Joanna Pineo
Basque Country, Spain and France

Both in Spain and France, this is a lovely bit of country. In summertime it is cool in the mountains. This is when the Basques hold many of their festivals—large ones like San Fermin in Pamplona (the running of the bulls) and small ones in little villages. The jewel of Spain’s Basque coast, San Sebastian, which overlooks the Bay of Biscay, is the cultural capital and a must-see.

Pays Basque, as the French call it, is a place for wonderful food, hikes in the mountains, boating, and beachcombing. The Basques are proud of their land and love to show it off.

Joanna Pineo is a photographer. She recently won Columbia School of Journalism’s and Life magazine’s prestigious Eisie Award.