Why Choose Pais Vasco?

It's that time of year, when wannabe auxilars flood the message boards and Facebook groups. When the Spanish consulates receive countless asinine emails questioning application statuses. When Profex goes down because of the sheer volume of people trying to apply to be an auxiliar. 

As a former resident of País Vasco, I feel that it is my duty to inform those going for the first time and those renewing for a second (or third year) why País Vasco is an excellent, if not the best, choice (of course I'm biased, what did you expect?). 

It's beautiful. 

País Vasco has some amazing natural beauty. There's the ocean, there's the mountains, and everything in between. There are some amazing hikes, and the beaches are stunning, whether you prefer sunning or surfing. There are picturesque pueblos that are unlike anything you will see in the rest of Spain. The weather, while rainy at times, is mild, making it bearable in the winter months as well as summer. 

San Juan de Gatztelugatxe, one of the only hikes I will do

Mundaka

The location is prime

País Vasco is small. There are three large cities: Vitoria-Gastiez, Bilbao, and San Sebastián. For the most part, anywhere you are placed within the community of País Vasco, you will be able to live in one of these three cities. Of course, many people chose to live in the pueblos, but even then they are able to visit the cities relatively easily. I get lots of emails from couples looking to apply, and I always tell them to chose País Vasco, simply because it's smaller and the chances of being together are much greater than in other larger communities. In addition, transportation options to other parts of Spain and Europe are pretty good. It's not as extensive as Madrid, but the Bilbao airport hosts routes to many key hubs. RyanAir (love them or hate them), Vueling, and EasyJet all fly to and from Bilbao. In addition, Santander is also a RyanAir hub, and is only an hour by bus from Bilbao.

Another thing that ties in with travel is you get the most vacation time of any of the communities, as far as I know. You get an entire week for Carnaval, and two full weeks for Semana Santa. Amazingness!

You could be here in just a few short hours!

The food is amazing

There's a reason many of the top chefs in the world are Basque. In fact, many of the top restaurants in the world are in País Vasco, more specifically, San Sebastián. If you love food, País Vasco is going to be your paradise. You have the traditional Spanish favorites like jamón and tortilla, but you also get pintxos, txacoli, and pastel Vasco. Going out for pintxos, tiny dishes usually served on bread, is a necessity in País Vasco, and it's a tradition you won't want to miss out on. Even if you're not a foodie, you'll find something you like along the way. 

One of the most amazing desserts I've ever experienced. Because food is an experience here.

Shrimp and jamón pintxos

It's off the beaten path

Yes, the Guggenheim is a big deal, and San Sebastián is a summer resort town, but really, there aren't a lot of foreign tourists in País Vasco, which can definitely enhance your experience. If you're looking for a place many people haven't heard of, this is it. 

Obligatory

It's different

Many Basque people will be the first to tell you that País Vasco is not Spain. However, don't let this deter you from choosing it! It is very different from the rest of the country, but this only enhanced my time there. Learning about Basque history and customs fascinated me, and I gained different perspectives from living and working there.  Many people express concern that they won't be able to practice their Spanish as much in País Vasco. While most of the schools teach at least partly in Basque, I didn't feel as if my Spanish suffered at all from it. In my experiences, people don't expect you to know Basque, and are more than happy to help you with your Spanish. Yes, you'll get the obligatory agur when you leave the grocery store, but hey, it's cool to know a few words in a language only roughly a million people in the world speak. 

After awhile, this will just seem normal

So now that I have presented my case, it's up to you. But I really do think you should give País Vasco a try. And if you're looking for more auxilar resources, check out my blog twin Liz's page on all things auxiliar. She covers everything from costs in every community to how to set up your internet to how to score those private lessons.  Seriously, it's amazing.

Originally posted 1.30.13