The Basque Country has its own language, Euskera, its own sports and its own way of eating and celebrating, and you notice it within minutes of arriving: on street signs, in the bars and at any village fiesta. You do not need to speak Basque, since everyone also speaks Spanish and English is common in the tourist trade, but knowing a little about the culture makes a visit far richer.
Euskera, the Basque language
Basque is not related to Spanish, French or any other living language, which is why signs look so different from anything you have seen elsewhere in Spain. In the Basque Autonomous Community it is an official language alongside Spanish, so signs, menus and announcements are often in both, with place names like Donostia (San Sebastián), Gasteiz (Vitoria) or Bilbo (Bilbao).
According to the 2021 census from Eustat, the Basque statistics office, about 43% of the population speaks Basque well, up from 37% in 2011, and the share is highest in Gipuzkoa, the province around San Sebastián. You will hear it most in small towns and among young people, who are taught in Basque at school. Spanish works everywhere.
A few useful words
Locals appreciate the effort, even if you switch back to English or Spanish straight away.
- Kaixo (kai-sho): hello
- Agur: goodbye
- Egun on: good morning
- Gabon: good night
- Eskerrik asko: thank you
- Mesedez: please
- Bai / Ez: yes / no
- Topa!: cheers
- Ongi etorri: welcome, seen on signs everywhere
- Kalea: street; hondartza: beach; komunak: toilets
The letters tx sound like the English ch, and tz roughly like ts, so txakoli (the local white wine) is "cha-ko-lee".
Pelota and rural sports
Basque pelota, played against a wall in a court called a frontón, is the national game. The Basque tourism board lists the main ways it is played: with the bare hand (the classic form, and the one that stirs the most passion), with a racket, or with a long curved wicker basket, the form known as cesta punta or jai alai. Almost every village has a frontón, and you can watch professional matches at venues such as Frontón Bizkaia in Bilbao, Atano III in San Sebastián, Galarreta in Hernani or the Jai Alai court in Gernika. Check the venue's own schedule for match days and times.
Herri kirolak, the rural sports, grew out of farm work. Look out for:
- Aizkolariak, wood choppers racing through thick logs with an axe.
- Harrijasotzaileak, stone lifters hoisting huge stones onto their shoulders.
- Sokatira, tug of war between teams.
- Traineras, long rowing boats racing at sea; the best-known regatta is the Bandera de La Concha in San Sebastián, rowed on the first two Sundays of September.
You are most likely to see rural sports at village fiestas and during the big summer festivals.
Txokos and cider houses
A txoko, or gastronomic society, is a private club with a large kitchen and dining room where members cook for family and friends. The first ones appeared in San Sebastián in the 19th century. Many were traditionally men only; most now welcome women at least as guests, though some still restrict membership or access to the kitchen. You cannot simply walk in: the only way inside is as a member's guest, so if a local invites you, say yes.
Cider houses (sagardotegiak) are easier to visit. Most are in the hills of Gipuzkoa, around Astigarraga and Hernani, and during the cider season, which runs from mid-January to around the end of April, they serve a set menu of salt-cod omelette, cod, steak, cheese and walnuts. When someone shouts "txotx!", everyone gets up to catch fresh cider straight from the barrel.
Festivals worth planning around
- Tamborrada, 20 January, San Sebastián's day: for 24 hours, companies of drummers parade through the city (San Sebastián Turismo).
- Semana Grande, San Sebastián, in the week of 15 August, with an international fireworks competition over the bay.
- Aste Nagusia, Bilbao's nine-day fiesta, which starts on the Saturday after 15 August, led by Marijaia, a giant figure in a red dress who is burned at the end.
- Bertsolaritza, improvised sung verse, performed at festivals and in competitions across the year.
Expect crowds and higher hotel prices during the big fiestas; see the best time to visit for the full calendar.
Respect and politics
Basque identity matters to many people here, and some feel strongly about how the region is described. Calling it "the Basque Country" rather than simply "Spain" goes down well. Avoid bringing up politics or the past unless someone else does, and accept that some people will answer you in Basque first.
Staying connected
Translating a Basque menu, finding the frontón in a village with no English signs or checking which cider houses are open all need mobile data. A data eSIM for Spain gives you local data from the moment you arrive without removing your own SIM, so you keep your usual number too. Installing it takes a few minutes before you fly.