A delicious foodie break in San Sebastian
We decided upon a three night holiday in San Sebastian for our October half term family break. It’s a destination that’s not too far, but far enough for a brief getaway in a better climate than the UK offers in autumn!
San Sebastian is a city beach resort on the Bay of Biscay in the mountainous Basque Country, northern Spain. San Sebastian is famous for its incredible cuisine, award-winning urban beaches and stunning Parisian-style architecture.
Getting to San Sebastian
Based in the North West, we opted for flying from Manchester direct to Bilbao with EasyJet. Our flight times would give us two full days to take in the sights, sounds and culinary delights of San Sebastian.
We hired a car for the duration of our holiday. The journey from the airport, which was mostly on motorways, took around an hour. Finding our hotel, which had its own car park, was easy enough.
Our hotel in San Sebastian
Our base for the three night stay in San Sebastian was a family room at the Hotel Avenida , a good 3* hotel located on Mount Igueldo, overlooking the city. The hotel had a comprehensive range of facilities including a pool, gym, terrace, bicycle hire, parking and cafeteria.
The location of the hotel was ideal for our short break as we wanted to experience San Sebastian on foot to give us plenty of opportunity to walk off the gastronomic delights that lay ahead! Within a 10 minute walk we could visit a good choice of local bars, restaurants and cafes.
There were two beaches on my list of must-dos during our time in San Sebastian: Ondarreta and La Concha. Onderatta was just a 10 to 15 minute walk from the hotel.
I planned two days separately to do as much as we could and then fit in some amazing pintxos (local snacks/appetisers similar to tapas) bars along the way.
Day One
A 10km walk, taking in various sights and culinary delights!
• Mount Urgull – historic landmark • Paseo Nuevo – promenade surrounding Mount Urgull • San Telmo Museum • Parte Vieja – San Sebastian’s Old Town • Constitution Square – two churches and pintxos bars • San Sebastián Cathedral
The view of the sunrise from the hotel when we woke up on our first day was stunning. From our elevated position we could see across the rooftops towards the bay.
We strolled along Paseo Nuevo promenade that provided amazing views either side of Santa Clara Island (more about that on day two!). From there we walked to the top of Mount Urgull. I’m still convinced that there was an easier route than the one we took, but the view at the top made the effort worthwhile, not to mention the refreshing beer at the bar!
After we’d recuperated we headed towards San Telmo Museum. Built in 1900, the museum offers many exhibits and art collections, as well as a public library and a trendy bar where diverse cooking workshops and culinary events are held.
We strolled back down into Part Vieja, San Sebastian’s beautiful Old Town, for a few pintxos in Bare Bare, a popular bar restaurant. We then enjoyed locally produced cider and cheesecake in Constitution Square before a short walk to San Sebastian Cathedral.
Before heading back to Parta Vieja for more pintxos we took a walk around the sea wall.
Day Two
Today’s walk wasn’t quite so long at just under 9km, but we still packed plenty in!
• La Concha Beach promenade • Miramar Palace – a former royal family residence • Ondaretta beach • A view of Santa Clara Island – a symbol of the city • El Peine del Viento - Eduardo Chillida’s series of steel sculptures • Funicular up to Mount Igueldo • Gros – a trendy neighbourhood • La Bretxa Market
On our second full day we took a walk along La Concha Beach promenade with a first stop off at Miramar Palace, a large country house where the royal family once spent their summers.
From there we walked to Ondaretta beach where we gazed over at Santa Clara Island, an islet that together with Mount Igueldo and Mount Urgull, makes up a stunning picture postcard view that the area is renowned for.
We then headed off to view El Peine del Viento, Eduardo Chillida’s collection of three steel sculptures, positioned at the end of Ondaretta Beach where the city ends and the sea begins. There are also holes in the ground near the sculptures to make waves appear like geysers. It’s an impressive spot.
From here we took the funicular up Mount Igueldo from which we were treated to incredible views. There is a theme park at the summit but it was closed when we visited.
We then wandered around Parte Vieja, the Old Town, and enjoyed pintxos at Ganbara, a long-established restaurant, after which we crossed the river to Gros. In this trendy neighbourhood we watched surfers do their thing before heading back to Parte Vieja for more pintxos at Grandarias, a popular pintxos bar and restaurant.
On the way back to the hotel we popped into La Bretxa Market to see the traders with their fruit, vegetables, delicatessen food, meat and fish. The farmers’ stalls sold flowers and cheese. This is where many local chefs buy fresh ingredients and foodies have met for over 150 years. It was fitting then that this was our last port of call on the final full day of this gastronomic trip!
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