Boat hire in the Basque Country

The Basque Country has 47 boat rental companies on 150 km of coast, split between Biscay (20) and Gipuzkoa (27), and two harbours hold half of them: Hondarribia, with 14 on the Txingudi bay it shares with Hendaye, and Getxo, with 12 at the marina on the Abra. Then come San Sebastián (8, sail from the old-town harbour), Bilbao (4, on the ría), Pasaia (3), Zumaia (2) and one company each in Mundaka, the top-rated in the region with more than 170 reviews, Bermeo, Santurtzi and Ondarroa. Getaria, Zarautz, Orio, Lekeitio and Plentzia have harbours but no registered companies. Seven companies advertise sailing boats, four skippered hire and two no-licence boats.

The season runs from June to September. It is the Basque coast: Cantabrian swell nearly always, a tide of more than four metres and three big shelters, the Abra, Txingudi and La Concha, where nearly all the fleet is. Scheduled boat trips, on the Bilbao ría and round Urdaibai, have more demand than rental.

Indicative high-season prices from the directory's reference table, reviewed September 2026: a no-licence motorboat costs €120–250 a day; a RIB of 6–8 m, €250–650; a 10–12 m sailing yacht, €400–900 bareboat or €600–1,500 skippered; a catamaran, €1,000–2,500; a skippered motor yacht, from €900. Expect 20–40% less outside July and August. Deposits run from €300 to €2,000 and fuel is extra. Each company sets its own prices.