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The Basque Country of Spain is a place with an incredibly long and rich cultural heritage and, as a result, is home to some astounding buildings, monuments, tourist attractions, and museums. While the most visited museum in the region is the world-renowned and impossibly famous Guggenheim, the lesser-known Bilbao Museum of Fine Art is actually also well-worth checking out while you’re in the area. With one of the richest collections in the country, a diverse range of offerings from the 6th century BC to the present day, and some incredibly famous names represented among the works on display, the museum is a must-see for art lovers who have found a vacation rental in Basque Country.

The Museum of Fine Arts in Bilbao (Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao) was established in 1908 but remained without a permanent home until one could be built for it in 1945. The resulting building, a lovely neoclassical gem, remains home to its collection to this day, though it was expanded in 1970 and then again in 2001 (another extension is also currently in the planning stages in 2019) to afford additional space for the growing number of works of art housed within its walls. Said collection was first created upon the merging of the collections of the previous and original Museo de Bellas Artes (which had been inaugurated in 1914) and the Museo de Arte Moderno (which had been inaugurated in 1924) and brought the two under one roof together.

Art lovers who want to holiday in Spain are in luck as there are lots of incredible museums, architectural gems, churches, palaces, and more dotted all over the country that are stuffed with world-famous works of art. As the country has such a rich and complex history, there is a wide variety of different influences and styles that lend a diverse visual landscape to Spain and one of the most intriguing regions has to be the beautiful Basque Country in north-eastern Spain. This autonomous community has its own rich and distinct culture and traditions and is full of incredible artistic endeavours that are a treat to the senses. One of her cities, in particular, Bilbao, is a must-see if you have found a vacation rental in Basque Country.. It is a city famous for its art and two incredible museums: the Fine Art Museum and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.

While the Museum of Fine Arts in Bilbao (Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao) is well worth a visit and is filled with a diverse range of works of art dating from all the way back to the 6th century BC to the present day and pieces by the likes of Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt, Piranesi, Fortuny, Carlos de Haes, Cézanne, Picasso, Duchamp, Lipchitz, Utamaro, Hokusai, Rouault, Hockney, Allen Jones, Bacon, El Greco, and Francisco de Goya, it is the Guggenheim Bilbao that is the most visited and famous museum in the region and for good reason. The building itself is an architectural wonder and an iconic global landmark that was designed by the famous Canadian-American 20th century architect Frank Gehry. With its massive scale, curved exterior that appears random, and light-filled spaces wrought in stone, glass and titanium, it has been described as "a fantastic dream ship of undulating form in a cloak of titanium," by the critic Calvin Tomkins in The New Yorker.

While one might imagine scenes of summer heat and excitement when picturing days at the beach in Spain, the majority of surfers come to enjoy the northern coastline from October onwards when the surf season begins. The Atlantic certainly gets rather cold at this time of the year but, if you’re interested in surfing in Spain and want to enjoy both the best possible waves and the wonderful cuisine, attractions, culture, and landscape of the area at the same time, then it is the only time to plan your visit.

There are lots of famous surf towns in the country but if you find a villa in Cantabria, you will discover plenty of great options along the coast of the region and a distinctly fascinating part of Spain to explore. Known as, “Green Spain,” this area is full of unbelievable natural beauty and boasts over 60 sandy beaches, endless stunning churches and abbeys along the old Way of Saint James pilgrimage route, several extraordinary nature reserves, pretty towns, top-notch spas, and a unique gastronomy. Add to this the excellent surf spots and you have a recipe for a perfect autumn getaway in Spain full of invigorating days in the ocean or wandering the mountains that are blanketed in trees in astounding shades of gold and russet or warming up with some delicious seasonal specialities.