Chronicle of a WITE weekend in the Basque Country

First, a house

Here, a family home. A real one. The kind where you take off your shoes without thinking, where the fire crackles while the bread rises, where you pour yourself a coffee (or a kombucha) before you've even unpacked your bag. Julie, our host, lived elsewhere for a long time—Singapore, Sydney, Brussels—before settling down with her family in Guéthary. After a few years, she discovered this traditional Basque house a stone's throw away, in Ahetze, which they completely renovated to create a cozy, comfortable home open to travelers. Akereta is just like her: welcoming, kind, never ostentatious. A mix of cotton and linen, photos of surfing, a fire in the fireplace, a large open kitchen for cooking together, travel souvenirs scattered here and there. The decor sets the tone: you slow down, effortlessly.

Then, hands in the dough 

A former fashion professional, Julie developed a passion for sourdough. She devoted herself to it fully. Training, trials, failures, successes. Then came the time to pass on her knowledge. During this weekend, sourdough will be our common thread: bread-making workshops, tips on how to maintain your precious jar, discussions about fermentation and, above all, lots of moments shared around the table. We learn, we laugh, we wait for it to rise. 

And then there's the surroundings 

Between batches, it's time to meet people. Committed producers, creators, and artisans with products to slip into your bag: Allison and her specialty mushrooms, Leslie and her barley coffee, Benjamin and his chestnut farm, Roxane, founder of the Thiane brand, who designs unique patchwork pieces made from fabrics sourced from leading fashion houses, Anne and her natural cosmetics, Clément and his kombuchas. Simple exchanges, unique journeys, and the feeling of getting a real sense of what makes a region so rich.

What to bring back

Your suitcase will be a little heavier on the way home: chestnuts to roast in the oven and chestnut cream from Basatrumil, avocado soap from Anne Millois Cosmétiques that leaves your skin feeling soft, a patchwork jacket by Thiane, Garagar barley coffee and Datxa kombucha, and last but not least, the memory of a weekend without any rush, where we learned through exchanges and encounters, by doing.

WITE Week begins here, at Akereta, in this warm and welcoming house. Just the way we like it at Allez Hop. 

Coming soon to Akereta: Saturday, March 21 to Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Shared room €736, single room €886. Rates include accommodation, workshops, tours, and meals for 4 days and 3 nights.