206 SAN SEBASTIÁN...

After Séte our next stopover is San Sebastán in northern Spain. But what do we know about the city that is home to Real Sociedad and a world-renowned culinary scene?

San Sebastián is the capital of Gipuzkoa province in the Basque Country of northern Spain, sitting right on the Bay of Biscay just 20km from the French border. It has a population of around 190,000, but its cultural footprint is far larger than that figure suggests. It's compact, walkable, beautiful, and widely considered to have one of the highest concentrations of Michelin-starred restaurants per capita of any city on earth.

The Setting

The city is built around the Bahía de la Concha - a near-perfect horseshoe bay, sheltered and calm, with a long arc of sandy beach flanked by two headlands. It is genuinely one of the most beautiful urban beaches anywhere in Europe. The Playa de la Concha and the adjacent Playa de Ondarreta are pristine, and the elegant Victorian-era promenade running alongside them - the Paseo de la Concha - adds an air of belle époque refinement.  

The small island of Santa Clara sits in the middle of the bay. On the eastern headland sits Monte Urgull, topped with a castle and a giant statue of Christ. To the south-east, Monte Igueldo offers sweeping panoramic views and is reached by a vintage funicular.

The Old Town (Parte Vieja)

Compact and atmospheric, the old town sits between Monte Urgull and the river. It's the social heart of the city - chaotic, lively, and wonderfully unpretentious given the city's gastronomic prestige. The Plaza de la Constitución, a handsome arcaded square where the balconies were once numbered as seats for bullfights, is the centrepiece.

Basque Identity

San Sebastián is proudly and emphatically Basque. The Basque language is visible everywhere alongside Spanish. There's a strong sense of distinct cultural identity, and the city has its own festivals, traditions, and rhythms. The Tamborrada in January - a 24-hour drumming festival marking the city's patron saint's day - is one of the most extraordinary local celebrations in Spain.

Culture and Events

The city hosts the prestigious San Sebastián International Film Festival each September, one of the oldest and most respected in the world. There are excellent museums, including the San Telmo Museoa (Basque history and contemporary art) and the Aquarium on the harbour. The Kursaal - two luminous glass cube concert halls on the river mouth - is a striking piece of contemporary architecture.

Cuisene

Pintxos Culture

This is what San Sebastián is most famous for internationally, and the reputation is entirely deserved. The Parte Vieja (Old Town) is a dense grid of narrow streets, packed with bars. Almost every one has a counter loaded with pintxos - the Basque version of tapas, typically small pieces of bread topped with extraordinary combinations of ingredients.  

Crawling from bar to bar with a glass of local txakoli (a sharp, lightly sparkling white wine) or cider, eating pintxos as you go, is the essential San Sebastián experience and costs very little. The quality is remarkable - even a modest bar will offer things that would be headline dishes elsewhere.

Beyond the bars, the city has an astonishing fine dining scene. Arzak, Mugaritz, Akelarre, and Martín Berasategui are among the world-renowned restaurants here, several of which hold three Michelin stars. The Basque Country has a deep, serious food culture that goes far beyond tourism.

Conclusion

In short, San Sebastián is the rare city that genuinely lives up to its hype - beautiful, delicious, culturally rich, and with an energy that's entirely its own.