Casa Rural Ulle Gorri — Local services in Urkabustaiz

Let me begin by letting you know that we have been traveling for years and take 2-3 international trips per year. And this tour, this Couple are special. From start to finish, they were professional, responsive, and went above and beyond to ensure our trip was seamless. Their knowledge of the local culture and insider tips made all the difference." I contacted and discussed a trip to Basque Spain with 4 different Basque tour companies and Ana was the clear favorite: she was responsive, and she went out of her way to understand our wants and needs. Ana & Inaki price their tours very reasonably so after reviewing their suggested itinerary and price we decided to ask additional couples to join us, and it was great. Ana is the organizer and Inaki is a great guide. He grew up there and is very knowledgeable about the region. His love for Basque Spain comes through with every tour, every visit, every adventure. From Inaki you’ll learn the history and traditions of Basque Country. He is also a baritone that sings Opera and about everything else. In fact, daily he added songs to his playlist and the entire van found ourselves singing between stops. Inaki showed us the highlights of the Basque country with “must sees” like Bilbao, San Sebastian, Bermeo, St. Jean-de- Luz, and yet also “hidden gems” that only the locals really know. I want you to know what an amazing, unique, and special experience our time with Ana & Inaki at Ulle-Gorri was. All four couples are active and visited Ulle Gorri together and entrusted Ulle Gorri Travel with creating a custom itinerary. Ulle Gorri with its gorgeous sunset views, in sustainable accommodations, and peacefulness village are hard to beat. Ana took the time to craft (and edit) an itinerary that I requested. Each detail was thoughtful and well planned. From pintxos in Bilbao, to visiting their town of Untza, and Basque Bowling at their village txucko. We visited a sheep cheese farm tasting cheese with Maider (She’s a 2012 Olympic medalist); We visited a Basque Ciderhouse, the Salt flats where they still process salt like they did 6000 years ago, and where Ana arranged for a special lunch with a chef that serves one lunch daily for only 16 guests. Beatrice’s small restaurant isn’t a Michelin star, but she should be. We toured Getaria, visited a local Txokoli (pronounced Chock-o-lee) winery, spent an afternoon in the quaint village of Ainhoa France, learned about making and eating pintxos, and went back in time at the Albaola whaling ship project. To cap it off we joined Ana and Inaki at the Bilboa Opera for a wonderful production of la Boehme. Each experience was special and memorable… the best we’ve ever had. Even more extraordinary is this special couple.

Their charming farmhouse is just big enough for your group to be comfortable and quaint enough that you’ll feel loved. You may tour under a different itinerary with Ana and Iñaki, but we have no doubt that with Ana and Iñaki you’ll feel welcomed by their infectiously upbeat personalities and warm, and kind hearts.

Other reviews have called this “a can't-miss once-in-a-lifetime experience”...

Ana and Iñaki, owners of Ulle Gorri, are the most amazing hosts and experts in their field. Caring, knowledgeable, attentive to details, flexible, generous and kind. I spent ten days with them (first on my own for six days then with a second guest) galivanting around many of the beautiful areas of the Basque Country. Their historic home has been remodeled in an incredibly creative and stunning way.

You feel at home the moment you walk in. It is located in a very quiet and scenic pastoral environment that looks like art and where the light sounds of bells worn by the various animals in the surrounding fields, greet you in the morning. Guaranteed to have a peaceful sleep.

The first day, I arrived in the dark of night and didn’t see the surroundings until breakfast the following morning. The green hills were layered with a light fog – dreamlike. It wasn’t until the following morning that I could see the mountains further away, the nearby hamlet, the whole charming picture.

Between the two of them they have a huge repertoire of historical, cultural, culinary, and local knowledge. I can’t think of a question I asked them for which they didn’t know the answer. But all that isn’t sufficient if you can’t rise to unforeseen occurrences. I became sick for 1.5 days towards the end of the trip and they were able to accommodate my visit to an emergency clinic while the need of the other traveler was still attended to without a glitch.

What I enjoyed the most was the complete flexibility when I was touring with them by myself. If they noticed I was into plants or long hikes, they would change the route to include more of that. If they noticed I wasn’t into shopping or big cities, they would also change the route to a certain degree to include less of that. If they noticed I prefer some type of food, they would see if they could cook it or find it.

When I was alone with them, we spoke more Spanish (although they also know French and English) because I was also here to practice that language. We turned to English when the second guest arrived since she didn’t speak it. (Please understand that this level of flexibility would be difficult to do for larger groups but I needed to say how attentive to details these two were and I appreciated every bit of it). If the weather didn’t allow for a good view from the top of a mountain, we would do something else just as interesting. You need to have a plan B, C, and D already lined up and a thorough knowledge of the area to achieve this so seamlessly.

Finally, be prepared for long days but isn’t that what you are here for? Complete discovery of an amazing place? Many days would start at 8:30am and end around 9-11pm. I see that as part of the adventure and loved it, some may not have the energy for it. I can’t recommend Ulle Gorri and it’s the Land of the Basques Experience enough. They are simply top notch...

I am not sure that words are even adequate to express what an amazing, unique and special experience this was. My family (husband and 2 kids) plus a friend, visited Ulle Gorri together and entrusted Ulle Gorri Travel with creating a custom itinerary. Ana took the time to craft (and edit) an itinerary that I requested. Each detail was thoughtful and well planned. From meeting first for pintxos in Bilbao, to visiting their town of Untza, tasting cheese with Maider (and seeing her farm), the Basque Ciderhouse, Salt flats, Pottery center, touring Getaria, San Sebastián, French Basque, and the Albaola project with a boat ride - each experience was special and memorable.

While you may tour under a different itinerary with Ana and Iñaki, I have no doubt that you'd have the same unique and soul-filling experiences. Ana and Iñaki are the sweetest and most special people - fun, generous, warm, and kind. Ana is a thoughtful planner, who cared well for us with breakfast, dinner, snacks, accommodating our laundry needs, paying sweet attention to our daughters. Iñaki is a wealth of information and a fantastic tour guide, who patiently accommodated our group's varied needs, drove and guided us on our travels NW of Ulle Gorri, and spent time enjoying the wealth of Basque Country with us like a long lost friend. He was unflappable, infinitely flexible, always ready to belt out a tune.

I want to say that this is a can't-miss once-in-a-lifetime experience, except, I know that we will be back to visit with Ana and Iñaki. Consider a quiet week at Ulle Gorri with its gorgeous sunset views, in sustainable accommodations, and peacefulness of the town or a visit filled with activities to discover the rich history and traditions of Basque Country. Either way, you can trust that you’ll be in great hands with Ulle...