Three Days in San Sebastian, Spain

Last Updated on August 5, 2020 by lydiaf1963

Located in the Pais Vasco on the Cantabrian Sea, San Sebastian is a jewel. It has been a resort town since the late 19th century when Queen Isabel II visited in order to treat her skin condition in the clear waters of La Concha Bay. Rick and I recently visited the city and refreshed ourselves, body and mind.

In Basque, San Sebastian is called Donostia. You’ll see the city referred to by both names. The same is true for other Basque cities and towns.

People come to see the beautiful shell shaped cove punctuated by mountains on either side and an island in the center. There’s a promenade which links the three beaches and allows tourists to walk or bike from one side to the next. On the way you’ll be treated to a variety of architectural styles.

Imagine looking out to see at the Isla de Santa Clara in the middle of the bay. To the left is Monte Igueldo with a residential area climbing up the side of the hill. To the right is Monte Urgull with a huge statue of Christ overlooking the city.

You’ll pass two of the three beaches if you head towards Monte Igueldo on the promenade. The two beaches are separated by a rock formation. You can take a funicular to the top and visit an amusement park while taking in the great views and grabbing a bite to eat. There are excellent views of the Bay of Biscay, the island, the boat anchorage and the beach beyond.

Continue walking past the entrance to the funicular to check out the Peine del Viento at the point with its sculptural installation and a funny feature. There is a series of holes left in the walk and if you stand on one you’ll be treated to a puff of air and maybe some spray when a wave crashes into the end of the walk.

Heading the other direction, towards the Old Town tucked behind the City Hall and nestled against Monte Urgull you’ll encounter bar after bar serving fresh seafood, Basque raised beef and lamb and a wild variety of pintxos. (Pintxos differ slightly from tapas in that there’s usually a skewer involved.)

Thirsty travellers can try a glass of txakoli, the crisp white wine of the region. The sidra is also delicious. Both are poured from a height to encourage the natural effervescence. Like eating a hot dog at a baseball game, consuming one or both of these adult beverages is almost mandatory when visiting the Basque Country. They don’t taste quite the same anywhere else.

San Sebastian has more Michelin stars per square kilometer than any other place in the world, outside of Japan. Now, that type of meal wasn’t in our budget but we did have a delicious sit down meal with a large delmonico steak grilled to perfection AND an excellent bottle of wine. It’s the little things…

To visit San Sebastian’s third beach, you’ll need to leave the Old Town and continue your walk towards the aquarium. On the way you’ll pass a working harbor filled with boats. Restaurants specializing in seafood can be found here. I recommend the sardines with a glass of txakoli.

There are several souvenir shops in this area, too. Rick and I picked up some magnets for the fridge and I squished a penny for my collection.

Eventually you’ll reach another sculpture called Estructura Vacia. The walkway continues around the point. If you feel like climbing there’s a fairly steep path up Monte Urgull which was part of the city fortifications during the Napoleonic Wars. We did not make the trip to the top. Hopefully we’ll come back some day.

After rounding the point you can see the third beach. This area looks more like a typical beach resort with tall condominiums and modern architecture in contrast to the 19th Century styling of the buildings surround the Concha beach.

We took a walk along the shore on the Concha beach. The sand is soft and golden and the water was cool but not too bad. I had no desire to dive in, though. I was content with walking hand in hand with my sweetheart.

Due in part to COVID19 the beach was busy, but not overly crowded. Our hotel was only a block from the beach and one we normally would have considered a splurge. The rates were great!

We had little difficulty finding places to sit and observe the people on the promenade. There was plenty to see, eat or drink in any direction we choose.

While we were in San Sebastian the region began enforcing a “masks even when outdoors” rule, which sucked to be honest, but we managed. We could have stayed for another day or two for more exploration.

To be honest, I could have just sat and looked at the sea. After having been confined to Valladolid for several months the opportunity to experience such a beautiful and friendly place renewed our spirits greatly.

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