by Wesley
Home >> Day trips from Donosti
The good thing about San Sebastián is that it only takes a day or two to see the sights. You don’t have to go much further than the Parte Vieja, Centro or Gros, as most of what you’ll want to see and do (and eat) is around there. Then you can lie back and relax or you can move around the area, which has a lot to offer. I’m going to tell you about my favorite spots.
If you want beaches, go to Hendaye or Zarautz. They are longer and therefore there is more room for expansion. Looking at the sea, the further right you go, the more space you’ll have. This is not what happens on La Concha, where the population density increases to the right and usable space becomes inexistent on the other side; even a toldo won’t save your towel’s place! If waves are what you’re looking for, try the beaches in Les Landes, France. Hossegor has a huge beach but I, personally, don’t swim there for fear of my life. The salt water lake nearby offers waveless fun and one of my favorite places to eat fruits de mer is right there.
In Gipuzkoa, my favorite coastal towns are Pasajes San Juan, which has just one street, and Getaria, home of explorer Juan Sebastián Elcano and lots of statues of him. The easiest way to get to San Juan is by boat, crossing the port of Pasajes. To get to Getaria, go through Zarautz. Eat in either one of those places and check out the churches, too.
Deep in the mountains of Gipuzkoa lies Oñati. Go there. It will take you longer to get there than it will to see the town but I think it’s worth it. The Plateresque university and its cloister is really something to see, as well as the town square with its church and town hall. If you have time, go to Loyola (Azpeitia) and say hello to Saint Ignatius, and to Bergara, a grey yet monumental town known for its rellenos and its UNED branch.
On the other side of the Bidasoa, you’ll find more of my personal favorites. Try Saint-Jean-de-Luz for a walk down the Rue Gambetta and lunch. Louis XIV got married in its beautiful church and Maurice Ravel was born just across the port in Ciboure. In my opinion, Bayonne is the loveliest city in the area, though those from Biarritz might argue that point. Espelette is a quaint little town a little further in, famous for its piments. If you’re around on the last weekend in October, why not try the fête du piment, where you can buy and eat peppers and all kinds of other Basque and French foods. Further in is Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, where you’ll go a few hundred years back in time. It won’t take long to see the town (see pic above), on the Way of St. James, but a drive around the area’s countryside will leave you breathless, especially in early summer, when it is endlessly green. Cross into Navarra for more photo opportunities.
In San Sebastián, you’re also an hour away from Bilbao’s titanium, the sun that also rises in Pamplona, or the Fiestas de la Blanca in Vitoria, a week before our own Semana Grande. I know don’t need to promote my city, but why not share a few favorites? Happy August!
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Posted on http://www.weeklyletter.com at 2007-07-26 16:30:00 +0200
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Hi from Cardiff/Caerdydd. Over here, too, signs are bilingual. There is a WESLEY LANE downtown. I should have written down the Welsh/Cymric translation. It rhymes with Penny Lane.
We will be doing a few day trips from here—west toward Pembrokeshire, back east to England to see the crescents and circles and of course also the baths of Bath, west again to other Welsh lands, etc. Never mind the rain nor the driving on the wrong side of the car and the wrong side of the road.
Back to excursions from San Sebastian/Donostia, for followers of architecture or the marriage of architecture and sculpture I recommend:
1. the sanctuary of Aranzazu (Oiza, Oteiza, Chillida)
2. the Oteiza house/museum (Oteiza, Oiza)
(Sorry, there are no accents on this monolingual English keyboard.)
My parents and I have to take a lot of our Filipino visitors to Lourdes. It takes exactly two hours to get there—two hours from the time we leave our house to the time we are parking close to the shrine.
Hi Wesley,
You definitively should set up a travel agency or at least a travel counselling service. Trip Advisor and others would be scared stiff.
I’ll keep your Weekly letter with my other important travel tips papers for further trips to the Pais Vasco.
Have a nice August!
José Ignacio
Hi Wesley and everybody,
I see you’ve fallen in love with Euskal Herria (this is the country’s correct name in Euskera, their own language). It’s not an exceptional case, the strange point would be not to succumb by its delights if you know this country.
The only problem could be the weather, but I agree with you that in August the rain and the clouds wouldn’t be there. Anyway the weather during the year in this place isn’t so different from the U.K or from the north of France, because all these countries are under the Atlantic’s influence.
I’m sure that you’ve done very well recommending Euskal Herria.
I add my own advice : Visit Euskal Herria and enjoy it!!!
If you are more or less fit, do not suffer from vertigo, and have good walking shoes, while still in San Sebastian you can surprise yourself with a nice hike up Mount Ulia. Start at the far end of Sagüés, explore the remains of some very old military buildings, head up to the very top, and then head down again. It can take more than an hour to do this route. It’s a beautiful combination of city, sea and mountains. You have some great views of the city from Mount Ulia; particularly, you can take some wonderful shots of the Kursaal building.
If you’re back in town at lunchtime, why not go to the Sagüés bar called Campero to have a thirst-quenching soft drink or beer, and one of their stomach-filling, taste-bud-pleasing ‘camperos’? You’ll see what they are. Then, for a nice cup of coffee, sit back and relax at the terrace of another Sagüés bar called El Muro.
Donostia is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. When I first went to live there 15 years ago it was like a secret. Now it has changed a lot. The ‘Playa de Gros’ has become the ‘Zurriola’ and, sadly, there is a MacDonalds. To see a fast food shop next to one of the finest areas of ‘pintxos’ on the peninsula is depressing.
I haven’t lived in Donostia for three years but I miss its charm and its people.
Thanks a lot for such a lovely virtual travelling experience!
We have not yet decided where to go on holidays, and your description added another possible destination to our list.
Does anybody know a smart little hotel where we can stay? What are the main dishes you recommend to taste?
Happy August to you all!
So many things to comment on!
There is a Wesley Way in Sioux City, which, of course, cannot boast any resemblance to Penny Lane!
To be honest, and without the I-don’t-like-modern-art discourse, I am not a fan of Oteiza. I won’t call his works piles of metal, but I like Chillida’s aethetics much more.
I’m glad you mentioned Lourdes. I didn’t because I only wanted to mention places about an hour away but in two hours you are there. Quite frankly, religion aside, it is a lovely town to spend a day. Don’t compare it to Fatima, which, in my opinion, is horrible.
As far as a travel agency, with my own trips and those I plan for visitors, I think I have enough. I have to admit, though, that trip planning is one of my favorite things to do!
And regarding my love for Euskal Herria, I think that it is something that is stronger when one first arrives. After eight years, I do love it and know that quality of life here is relatively high. However, after spending any significant amount of time in a place, you also realize that utopias don’t exist and that one can be happy wherever life’s circumstances take him. And contrary to what you might think, the weather is negative point NUMBER ONE in the Basque country, far before any other. Ugh.
Ulía is a nice day trip. Go all the way to the top for a drink at the decadent bar in the park or to have an asado. Paola, look at this! I was glad to hear it.
Fast food is everywhere. I ignore it. McDonald’s seems to be the reference point for Aussies who come to Donosti for surf and pub crawling. Now that is tourism. The playa de Gros was non-existent at high tide. Now the tide that covers the sand is people. Still, I don’t think it was such a bad thing to do.
I don’t know of many hotels in Donosti; that happens when you live in a place. I imagine they are all decent, though. As far as places to eat go, if it’s pintxos, I can recommend an entire route, but anywhere you go is bound to be good. For good food, go to the port (grilled fish like besugo or rape). Or anywhere. While variety is lacking, if you come here, you’ll want to try what’s typical, right?
Happy vacationing!