GR® 38 Wine & Fish Route

Vineyards, mountains, and a journey from the wine country of Rioja Alavesa to the Atlantic coast.

The GR® 38 Wine & Fish Route is a long-distance trail crossing the Basque Country from Oyón-Oion in Rioja Alavesa to the fishing port of Bermeo on the Bay of Biscay. Following historic trading routes once used to transport wine inland and fish from the coast, the trail links vineyards, mountain landscapes, rural valleys, and coastal settlements through a journey shaped by both landscape and culture.

As a self-guided journey, the route connects places such as Oyón-Oion, Laguardia, Urkiola Natural Park, Gernika-Lumo, and Bermeo while passing through vineyard plains, limestone mountains, forested valleys, and the wetlands of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve. Each stage reveals a different side of the Basque Country, creating a route defined by continual transition between inland and coastal landscapes.

With well-marked trails, varied terrain, and a strong cultural identity throughout, the GR® 38 offers one of northern Spain's most distinctive long-distance routes. The journey combines heritage, food, landscape, and history, following the path of centuries of trade between the vineyards of Rioja Alavesa and the fishing communities of the Atlantic coast.

Overview

Distance 103 miles / 166 km

Duration 7–9 days

Difficulty Moderate

Start Oyón-Oion, Rioja Alavesa

Finish Bermeo, Bizkaia

Terrain Vineyard tracks, rural lanes, foothill paths, mountain trails, forest tracks, valley roads, estuary paths, and coastal routes