The Basque Country and Navarre

Since first visiting the Basque Country in 1993, Murray Stewart has been unable to resist the lure of this eternally surprising region. In 2016, an opportunity from Bradt to write the most comprehensive English-language guidebook to the Basque Country was irresistible, especially when the subject-matter was combined with its little-visited but geographically diverse neighbour, Navarre. As a lover of the outdoors, of mountains, of walking and red wine, Murray found his perfect partner in this enigmatic region spanning the Pyrenees. He spent months living in the Basque region to research the book’s first edition and has reinforced his cultural knowledge with long-distance walks on the Camino de Santiago and the lesser known Camino Ignaciano. (His Bradt guidebook written to the latter was short-listed for Best Travel Guidebook of the Year in 2022.) Covering thousands of kilometres, these walks raised thousands of pounds for hospital and children’s charities.