BasqueMTB
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About
BasqueMTB is the longest running mountain bike guiding business on the Basque Coast. We are a small independent holiday company, based in Spain, offering guided mountain bike holidays throughout the Spanish Basque Country. Our base, in Hondarribia, is situated between San Sebastian, in Spain, and Biarritz, in France, and has mountain biking in the Pyrenees on one side and world class surf beaches on the other.
San Sebastian - Donostia, Basque Country, Spain
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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5.0
79 reviews
Excellent
78
Very good
1
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Aurelie P
2 contributions
Sep 2022
BasqueMTB is a world class operation. Doug, his team, and his partners are so good at what they do. The scenery and biking was simply spectacular. Unfortunately, we had some bad luck with weather but Doug and his team are so nimble. Even though I know itinerary changes were made, it always felt like we were riding plan A. They were constantly monitoring the weather and trail conditions, looking forward and making changes to keep us on incredible trails riding all day. I was also so impressed with how quickly and confidently they got a gal in our group medical care when she required an x-ray for a dislocation. Doug and his team are ready for anything which gives clients the opportunity to ride with confidence, not worry about the details, and focus fully on blissful biking. The days were long with plenty of biking, adventure, great food, good technical coaching and awesome company. I became a better biker, met new friends, and developed a serious lasting love for Spain. I look forward to many more trips with BasqueMTB.
Written November 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Matt C
Newbridge, UK16 contributions
Sep 2021 • Solo
This was a great trip - well organised, really good value and most importantly amazing fun.
The Basque country is maybe not the first place you think of for a riding holiday and it's a very different experience to the charlifted experience in the Alps, but the variety of trails that Doug and his team of first class guides will show you explains why these guys get such good reviews. All the things that they can control are first class - great guides who are super friendly, helpful, experienced and understand the balance between fun and safety and then a team that wants you to experience and enjoy this unique region. The stuff that can't control like the weather, people's riding ability and the mechanicals and other stuff that happens as part of mountain biking they deal with brilliantly. The trails are great fun, but it's all the other stuff that makes it a great holiday.
The Basque country is maybe not the first place you think of for a riding holiday and it's a very different experience to the charlifted experience in the Alps, but the variety of trails that Doug and his team of first class guides will show you explains why these guys get such good reviews. All the things that they can control are first class - great guides who are super friendly, helpful, experienced and understand the balance between fun and safety and then a team that wants you to experience and enjoy this unique region. The stuff that can't control like the weather, people's riding ability and the mechanicals and other stuff that happens as part of mountain biking they deal with brilliantly. The trails are great fun, but it's all the other stuff that makes it a great holiday.
Written September 11, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rosie E
Nottingham, UK17 contributions
May 2013 • Friends
Been to the French Alps three times before and for 2013 we fancied somewhere quieter, away from the crowds and a little bit different.
After hearing many people recommend Spain as a good mountain biking destination I did a bit of research on the internet and stumbled across BasqueMTB.
Watching a few videos on the site was enough to lure me in but it was the subsequent email conversations I had with Doug, the owner, that really convinced me to book. I asked what felt like an insane amount of questions over several months (got burned by a bad holiday experience in the alps the year before so was being overly cautious!) but he took the time to reply in great detail and I really got the impression that nothing was too much trouble. He just came across as being a really nice, genuine bloke who loved the sort of riding we did, so as soon as Easyjet released their flights for the summer we booked ourselves in on a Basque Coast Holiday Week.
The riding was everything we'd hoped it would be and more besides. Endless miles of incredibly varied trails, which we pretty much had to ourselves, all with insanely picturesque scenery everywhere you looked!
We were a fairly mixed group I think, from intermediate to very advanced, but Doug managed to keep everybody happy - there were often different options in places so you could take the more techy option or the more gentle option if you'd prefer. Every ride was challenging and knackering but I can't remember the last time I've had so much fun on my bike - every day felt like a real adventure.
There is a rest day mid-week but a few of our group chose to go out riding then too, so Doug gave us a GPS and a route to follow ourselves. Never underestimate the value of resting up though and taking it easy for a day... I made it through riding all 6 days without a rest, but I did struggle on the fifth day and we were absolutely shattered the following week after we got back!
Being used to staying in a fully catered chalet on bike holidays before, I initially thought that only having breakfast included on this holiday would be a slight drawback, but in reality it actually afforded us a lot of flexibility - we were able to order in pizza to the house one night when we got back quite late and on another day after an epic mountain ridge ride we got to head straight to an amazing local restaurant on stilts with stunning panoramic views overlooking vineyards and mountains.
Hondarribia, the picturesque little town that's only about a 10 minute walk from the Urban house, is home to a vast number of restaurants and bars and the food is lovely and not expensive. Be aware that 8pm is about the earliest you can eat food in the evenings there though! It's normal for them to eat much later.
So all in all, a fantastic holiday. I honestly can't say enough good things about Doug and BasqueMTB - he's a top bloke, really easy going and a great sense of humour with an incredible knowledge of the local (and not so local!) trails. The riding is challenging and not without effort (although he does offer uplift options in a van, this isn't chairlifts-in-the-alps type territory - you have to work for your descents!) but it was an epic mountain bike adventure of a week with great food and great company - we are already saving up to return again next year!
After hearing many people recommend Spain as a good mountain biking destination I did a bit of research on the internet and stumbled across BasqueMTB.
Watching a few videos on the site was enough to lure me in but it was the subsequent email conversations I had with Doug, the owner, that really convinced me to book. I asked what felt like an insane amount of questions over several months (got burned by a bad holiday experience in the alps the year before so was being overly cautious!) but he took the time to reply in great detail and I really got the impression that nothing was too much trouble. He just came across as being a really nice, genuine bloke who loved the sort of riding we did, so as soon as Easyjet released their flights for the summer we booked ourselves in on a Basque Coast Holiday Week.
The riding was everything we'd hoped it would be and more besides. Endless miles of incredibly varied trails, which we pretty much had to ourselves, all with insanely picturesque scenery everywhere you looked!
We were a fairly mixed group I think, from intermediate to very advanced, but Doug managed to keep everybody happy - there were often different options in places so you could take the more techy option or the more gentle option if you'd prefer. Every ride was challenging and knackering but I can't remember the last time I've had so much fun on my bike - every day felt like a real adventure.
There is a rest day mid-week but a few of our group chose to go out riding then too, so Doug gave us a GPS and a route to follow ourselves. Never underestimate the value of resting up though and taking it easy for a day... I made it through riding all 6 days without a rest, but I did struggle on the fifth day and we were absolutely shattered the following week after we got back!
Being used to staying in a fully catered chalet on bike holidays before, I initially thought that only having breakfast included on this holiday would be a slight drawback, but in reality it actually afforded us a lot of flexibility - we were able to order in pizza to the house one night when we got back quite late and on another day after an epic mountain ridge ride we got to head straight to an amazing local restaurant on stilts with stunning panoramic views overlooking vineyards and mountains.
Hondarribia, the picturesque little town that's only about a 10 minute walk from the Urban house, is home to a vast number of restaurants and bars and the food is lovely and not expensive. Be aware that 8pm is about the earliest you can eat food in the evenings there though! It's normal for them to eat much later.
So all in all, a fantastic holiday. I honestly can't say enough good things about Doug and BasqueMTB - he's a top bloke, really easy going and a great sense of humour with an incredible knowledge of the local (and not so local!) trails. The riding is challenging and not without effort (although he does offer uplift options in a van, this isn't chairlifts-in-the-alps type territory - you have to work for your descents!) but it was an epic mountain bike adventure of a week with great food and great company - we are already saving up to return again next year!
Written June 1, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Simon P
Aberdeen, UK2 contributions
Apr 2014 • Friends
Myself and three friends went on the Back Country Pyranees tour with BasqueMTB. Doug and Antonio are excellent trail guides. We were looked after from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. The routes were customised to suite both our requirements and our abilities, with Doug selecting trails that were always a challenge but, equally, always rewarding. Not only that, but they were great company and a pleasure to spend a week with.
Trails - From Spanish Utah to the Camino Del Canal Del Cinca to the Basque coast, the trails were different every day. The variety of the trail surface & steepness, as well as the scenery, was incedible. Predominantly gravity assisted, there was still some pedalling to do. However, the quality of the downhill was well worth any effort exerted to reach the summit. Wind eroded moonscapes? - Check. Fast and flowy forrest trails? - Check. Steep and rocky switchbacks? - Check. Spectacular mountain-side paths with caves, overhangs and exposure? - Check. It felt like you were cycling in a different part of the world every day.
Accomodation - The accomodation varied from hotel to guesthouse to hostel to apartment. All accomodation was of a very high standard and the food was fantastic. The Ainsa steak has to be seen to be believed - Man v Food has nothing on this!
It's all mountain / enduro teritory for the main. A 140mm-160mm quality bike is needed and make sure you take a good selection of spares - there are some bike shops around but some of the locations are pretty remote and you'll want to be as self sufficient as possible. The same goes for clothing - laundry facilites are not always available and if you get wet, it's not always possible to dry all the clothing by the following day.
I can't recommend BasqueMTB's Back Country Pyranees tour enough. If you've tried the Alps and want something more than rooty, forrest tracks and brake-bump strewn bike park trails, give it a go.
I may have to have the smile surgically removed from my face.
Trails - From Spanish Utah to the Camino Del Canal Del Cinca to the Basque coast, the trails were different every day. The variety of the trail surface & steepness, as well as the scenery, was incedible. Predominantly gravity assisted, there was still some pedalling to do. However, the quality of the downhill was well worth any effort exerted to reach the summit. Wind eroded moonscapes? - Check. Fast and flowy forrest trails? - Check. Steep and rocky switchbacks? - Check. Spectacular mountain-side paths with caves, overhangs and exposure? - Check. It felt like you were cycling in a different part of the world every day.
Accomodation - The accomodation varied from hotel to guesthouse to hostel to apartment. All accomodation was of a very high standard and the food was fantastic. The Ainsa steak has to be seen to be believed - Man v Food has nothing on this!
It's all mountain / enduro teritory for the main. A 140mm-160mm quality bike is needed and make sure you take a good selection of spares - there are some bike shops around but some of the locations are pretty remote and you'll want to be as self sufficient as possible. The same goes for clothing - laundry facilites are not always available and if you get wet, it's not always possible to dry all the clothing by the following day.
I can't recommend BasqueMTB's Back Country Pyranees tour enough. If you've tried the Alps and want something more than rooty, forrest tracks and brake-bump strewn bike park trails, give it a go.
I may have to have the smile surgically removed from my face.
Written April 7, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pete L
Huntsville, UT16 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
Basque MTB plans excellent trips that really accommodate the riders. Their guides were excellent and so fun. Couldn’t have asked for a better guide experience.
Written February 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
853kenw
Calgary, Canada1 contribution
Jun 2016 • Friends
Just got back from a week in northern Spain riding with BasqueMTB. I have done guided mountain bike trips all over the world with many different companies and Doug and his team of professionals at BasqueMTB are among the best.
They are highly organized, flexible, service & client focused professionals who are 100% committed to the trip experience. I can't say enough about these guys and the amazing mountain biking experience they provide in Spain's Basque region. I would highly recommend this company to anyone looking for an outstanding mountain biking experience. This trip is must for any mountain biker's bucket list!
They are highly organized, flexible, service & client focused professionals who are 100% committed to the trip experience. I can't say enough about these guys and the amazing mountain biking experience they provide in Spain's Basque region. I would highly recommend this company to anyone looking for an outstanding mountain biking experience. This trip is must for any mountain biker's bucket list!
Written June 13, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Duncan M
Solihull, UK13 contributions
Jun 2015 • Friends
I cannot fault this setup!
The absolute key think about Basque MTB is that Doug, Antonio, Borja and Borja are bikers!, who live in the area, so they know and understand fully, what people who love riding bikes, and have saved up their pennies and holiday entitlement want from a Mountain biking holiday.
and for me, it is not just about the good times, when riders in the groups had problems ( two unfortunate accidents and a lost passport, bike mechanicals ) the trail side knowledge, local knowledge and planning enabled assistance (equipment / transport/ interpreters ) to be provided and the riding to carry on.
https://vimeo.com/133163811
The video link pretty much sums up our week.
The absolute key think about Basque MTB is that Doug, Antonio, Borja and Borja are bikers!, who live in the area, so they know and understand fully, what people who love riding bikes, and have saved up their pennies and holiday entitlement want from a Mountain biking holiday.
and for me, it is not just about the good times, when riders in the groups had problems ( two unfortunate accidents and a lost passport, bike mechanicals ) the trail side knowledge, local knowledge and planning enabled assistance (equipment / transport/ interpreters ) to be provided and the riding to carry on.
https://vimeo.com/133163811
The video link pretty much sums up our week.
Written July 27, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Craig D
Hebden Bridge, UK41 contributions
Jul 2015 • Couples
I have just spent the most incredible week with Basque MTB riding some simply stunning trails in the Basque country.
Doug and the guides (Antonio and Borge) looked after us so well, from the moment they collected us in the morning until we were dropped off in the evening.
As for the trails - they are amazing. Really some of the most amazing trails I have ever had the pleasure of riding. Doug is brilliant to ride with, talking you through things as you follow him and enjoying every twist and turn with you.
Finally, the food! This region of Spain simply oozes jaw dropping food effortlessly - literally every place we ate offered Michelin star dishes for less than a pack of pork scratchings!
I cannot wait to go again. Thank You Doug and the team.
Doug and the guides (Antonio and Borge) looked after us so well, from the moment they collected us in the morning until we were dropped off in the evening.
As for the trails - they are amazing. Really some of the most amazing trails I have ever had the pleasure of riding. Doug is brilliant to ride with, talking you through things as you follow him and enjoying every twist and turn with you.
Finally, the food! This region of Spain simply oozes jaw dropping food effortlessly - literally every place we ate offered Michelin star dishes for less than a pack of pork scratchings!
I cannot wait to go again. Thank You Doug and the team.
Written July 12, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PhilBM68
Wigan, UK36 contributions
Jun 2015 • Friends
4 days of mountain biking across the Basque Coast , French Border and around Pamplona was breathtaking. Doug and his well organised team provided some new trail experiences for us and tailored everything to our needs. 50% of new trails and 50% of old favourites with over 21000 ft of descending and 11000 ft of climbing. Steep , technical and fast flow is how I like it and this trip gave it in abundance.
If ever there was an area that your mountain bike deserved to ridden it is this place.
Food and drink was outstanding as always.
If ever there was an area that your mountain bike deserved to ridden it is this place.
Food and drink was outstanding as always.
Written June 22, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Haydn L
Aberaeron, Wales, United Kingdom6 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
We had a fantastic day riding the paths along and around the picturesque coastline, east of San Sebastian.
Douglas of BasqueMTB tailored the ride to suit our abilities, was very patient and was flexible throughout the day. He took us along some terrific and sometimes challenging trails and we had a decent stop for lunch and refreshments. Our varying abilities could have made it difficult to please us all but we all agree that Doug had tailored the day so that we all had a day to rememember. Every section of trail was well described beforehand, the safety of the riders being of utmost importance.
We met a bunch of enthusiastic guys from Carlisle who were back for the second time for a week`s riding.
Basque MTB is professionally run by Doug who is more than a capable rider!
Douglas of BasqueMTB tailored the ride to suit our abilities, was very patient and was flexible throughout the day. He took us along some terrific and sometimes challenging trails and we had a decent stop for lunch and refreshments. Our varying abilities could have made it difficult to please us all but we all agree that Doug had tailored the day so that we all had a day to rememember. Every section of trail was well described beforehand, the safety of the riders being of utmost importance.
We met a bunch of enthusiastic guys from Carlisle who were back for the second time for a week`s riding.
Basque MTB is professionally run by Doug who is more than a capable rider!
Written August 12, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Can we just rent the bikes and go on ourselves?
Written June 27, 2019
Hi Mike, thanks for the questions. I´m afraid that we don´t rent bikes without guides. I explain the reasons for that in quite a bit of detail on the website under Bike Hire.
Written July 1, 2019
I am wondering how much technical riding you have done. Are you quite skilled or a beginner or somewhere in between?
Written September 1, 2016
My husband and I went for three days with BasqueMTB. We are both intermediate riders, but my sense of Douglas is that he will choose rides that work for anyone. I would suggest emailing him (he is great at responding) and asking about trails. We booked private days so that we could ride the trails we wanted and didn't have to be in a group. It was a great price and the best days!
Written September 1, 2016
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