Gourmet products local specialties and wines PAYS BASQUE NAVARRE - RIOJA

This flower market is held every Sunday morning on the promenade of El Arenal, a few metres from the Town Hall. The stalls are set up along the ría, offering all kinds of plants and flowers at low prices. The emblematic tinglados (metal shelters), inherited from the industrial era, become the showcase of this pretty market where it is good to stroll among the freshly cut flowers. Many small producers come here to sell their products.

Just a stone's throw from the Teatro Arriaga, a pretty retro décor for a sweet break based on home-made biscuits and cakes. Among these sweets, classic or international recipes, refined pastries and a fine selection of Basque specialities: tiramisu, scones, bollos de mantequilla (typical Bilbao brioche), Basque cake, cheese or carrot cake... All to be enjoyed in a pretty stone setting with coffee, hot chocolate or fresh fruit juice. Unmistakable: the hojaldre (puff pastry cake)!

This wine merchant born in 1994 brings together more than 3,000 references of wines and liqueurs in a vast area dedicated to sales, but also to all kinds of wine-related activities (conferences, tastings, presentations of vintages or bodegas, etc.). You will appreciate the always friendly and very professional welcome of Antonio and his team, the immense variety of the selected vintages, but also their excellent value for money. A must-see address for wine shopping!

The first Martina pastry shop in Zuricalday dates back to 1830. It is therefore today the oldest artisan pastry shop in the Basque Country. The sixth generation of the family now runs the four eponymous shops and continues to delight gourmets with its famous bollos de mantequilla (brioche with custard), cakes and other varied delicacies (macaroons, financiers, cupcakes, etc.). Other specialities from Bilbao include the Carolina (tartlet topped with a meringue-chocolate cone) and the bollo suizo (sugar brioche).

Since 1852, this pastry shop is an institution of the city. Its decoration, which has remained practically unchanged for a hundred years, preserves beautiful pieces of furniture such as this superb Carrara marble counter. A wide variety of cakes and chocolates have been delighting Bilbao's people for generations, but the house's great specialty is the chocolate truffle, whose traditional preparation has remained unchanged for decades. Sold in boxes and assortments, it is a good souvenir idea for your greedy friends!

Just across the street from the Arriaga Theatre, this delightful tea room is the successor to the historic El Tilo café, a meeting place for artists for over a century. Decorated with Belle Epoque frescoes, this gourmet address is famous for its cupcakes with multiple flavours: chocolate, red velvet, red fruits, Oreo (biscuits)... Its huge slices of pumpkin, cheese or speculoos cake are also to be enjoyed. An excellent address for breakfast or a gourmet break at the entrance of the Casco Viejo, in an old-fashioned setting!

Bacalao (cod), the star of the local cuisine, is in the spotlight in this old grocery store founded in 1931. The "Bacalada de Gregorio Martín", as it is known, is also worth a look for its authentic décor, full of preserves, rows of sausages and bags of pulses. The company's flagship product, cod, is imported from the Faroe Islands, where it is sustainably fished. The choice of producers is the key to the success of this brand: cheeses, cold cuts, wines, chocolates, etc., are selected from the best producers.

Halfway between Güeñes and Galdames, on the heights of the town of Humaran, this is a golden address to buy delicious Basque cakes made entirely by hand. Here, everything is baked over a wood fire! The products are sold on the spot at weekends, but also at local markets - especially at the Gure Lurreko Merkatua market on Saturdays in Balmaseda - or distributed in the local bakeries. In addition to its famous Basque cakes, the house also prepares delicious madeleines, nut cakes, chocolate cakes, etc.

Once a month, on Saturdays, this great open-air market is celebrated in the streets of the old town. There are a total of around 180 traders and exhibitors offering food, clothing, antiques and tastings of local products. You can take a look at the Rincón de la Artesanía (Craft Corner) to sample some local artefacts, or head to the Plaza de la Burullería, where there are activities for the little ones and a tasting area. A highlight in the life of Vitoria.

With a dozen shops in the region, this 1886 confectionery is simply a must! It was Manuel Goya who opened the very first establishment on Mateo Moraza street in Vitoria. At that time, confectioners used to make sweets, but also candles, as both products had a common raw material: honey. Among the specialities: vasquitos and nesquitas, delicious sweets sold in pretty metal boxes, but also good homemade jams.

Here you can find more than a hundred references of Rioja wines, many from small producers, but also from local crafts. Judith and Javier, the owners, also offer guided tours of the city. There are many wine-related activities in the area. Petita Uva can offer you a day or half-day tour, depending on your needs. Knowing very well the environment, they will facilitate your steps. Passionate welcome !

A breathtaking panorama and a masterful structure of steel and wood created by Bordeaux architect Philipe Maziéres, the Vina Real winery is a perfect balance between tradition and modernity. The range offers wines with long aging potential like its smoky, spicy red Viña Real Reserva 2015, made from Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano from the vineyard's highest quality plots. Viña Real offers picnics in the heart of the vineyard, where wine and tapas will introduce you to the "vida loca".

This family estate is located in Rioja, the oldest and most famous wine region in Spain. Quality and subtlety are the ambitions of the vineyard, whose star grape variety is Tempranillo, but it also includes indigenous grape varieties such as Graciano, Mazuelo, Viura and Malvasia. A special mention goes to their Murua Reserva wine, made from Tempranillo grapes and accompanied by small quantities of Graciano and Mazuelo. Aged 18 months in oak barrels, this wine does not lack character. This one pairs perfectly with beef with local fig jam.

It is impossible to leave Santo Domingo de la Calzada without having tasted the ahorcaditos (literally, "little hanged men"), whose name refers to the miracle of the hanged man. This pastry in the shape of a scallop shell is made from puff pastry and filled with almond cream. It is said that the recipe was invented in this traditional establishment. Note that the shop is also a specialist in artisanal ice cream, and has been for four generations! No less than 25 flavours can be found in the shop window.

In this market, you will find organic and good food: about fifteen small producers of the area meet there on Thursdays and Saturdays to sell their fruits and vegetables of the garden, but also flowers and plants. Since 1718, the market stalls have been located around the beautiful kiosk in the plaza del solar. The latter, built in an eclectic style, dates from 1912. Take advantage of this opportunity to stock up on good regional products, including the typical green peppers of Gernika, and don't forget to bring back a few bottles of txakoli.

Founded in 1872, Bodegas Gran Feudo is one of the oldest wine producers in Spain and continues to produce some of Navarre's most emblematic wines, being the main wine exporter in Navarre. Internationally renowned for decades for the production of excellent wines of various grape varieties - Tempranillo, Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Moscatel - the wineries open their doors by appointment, allowing the curious to tour the vineyards, the wineries themselves and taste!

This family-run business is linked to the traditions of the sea: at Maisor, we're fishermen from father to son. At the dawn of the ^21st century, the family began producing canned goods. Anchovies in oil or vinegar, albacore tuna and mackerel are canned using traditional methods. In its premises on the port of Guetaria, the company offers anchovy preparation workshops and tastings. Above all, you can stock up on excellent canned anchovies, tuna, sardines and more. Perfect for families.

Sale of cider and preserved vegetables.

Sale of Txakoli de Bizkaia.

Sale of cheese.