San Sebastian, a stunning Spanish coastal town known for its incredible cuisine and beautiful beaches, was not at the top of the list when confronted with the question, “Where are we going this summer?”
The geographical location, right in the middle of the Bay of Biscay, didn’t immediately convince my travel companions, who feared we’d be plagued by bad weather and rain.
But with a 90 percent chance of sunny conditions and limited showers, we jetted off to Spain‘s mountainous Basque region.
San Sebastian boasts some of the country’s most popular beaches, including Playa de la Concha and Playa de Ondarreta, and is renowned worldwide for its food scene.
A survey of 1,200 Brits conducted last year found the northern Spanish town to be one of the best on the coast thanks to its gorgeous beaches.
The city, which is also known by the Basque name Donostia, stands right in the middle of the Bay of Biscay – a top location where anyone from the most inexperienced to the more advanced surfers can enjoy a day riding the waves.
My friends jumped at the chance to learn and quickly made arrangements for a two-day class with the Pukas Surf Eskola just off Zurriola Beach.
Whenever they were not busy learning how to stand on their surfboards – lessons I amusedly watched from the safety of the beach whilst enjoying the sunshine – we would be exploring the charming town centre and the many delicacies San Sebastian has to offer.
The old town, with its cobblestone streets, offers a glimpse into an idyllic lifestyle where high-end shops coexist with lively pintxo bars.
The small snacks were our main source of sustenance for the three days we spent in San Sebastián and the ample choice around is the perfect way to try out some of the local specialties.
The trendy Hemeretzi in 31 de Agosto Kalea can be busy around lunchtime but it’s not impossible to grab a table and try out the selection of hot and cold pintxos available.
We mostly opted for the small bites during our stay but decided we couldn’t miss out on one of the top restaurants in the city centre and had a delightful dinner at Gandarias, right in the historical quarter of town.
There we tried out the fresh octopus tartare, which was cut so thinly it melted into our mouths, and the traditional Txangurro a la Donostiarra, or stuffed spider crab.
After a day spent on the beach, we took a bus to the bottom of Monte Igeldo and rode the cog railway with its charming wooden carriages to reach the top to enjoy some stunning views over the bay and La Concha Beach.
As surfing and getting lost in the small alleys of San Sebastian’s old town hadn’t been enough to tire us out or build an appetite, we then walked a three-kilometre promenade from Monte Igeldo back into the city centre.
The walk took us along Ondarreta Beach, another of San Sebastian’s lovely sandy beaches, where we saw the glorious Palacio Miramar – a once royal residence built by order of Queen Maria Cristina of Austria in 1893.
San Sebastián boasts good connections from the UK, with two flights departing London City Airport twice a week but the majority of departures require a lengthy layover.
To avoid wasting time at the airport, it’s quicker to book a flight to Bilbao, which is a little over an hour west of San Sebastián, and hire a car.
A regular bus and train service also links the two cities but we went for the car option as it granted us more freedom to move around and explore the surrounding area.
