Discover the Basque Country

Photography

King Tides & Basque Octopus
King Tides & Basque Octopus

King Tides & Basque Octopus

I strolled across the beach and walked the glowing sand past where the sea usually lies, a rare privilege bestowed by the king low tide. Three metre tidal changes are not uncommon here in the Basque Country, and with the king tides the octopus are more accessible.  Having learned some tricks from local octopus fisherman, I searched around where the sand meets the rocks and was rewarded under the first rock I checked. (I’d just like to mention that catching these very strong and intelligent creatures requires a fishing licence and the bag limit is 2 per licensed fishermen per day with size restrictions…Regulations are important!)

Getaria to Goierri
Getaria to Goierri

Getaria to Goierri

Yesterday, Fernando of Embajada de la Huerta gathered together a few of us from Gipuzkoa and we joined others from Bilbao & Gasteiz as a group of gastronomy, culture and Basque Country enthusiasts known here as “Igers” (see their photos on Instagram below).

Basque Coast
Basque Coast

Basque Coast

Over the previous week, under drizzle and burst of sunshine, I’ve been exploring the Basque Country: Zumaia, Getaria, Donostia-San Sebastian & beyond (scroll down to see the photos).

Photography by Jonathan McCallum & Jason Coon

Zumaia Sea Caves, Photo by Jason Coon

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