There are not many cities that I am drawn to but when asked over the last few years the one that I kept coming back to was San Sebastian. Spain’s surf capital with a great eating and drinking culture. Last week we flew out to see if it lived up to expectations. We did basically no research, beyond how to get there. Turns out busses are good round here and the easiest way to get there from Bilbao airport.
Arriving in San Sebastian it was quickly apparent that walking is a pretty easy way of getting round. The city is small and everything is within 20 minutes or so. You can walk by the river of through parks most of the time too – so its pleasant. The main town is pretty old and without looking on a map you might think you were in the old town. It is noticeable how much open space there is.
The sheltered beach at la Concha makes the perfect city beach. Nice to just slip into some swimmers and head out for a dip in this calm, sheltered bay.
The old town is great. Despite the huge amount of tourists, it was not hard to move away from the most well known spots where the tours go and dive into other bars where it was more local clientele. The atmosphere is good.
Zurriola beach is the other side of the river, but still a short walk from town. It is very different to la Concha, exposed to strong swells. This is the local surf beach which whilst messy on the day we took a look, still offered pretty punchy waves. It was fun to stop and watch a local longboard competition. The beach was lined with spectators.
I would be more than happy to head back. It is just a fun place to hang out.
