One of the most beautiful areas in Northern Spain’s Basque country, San Sebastian is the place to go if you’re looking to mix sandy beaches with great sights, local culinary delights and lots more. The atmosphere here is laid-back, and even though the city is home to over 183,000 people, it still has a really welcoming small-town feel.
In this podcast, Hostelworld.com’s Rebecca Keenan speaks about pintxos with Gabriella Ranelli from Gabriella’s Kitchen, a cooking school in San Sebastian. Listen to learn more about this local specialty, from the best places to try them out to the top tipples to sip while you eat.
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Download San Sebastian Pocket Guide View all guides »San Sebastian is said to be one of the most beautiful cities in Spain, and it really is something. It has the perfect mix of history and culture and then a wicked surf beach to disconnect yourself on.
Insider Tip:Thursday nights you get a pintxo (tapa) and drink for 2euro just off the plaza.
Donostia is the basque name of San Sebastian. It is a beautiful city at the atlantic ocean with two beaches, one is surfers paradise and one for swimmers. A little island in the sea. A Jesus on a rock. An old part with lot of shops and pubs. It is very compact, so you could use the bus but you can also walk from point A to point B.
Insider Tip:Walk to the Jesus to see all the city from above. Only five minutes from part of Gros you can walk at the coast on the camino de Sandiago. Go to Erreneria by bus or train and you can cicle or walk to mountains from where you can see San Sebastian, Irun, Hendaye, Biarizz and much more. In the night the Tas Tas Bar is good to meet people from all over the world.
San Sebastian has an endless list of things to do while you are on holiday. You can hire bikes and ride along the beaches, hire surf boards and get lessons, do a cooking class, shop, relax, hike up mountains, swim across to other islands etc etc! The food in San Sebastian is amazing. Delicious tapas at most bars and reasonable priced drinks.
Insider Tip:For great coffee and tostada go along Zabaleta Place and you will find a little cafe on the corner with red chairs.
I really liked San Sebastian. Not only because it's a beautiful city with a nice beach and nice weather, but also because of the people who are going there. It's a surfarea so there are a lot of sportive people.
The city is very nice, good for surfing and other sea sports. But as other Basque cities, expensive. Maybe 1 or 2 days is enough.
The north-eastern Spanish city is among one of Europe's favourite destinations for short breaks and a popular spot with inter-railers going to Spain. It is also home to some of the world's most fascinating architecture thanks to the works of Antoni Gaudi.
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