll round the Barrio de la Estación, visit Muga with a tasting, eat lamb at a grill house from 1877 and finish at La Herradura and in Briñas, beside the Ebro. 40 minutes from Logroño and Vitoria.
- [Laguardia, Baigorri and a night at Viura](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/basque-country/laguardia-and-rioja-alavesa/itineraries/glass-winery-and-sonsierra.md) (45 min en coche): You arrive by bus in Laguardia, go down into its underground cellars, have lunch in Páganos, taste at the winery under Samaniego's glass cube and sleep in Villabuena. Wednesday or Thursday.
- [Laguardia: tower, calado and Riscal](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/basque-country/laguardia-and-rioja-alavesa/itineraries/wine-cellars-tower-and-marques-de-riscal.md) (45 min en coche): You walk Laguardia inside the wall, climb the Abbey Tower, go down into a winery dug beneath the streets, eat with a view of the vineyard and taste at Marqués de Riscal. 20 minutes from Logroño.
- [Gaztelugatxe, Mundaka and the Casa de Juntas](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/basque-country/urdaibai/itineraries/sunday-at-gaztelugatxe-and-mundaka.md) (1 h 5 en coche): You climb to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe before the crowds arrive, stroll round Mundaka, eat above the estuary and finish at the Casa de Juntas in Gernika. About 40 minutes from Bilbao.
- [Getaria: museum, the Ratón and grill](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/basque-country/getaria-and-zarautz/itineraries/balenciaga-raton-and-harbour-grill.md) (1 h 10 en coche): You see the Balenciaga museum, climb the Ratón of Getaria, eat grilled fish above the harbour and walk to Zarautz beach. Half an hour from San Sebastián and an hour from Bilbao.
- [San Millán: Yuso, winery and Cañas](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/la-rioja/san-millan-de-la-cogolla/itineraries/yuso-monastery-winery-and-canas.md) (1 h 15 en coche): Tastings at a family winery in Badarán, a visit to the Yuso monastery, lunch inside it and a finish at the monastery of Cañas. Three quarters of an hour from Logroño.
- [Santoña: anchovies, harbour and boat](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/santona-and-laredo/itineraries/anchovies-museum-and-boat-to-laredo.md) (1 h 25 en coche): You see how anchovy is made at a Santoña factory, taste another's at its museum, eat at the harbour and cross by boat to Laredo. 40 minutes from Santander and 45 from Bilbao.
- [Hondarribia: old town, the Marina and Jaizkibel](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/basque-country/hondarribia/itineraries/walls-ferry-and-jaizkibel.md) (1 h 25 en coche): You stroll round the walled old town and the Marina, cross to Hendaye by small ferry, eat at a grill house on the outskirts and in the afternoon see Jaizkibel from the sea. Half an hour from San Sebastián.
- [Burgos: cathedral, castle and lamb](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/burgos/itineraries/cathedral-castle-and-roast-lamb.md) (1 h 28 en coche): The cathedral first thing, the merchants' churches, the castle reopened in 2026 and its viewpoint, roast lamb at Casa Ojeda and a stroll along the Espolón before heading home.
- [Olite: palace, grill and Ujué](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/navarre/olite/itineraries/royal-palace-grill-house-and-ujue.md) (1 h 35 en coche): You climb the Royal Palace towers, walk the medieval rúas, eat chargrilled food on the Rúa Mayor and finish at Ujué, on top of its hill. 40 minutes from Pamplona.
- [Biarritz with children: seals and a calm beach](https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/french-basque-coast/itineraries/biarritz-with-kids-aquarium.md) (1 h 37 en coche): The seals and sharks of the Biarritz aquarium, a bar lunch at the market and an afternoon in the bay of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, where hardly any swell enters. Less than an hour from San Sebastián.
- [Coastal path and boat along the corniche](https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/french-basque-coast/itineraries/bidart-cliff-walk-to-saint-jean-de-luz.md) (1 h 37 en coche): You walk the first stage of the GR 8 along the cliffs from Bidart to Saint-Jean-de-Luz, eat chipirones behind the market and see from the boat the coast you have walked. Half an hour from San Sebastián.
- [Saint-Jean-de-Luz: harbour and a fish restaurant](https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/french-basque-coast/itineraries/saint-jean-de-luz-harbour-chipirones-and-corniche.md) (1 h 37 en coche): The old town and harbour of Saint-Jean-de-Luz in the morning, chipirones at a restaurant behind the market and a return along the cliff road. Half an hour from San Sebastián.
- [Biarritz: surf at the Côte des Basques and the market](https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/french-basque-coast/itineraries/sunday-in-biarritz-surf-and-market.md) (1 h 37 en coche): An hour-and-a-half surf lesson at Biarritz's learner beach, tapas and produce at the covered market and, in the afternoon, the Atalaye aquarium. Less than an hour from San Sebastián.
- [La Rhune: rack railway and Espelette](https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/french-basque-coast/itineraries/sunday-la-rhune-and-espelette.md) (1 h 37 en coche): You go up La Rhune on a 1924 wooden train, eat inland Basque cooking in Espelette and finish on the main street of Ainhoa. Less than an hour from San Sebastián.
- [Lapurdi villages and a castle above the sea](https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/french-basque-coast/itineraries/winter-ainhoa-espelette-abbadia.md) (1 h 37 en coche): Ainhoa and Espelette without crowds in the morning, inland Basque cooking beside the pelota court and, in the afternoon, the neo-Gothic Abbadia castle on the Hendaye cliff. For when the La Rhune train is not running.
- [Mina Esperanza and CAREX with children](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/atapuerca/itineraries/family-olmos-mine-and-carex.md) (1 h 45 en coche): The Olmos iron mine with lanterns and a boat, CAREX with fire-making and stone-carving demonstrations and lunch in Burgos, half an hour away; all with advance booking.
- [Atapuerca: sites and museum](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/atapuerca/itineraries/trench-with-guide-and-human-evolution-museum.md) (1 h 45 en coche): The first guided visit of the Sunday to the Railway Trench, the Museum of Human Evolution before it closes at 15:00 and lunch opposite Burgos cathedral.
- [Covarrubias and Silos: olla and Gregorian chant](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/covarrubias-and-silos/itineraries/covarrubias-and-silos-keep-olla-podrida-and-gregorian-chant.md) (1 h 55 en coche): Covarrubias and its keep in the morning, olla podrida on the square, the La Yecla gorge and the Silos cloister in the afternoon, and the monks' vespers before heading home.
- [Cabárceno: elephants, cable car and birds of prey](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/cantabria/cabarceno-nature-park/itineraries/sunday-with-children-at-cabarceno.md) (2 h en coche): You drive round the elephant, giraffe and bear enclosures of a former mine, ride the cable car and watch the birds of prey swoop. A quarter of an hour from Santander and an hour and a quarter from Bilbao.

## South over the Herrera pass, north along the AP-1

Vitoria is in the middle of almost everything, and each exit leads to a different landscape. To the south, the A-2124 crosses the Sierra de Cantabria over the Herrera pass and drops in about 45 minutes to [Laguardia and the Rioja Alavesa](/en/spain/basque-country/laguardia-and-rioja-alavesa); you can also get there along the motorway towards Logroño. To the south-west, the A-1 leads to Miranda de Ebro, with [Haro](/en/spain/la-rioja/haro) a step away, and continues to [Burgos](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/burgos), the gateway to [Atapuerca](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/atapuerca) and [Covarrubias and Silos](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/covarrubias-and-silos). [San Millán de la Cogolla](/en/spain/la-rioja/san-millan-de-la-cogolla) is in the same direction, further south.

To the north, the AP-1 climbs to Eibar and joins the AP-8: to the east, [Getaria and Zarautz](/en/spain/basque-country/getaria-and-zarautz); to the west, Bilbao, [Urdaibai](/en/spain/basque-country/urdaibai) and the Cantabrian coast as far as [Santoña and Laredo](/en/spain/cantabria/santona-and-laredo). The N-I via Etxegarate and Tolosa drops to San Sebastián, [Hondarribia](/en/spain/basque-country/hondarribia) and the [French Basque Coast](/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/french-basque-coast). To the east, the Barranca motorway leads to Pamplona and, from there to the south, [Olite](/en/spain/navarre/olite).

Without a car, wine is the easiest. Álava Bus line 9 links Vitoria, Laguardia and Logroño with about ten departures a day, also at weekends, and line 12 goes to Haro. For the coast, Burgos or Navarre a car is best.

## Haro and Laguardia, at 40 and 45 minutes

**Under an hour** is La Rioja: Haro, at 40 minutes, with the wineries of the Barrio de la Estación and the walk to Briñas, and Laguardia, at 45, with its cellars beneath the streets and Marqués de Riscal. To sleep inside the walls there is [the Rioja Alavesa in a night](/en/spain/basque-country/laguardia-and-rioja-alavesa/itineraries/rioja-alavesa-wine-weekend-laguardia).

The fan opens in every direction **between one and one and a half hours**: Gaztelugatxe and Mundaka (65 minutes), Getaria (70), San Millán and the Yuso monastery (75), Santoña and Hondarribia (85) and Burgos (88). Two have an overnight version: [Urdaibai with the estuary by canoe](/en/spain/basque-country/urdaibai/itineraries/urdaibai-canoe-gaztelugatxe-weekend) and [Burgos and Atapuerca](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/burgos/itineraries/night-with-atapuerca-from-valladolid), with the cathedral on Saturday and the Trinchera on Sunday.

**Between an hour and a half and two hours** the day calls for an early start: Olite, at 95 minutes; Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Biarritz and La Rhune, at 97; the Atapuerca sites, at 105; Covarrubias and Silos, at 115, and Cabárceno, at two hours. Here a night is welcome: [the French Basque Coast in two nights](/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/french-basque-coast/itineraries/weekend-from-san-sebastian), [Covarrubias and Silos with vespers](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/covarrubias-and-silos/itineraries/covarrubias-silos-gregorian-chant-weekend) or [Santoña and Laredo](/en/spain/cantabria/santona-and-laredo/itineraries/anchovy-weekend-santona-laredo-from-bilbao).

The trip is a weekend one **from two hours**: [Santillana and Comillas](/en/spain/cantabria/santillana-del-mar/itineraries/santillana-del-mar-comillas-altamira-weekend) and [Aguilar de Campoo with its bison](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/aguilar-de-campoo/itineraries/aguilar-de-campoo-romanesque-and-bison-weekend), at 2 h 25; [the Laguna Negra and Urbión](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/laguna-negra-and-urbion/itineraries/night-in-soria-pine-forests-laguna-negra), at 2 h 40; [Llanes](/en/spain/asturias/llanes/itineraries/llanes-eastern-asturian-coast-weekend), at almost three; [Ordesa from Torla](/en/spain/aragon/ordesa-valley/itineraries/ordesa-weekend-torla-from-huesca), at three and a half, and [the oysters of Arcachon](/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/arcachon-bay/itineraries/oyster-weekend), at 3 h 37.

## Burgos and the monasteries for cold Sundays

In winter the cities and monasteries work. [Burgos, with the cathedral and the castle](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/burgos/itineraries/cathedral-castle-and-roast-lamb), suits any Sunday; Olite has one of its best months in November, and from November to March, when the La Rhune train is not running, there is the [winter Sunday at Ainhoa, Espelette and Abbadia](/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/french-basque-coast/itineraries/winter-ainhoa-espelette-abbadia). In January there are no visits to the Atapuerca sites.

In spring, the green countryside of the Rioja Alavesa and the [Sunday in San Millán de la Cogolla](/en/spain/la-rioja/san-millan-de-la-cogolla/itineraries/yuso-monastery-winery-and-canas), with Yuso, a Najerilla winery and Cañas. From May the high season for Urdaibai begins.

In summer it is best to go up or to the sea. June is the best month for the Laguna Negra and for Ordesa's Cola de Caballo; in July and August Getaria and Zarautz beach work, and in Laguardia the walk is done early.

Autumn is Vitoria's season. In September and October, with the grape harvest, Haro and Laguardia are at their best, and the vineyards change colour. They are also good months for Olite, Covarrubias and Silos, and the Laguna Negra.

## The Abbey Tower and a winery beneath the streets of Laguardia

- **Without a car, in a day:** [Sunday in Laguardia](/en/spain/basque-country/laguardia-and-rioja-alavesa/itineraries/wine-cellars-tower-and-marques-de-riscal). Álava Bus to tour the town inside its wall, climb the Abbey Tower, go down to a winery dug beneath the streets and taste at Marqués de Riscal.
- **By car, in a day:** [Sunday at Atapuerca](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/atapuerca/itineraries/trench-with-guide-and-human-evolution-museum). An hour and three quarters along the A-1 for the first guided visit to the Trinchera del Ferrocarril, booked beforehand by phone, and the Museum of Human Evolution before it closes at 15:00.
- **With one night:** [Urdaibai, from the estuary to Gaztelugatxe](/en/spain/basque-country/urdaibai/itineraries/urdaibai-canoe-gaztelugatxe-weekend). An hour away, to paddle down the estuary by canoe to Laida, see Gernika and climb to Gaztelugatxe before anyone else.

With children, the [family Sunday at Atapuerca](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/atapuerca/itineraries/family-olmos-mine-and-carex) combines the Olmos mine by boat and the CAREX fire.