San Sebastián
♪♫ Gold – Jeremy Loops ♪♫
Still on the plane, I was already overwhelmed by the sight of Donosti from the air. Not only of San Sebastián itself, but of the entire surrounding area. I have had many beautiful views from windows of an airplane: sunrises and sunsets above the clouds, Paris with a completely cloudless view, Hyères or the snow-covered, sometimes rugged, sometimes lovely peaks of the Alps. But this simply surpassed everything. The mountains and hills of the Basque Country were a sight of hundreds of shades of rich green. The sun shone so strongly that a haze-like glow settled over them and a few clouds hung low in the valleys. The whole view had something magically paradisiacal about it and seemed almost unreal. In the distance, on the way to Bilbao, I could already see the bay of San Sebastián, which was wonderfully perfect and unmistakable on the coast. At that moment, before I had even set foot on the ground of Guipúzcoa’s capital, I was sure that these days were going to be simply great.
My tip: As the flight route to Bilbao usually goes over the mainland, be sure to reserve a window seat on the right-hand side in the direction of flight. Then, weather permitting, you can enjoy this fabulous view.
The bus (Pesa) from Bilbao airport to San Sebastián is less romantic. But as soon as the bus makes its way through the city to the bus station, the magic is back. A 10-minute walk takes me through the centre to the Pensión Garibai – the first absolute stroke of luck of this trip. A warm welcome with all kinds of tips about the city and a list of its best restaurants, new, beautiful rooms with a great, relatively large bathroom and a terrace facing the inner courtyard. Since I couldn’t go to my room yet, I started right away, soaking up the feeling of life and walking through the city to discover every nook and cranny.
The beauty of the city admittedly slays me at first. Although this is not entirely true. At first sight, San Sebastián is really just insanely beautiful and downright dazzling in the hot August sunlight. So at first, I didn’t know exactly what to discover first. The choices were: the old town, a climb to Monte Urgull, the sculptures of the Peine del Viento, a walk along the shell-shaped beach promenade, the palace – and former royal residence for the summer – Palacio Miramar, a ride on the funicular to Monte Igueldo, a tour of the rest of the city centre or simply a jump into the refreshing Atlantic Ocean. A cappuccino in one of the countless cafés would also have been a good choice. My choice, however, was to sit on one of the benches in the semi-shade of Alderdi Eder Park, observe tourists and locals alike and let the city take its effect on me. After taking a look at my notebook, which contained all the things on the route that I definitely didn’t want to miss, and the city map, and making a rough plan for the next few days with a view of the town hall, I stroll through the old town. With its streets, few small alleys and typical house facades, it exudes the summery, southern feeling of almost any Spanish old town. In the side streets, which are not overrun by tourists in high summer season, life seems more relaxed. You will find small shops in the old town, but above all one restaurant-bar after another. From a culinary point of view, San Sebastián offers everything from a cosy pintxo bar to a more elegant restaurant that also serves pintxos. I eat as much fresh fish, bacalao and prawns as possible. My absolute favourite of these 4 days: Borda Berri. A typical Spanish bar where the pintxos are delicious, beer an dwine flow quickly, a lot is going on and everything is in motion, but still no one is ruffled. You eat at the bar or standing up. I let myself drift, criss-cross around one street corner an the next, sometimes back down the parallel street, and quickly arrive at the other end of the old town. My way also takes me across the Plaza de la Constitución, the centre for festivities in the old town. The square is surrounded by the typical round arches and passages of every Plaza d’Espanya and lined with cafés and restaurants. The white and yellow façade with its light blue shutters glows in the sun. A special feature of the balconies is the still clearly visible numbering of them. In the past, the square was also used as a bullring, among other things. The numbers therefore assigned the visitors their places.
Monte Urgull, Art Nouveau and countless shades of blue
After my walk through the old town, my path led me to Monte Urgull. There are countless paths on it, sometimes running parallel, sometimes far apart or just crossing each other. So it’s worth setting a rough goal, getting an overview on the map or plan, but then just walking along the heart and the beautiful views. So I walked along the blue sea for quite a while, marvelling at the infinite shades of blue, turquoise, green and beige that lay before me at every third step. The sun’s rays on the water and the white boats laying on it glittered in competition. But I wanted to continue to the very top, where the San Telmo Museum is also located, to see the spectacle on the water, the view of the city and, to the other side, the vast, endless sea. If you need a little break or want to enjoy the view of Santa Clara island for a while longer, you can treat yourself to a coffee or a refreshing drink in one of San Sebastián’s best cafés (Polboriña) on the “way down”. The way back is recommended via the other side of the mountain towards Zurriola and then around the entire paseo back around Monte Urgull. I didn’t have time for this, but the descent was no less beautiful.
On the side of the mountain facing the sea, it was so peaceful, green and quiet that you could almost have forgotten that there was a big city behind you. Amidst the deep blue of the Atlantic and the lush greens of pines, deciduous trees and ferns, it’s hard not to stop from step to step and listen to the sea thundering beneath you against the stone outcrops of the paseo and receding again. Over and over again. At regular intervals. Indescribably beautiful views of the sea and sailboats are the order of the day with every step. The path back leads past the sculpture by Jorge Oteiza to the small harbour of San Sebastián. Here, small fishing boats lie peacefully side by side with larger boats for pleasurable excursions on the Atlantic. If you’re still missing some maritime flair, this sight definitely provides it. With each step down to the harbour, lines of sight open up, sometimes revealing completely new, sometimes altered perspectives of the bay and the harbour. San Sebastián is a city of water through and through. It is surrounded by three beaches and a river. People sunbathe or go swimming at every possible spot. To my holiday happiness, I too finally dip my feet in the Atlantic at the edge of the harbour. What still stands out is the Art Nouveau style, which can be found on every corner. The various lanterns in the town with their two main candelabra on the beach promenade are particularly beautiful and impossible to miss. The fence of the elevated beach promenade is equally wonderful that it is now pictured in so many of my photos. A wonderful first day ends with a walk on the beach and I can’t believe that it has actually only been half a day. As if the day hadn’t been wonderful enough, San Sebastián gives us a sunset over the bay that once again spreads all its magic and creates a special atmosphere.
Zarautz, Getaria, Zumaia – A Basque melody
On day 2, on the recommendation of a Spanish friend, I set off by bus to explore three surrounding small surfing and fishing villages. Zarautz, Getaria, Zumaia. Place names that sound like music. All so different and yet similar. All so wonderful that they still bring a big smile to my face just thinking about this day. But more about thatelsewhere.
The charm of San Sebastián – Always with sea views and salty air
Overwhelmed by the Basque beauty, which is often immediately visible, but sometimes also hidden in every little corner, a new day dawns. By this time I have fallen head over heels in love with the city, the Basque Country, its people and its atmosphere, although there is still so much to discover. It occurs to me how much my heart can hold if the days continue to go on so wonderfully, surpassing each other and yet not stealing the show from the previous ones. My wanderlust is happy and content, feels like home, yet wants more and more like oxygen to breath the longer I am on the road. So I dive into a new day that can hardly be described in words. After a leisurely breakfast at Bideluze, which I could get used to, I stroll towards Monte Igueldo. Always along the bay, always with a view of the sea. It is still high tide and the sea is only slowly retreating to reveal the entire width of the beach, rocks and paths that only come out at low tide. The beach is already well filled. More and more families are making themselves comfortable, in typical Spanish fashion, with food and bags full of equipment for a day at the beach, which they will only interrupt for lunch. Younger and older couples stroll along the beach and enjoy the early midday sun, while the absolutely necessary belongings have to be protected from the water in the air. Every spot is used, so that folded rock formations sometimes become deckchairs. The Atlantic, which lies there as calmly as id it too were enjoying the summer, once again colours itself in all possible shades from ochre to green and turquoise to blue. On the right the sea, on the left splendid house facades. I make a stop at the Palacio Miramar between Concha and Ondaretta, built in 1893. The former royal summer residence also fits in the picture of summer perfection. The white art nouveau lanterns compete with the already almost faded hydrangeas in the sunlight. Their park offers quiet spots to relax, corners of shade and sun. Again, mostly with a view of the water. I follow the streets for a bit, which wind ever upwards, allowing you to look down on different levels to admire the bay in its full splendour and width. There is a Sunday serenity in the air. Until I round the bay and stand in front of the sculptures of the Peine del Viento, which must give a fantastic spectacle when the ocean is roaring and in the cooler, harsher months. On this day, too, the water gurgles around and over the rocky outcrops or breaks noisily against them. Once again, I can’t get enough of the clear colours and listen to the tiny waves for what feels like an eternity.
But now to the actual destination: the funicular to Monte Igueldo. Again, always with a view of the bay, the foothills of the city and the green wooded hills behind in the haze of sunlight. This time, the view goes even further across the bay. On the other side, facing away from the typical image and the bustling city, are green hills radiating an infinite calm, their rocks ending in the sea. My gaze follows the curves of the coast until they disappear. In contrast to this windy, almost cool side, the sun beats down unbearably hot on the surface of the antique small amusement park. The Mercure, also located up there, promises “the most beautiful view in the world” and is not at all wrong. After a last look at the bay from above and everything behind it until it is swallowed up by the horizon, we start to descend again. Once around the side facing the sea, which is reveals a view of a snow-white lighthouse that emerges in perfect style behind the lush green and in front of the strong blue of the ocean, until we enter a residential area again. But even this is no less beautiful. The path is lined with Basque villas. Again and again, the eye discovers unexpected views between the houses. On my way back along the bay, the beach is now twice as wide and exudes pure summer feeling. I am tempted to just sit down on one of the benches on the promenade and look out to sea. Instead, I walk through the streets of the city centre with its partly stately buildings, past the cathedral towards Zurriola. I cross the unique Kursaal Bridge and the Urumea River, which is now quite empty thanks to the low tide, to the Gros district. There I enjoy a café at The Loaf before heading to the Zurriola surf beach.
In the light of the lowering sun the rippling crests of the waves glisten all the more. A golden haze now hangs over the beach and the town, making the easy way of live magical for yet another time and almost making my heart leap with happiness. The last surfers slowly emerge from the now tame Atlantic, making such a typical picture in the backlight. Slowly, with a feeling of freedom, I make my way back across the now full Urumea until the sun disappears from my view behind Monte Urgull while it colours the sky into a light gold.
Wild and dreamlike – San Juan de Gaztelugatxe
Day 4, the last full day in San Sebastián, or rather its surroundings, made my eyes sparkle with joy and so much incredible beauty. Made me simply marvel at this unique nature that no description, no matter how stunning, can do justice to. There were moments during the 17 days of my summer road trip when I couldn’t completely grasp what was happening in front of my eyes for the first few seconds – this was one of them. We are talking about San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. However, this wonderful place also deserves its own pages.
Agur, Donosti – This was definitely not the end, but the beginning of another long love story.
All useful tips are clearly laid out in this additional article.
Want to get a closer look at the places from the comfort of your sofa? Travel with these photo stories to San Sebastián, Zarautz, Getaria, Zumaia and San Juan de Gaztelugatxe.
