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San Sebastian Travel Guide

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San Sebastian [1] (Basque: Donostia) is in Basque Country in Spain.

San Sebastian, Paseo de la Concha
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San Sebastian, Paseo de la Concha

Contents

Get in

By Train

Trains arrive from many parts of Spain and nearby France, including an overnight from Paris and Lisbon. Take care when booking from France as there is also a city named San Sebastein in France.

By Bus

Buses are the only way to get to some areas of the Basque region, and often run more often (and cheaper!) than trains. Vitoria capital of Basque Country is a 2 hour ride away. Bilbao the travel hub and biggest city in the region (1 hour ride) and Pamplona (1 hour ride) are other popular destinations, but longer-range buses do overnights to Madrid, Milan and even Barcelona.

Get around

You can see San Sebastian by foot and taxi.

See

Do

  • Hiking -- For a short easy hike visit the statue of Christ on top of the mountain between the beaches. It takes around an hour to walk up at a leisurely pace.
  • Surfing -- Surfboards and boogieboards can be rented on the beach. You'll probably want to spring for a wetsuit as well.
  • Beach -- There are two main beaches, one on either side of the river. La Concha is the larger and of the left, has an island and boats in the bay. La Zurriola on the right is smaller has slightly larger waves and isn't quite as busy.


Buy

Eat

The Basque cuisine is famous within Spain and many believe it is the Basque Country where you can find the best food. Much of this fame comes from San Sebastian and its bars and restaurants. Although tapas were invented in Andalucia they became perfected in San Sebastian and a walk through the old town before lunch time with its many bars shows why. Each bar is bursting with tapas and they look very delicate. Tapas are generally enjoyed together with a glass of wine or a small beer, and the Spanish tradition suggests to have one tapa and a wine in one bar and move on to the next bar. Tapas can be used as a good substitute for a meal - you pay for each one you eat (about 1-2 euro each) so you can have as many as you want. If you want 'real' food then that is where San Sebastian can be very very good. You can find several different cuisines such Chinese, German, Galicien, Italian and of course the obvious Basque cuisine. In and around the harbour you can have the freshest seafood and if you don’t enjoy the simple harbour taverns go and enjoy San Sebastian restaurants with Michelin stars if you have some money to spare.

Pintxos

The way to eat pintxos, (tapas in the Basque Country whether speaking Spanish or Basque) in San Sebastian is quite different from other cities in Spain. There are two kinds of tapas: cold and hot ones.

Cold ones are displayed on the bar. Just ask the barman for your drink and pick the pintxos yourself. If you need a plate, just ask. Hot ones must be asked to the barman and they take a bit to be cooked. There is always a hot tapas menu hanging from the wall. When you are done eating your tapas and you have finished your drink, you have to ask the barman for the bill, and you have to tell him what you have eaten. It is very important to be honest, as it is a long tradition. Locals upset if they find people eating and not paying. Normally, you don't eat many pintxos at one bar but change from bar to bar, driking a beer (caña) or wine and eating one or two tapas. Then, you move to another bar.

Budget

Pintxos (tapas) bars are thick in the Parte Vieja (Old Town), but there are masses of other places nearby in the Gros and Centro areas. Most bars charge by the toothpick or plate from 1-5 Euros.

  • Tamboril (in the corner of the main square in the Old Town)
  • Goiz Argi Fermín Calbetón. Pintxos bar with the delicious brocheta de gambas (fried prawns with a special vinaigrette), bola de carne (meat ball with red pepper)a nd a lot of cold pintxos with anchovies, fungi, cod, salmon, etc.
  • Ganbara Parte Vieja
  • Martinez Parte Vieja
  • La Cepa Parte Vieja
  • Hidalgo 56 Gros
  • Bergara Gros
  • Casa Senra Gros
  • Iturrioz Centro.
  • Bar Alex Centro
  • Bar Alustiza Centro
  • Bar Zazpi Centro

If you want to plan your tapas route in advance http://www.todopintxos.com/home/home.php?lang=en

Mid-range

  • Cafes and bakeries along the waterfront.
  • Urola Calle Fermin Calbeton, Old Town
  • Juanito Kojua Calle Puerto, Old Town

Splurge

  • Urepel Restaurant Calle oedro Salamanca 3 (943-424040). Closed on Sunday and Tuesday
  • Zuberoa Restaurant
  • Akelarre Restaurant Pedro Orcaloga, 56 (Igueldo) Phone 943-311209 Fax: 943-219268. [2]
  • Arzak Restaurant Avda. Alcalde Jose Elosegui,73 Phone: 943 278 465 / 943 285 593 Fax: 943 272 753 email: restaurante@arzak.es http://www.arzak.es] Open From January to June: Closed Sunday evening, Monday and Tuesday. From July to December: Closed Sunday evening and Monday. Vacations: June 15 to July 2 and November 2 to November 26. Avg. Price: 80-100 € plus drinks and V.A.T. All credit cards accepted. About £80-£100 per head by the time you've added the wine etc., but well worth it!

Drink

  • The calimotxo (pronounced "calimotcho") is a local drink that is made with 50% wine (normally an inexpensive red wine) and 50% Coca-Cola. You will see a very large proportion of young people drink this near the harbour at playa La Concha and later on, in bars or clubs. It is definitely something to try out while you are there.
  • Sider at a Sidreria: A purely Guipuzcoan experience, sidreria's dot the countryside and offer all you can drink sidra (a mildly alcholic apple flavored cider) shooting straight from the barrel.
  • Clubbing -- Bataplán is definitely the hottest club in San Sebastian. All the beautiful people go there. However, be careful not to arrive too early; the club never opens before 2 AM. People normally start arriving at 3 AM, and the club closes around 7 AM. The entry fee is normally 12 euros but you can get in for free before 3 AM if you ask for a VIP pass at a bar beforehand (Bar Tas Tas is a good place for that). This club has an amazing terrace out back to relax after you've had one drink too many (drinks cost around 5-6 euros a pop, by the way). All year round, the club is filled with local people, tourists and exchange students.

Sleep

Budget

  • Hostel Aida 9 Iztueta st. 1º floor,("Gros" Quarter) Phone: 943-327800 Fax: 943-326707

Mid-range

  • Hotel Anoeta 60 Anoeta Avenue(Amara) Prices from 80 -100 Euro Phone: 943-451499 Fax: 943-452036
  • Hotel Avenida 55 Road to Igeldo(Igeldo) Prices from 78-125 Euro Phone: 943-212022 Fax: 943-212887
  • Hotel Europa 55 San Martín st.(Centre) Prices range from 100- 160 Euros Phone: 943-470880 Fax: 943-471730
  • Hotel Niza 56 Zubieta st.(Centre),Prices range from 48-118 Euros Phone 943-426663 Fax: 943-441251

Splurge

  • Hotel Mercure Montr Igueldo Pº del Faro 134(Igeldo). 943-210211 Fax: 943-215028, ([3]) Prices range from 96-130 Euros. The Hotel sites on top of Mountain Igeldo and has scenic view over San Sebastian and the best beach in San Sebastian "La Concha" Phone:

Get out

  • Vitoria -- Capital of the Basque country
  • Bilbao -- Home of the famous Guggenheim Modern Art, travel hub in the Basque country
  • Zarauz -- Summer getaway of the rich Basque


This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!


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