Weather in the Basque Country

The weather in the Basque Country is something that may surprise its visitors. Unlike in many parts of the Iberian peninsula, it can be quite a downer here when you left your warm cloths at home.

Travellers in the Basque Country will be well reminded of the fact that they're not finding themselves in Spain. I read a sign in a coastal surf town called Mundaka saying: 'Dear visitor, you have just entered a village that is not in Spain, neither in France, but in the Basque Country'. People new to the Basque Country may be confused about the exact size because of the different interpretations of it. One will hear people talk of Euskadi, Euskal Herria or Zazpiak Bat. Well, to make things easier for my co-mazed foreigners, I would suggest them to do nothing more then to look around. Cause besides of the Basque names, looks, building styles and other ways of cultural expression, the nature is completely different than in Spain.

Prior to my arrival, I found myself being amazed, sitting in the airplane. I knew I wasn't heading for a place where people look or feel Spanish, but besides that, even the country appeared to be most unspanish! Before arriving at Bilbao airport we flew over hills, valleys and farmlands that looked green enough to think the pilot accidentally took the exit to Ireland instead of the Basque Country.

But just like in Ireland, the Basque Country couldn't be the greenest part of Spain without dealing with the downside of fertility; rain. There is hardly any place on the Iberian Peninsula were it rains as much as in the Basque Country. This does indeed make it an excellent farmland and a heaven for outdoor lovers but since the area is so mountainous and close to the sea, the weather can be highly unpredictable.

A couple of weeks ago, I went visiting a friend in Zaragoza and I was stunned by the sudden difference that occurred. As soon as my bus left the Basque province of Araba,we left the green zone and entered a dry, hostile land, only sometimes to be interrupted by the presence of theRio Ebro. The desert like environment would bearound me until I came back to re-experience the sharp geographical contrast between Spain and the Basque Country.

On one hand, the Basques are blessed with a temperate climate that doesn't show extreme differences during the changing of the seasons. But on the other hand, the weather changes so fast that it can be hard to keep up. Therefore, you learn not to trust forecasts, to take your umbrella to the beach and plan hikes when rain is predicted..

Cause here you just never know, let us go and check out the forecasts!