Road-Tripping Spain and Southern France Plus Ibiza in 12 Days – DAY 6
After a successful hike to the Picos de Europa’s most spectacular Cares Gorge Trail, we headed to the Basque Country. It is an autonomous community in northern Spain to the west of Pyrenees mountain. Basque Country has a rich history, strong cultural traditions, celebrated cuisine, its own pre-dated distinct language, and distinctive geographic and cultural landscape. We headed to San Sebastian – a sea-side resort plus a cultural destination of the Basque Country. The place is not only famous for its beach, but also for its art, architecture, and pintxo bars. We intended to spend a day here before crossing over to France the following day. We loved our decision to experience the Basque culture.
Highlights of the Day
- Roadtrip from Picos de Europa to Basque Country
- AnirBnb Stay
- Pintxos Bars Hopping
- San Sebastian City Sightseeing
Ultimate Roadtrip from Poncebos to San Sebastian
The morning was cloudy and rainy. We checked out from Garganta del Cares Hotel by 8 AM.
The route from Picos de Europa to the Basque Country was super scenic. We explored the dramatic clifftop landscape at our own pace. In 2 h, we reached Bilbao, though we did not stop there. We crossed the famous Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, which is one of the most iconic buildings of modern architecture. This museum is one of the main reasons that Bilbao is recognized in the international art and tourism spotlight today.
In an hour from Bilbao, crossing dead-gorgeous Basque Country landscape by the Bay of Biscay, we reached San Sebastian, also known as Donostia. We headed straight to our AirBnb accommodation.
AirBnB Accommodation at San Sebastian
This was our first AirBnb stay in Spain, and it was a remarkable experience. Out host Ana Isabel was very kind. Our room was well located with beautiful views of the bay comprising two single beds, large dressing room, bathroom, breakfast, and a beautiful living room where you can have breakfast and rest, as well as a terrace overlooking the sea.
Vegan Pintxos Hopping in San Sebastian
Firstly, do you know what pintxos are? No, they are not exactly tapas but similar to them, the difference being unlike tapas, pintxos are not served for free with drinks plus they are often served on a small slice of bread and are held together by a toothpick. At most of the pintxos bars, count your toothpicks as you finish your meal to pay the bill.
First, we walked straight to the Parte Vieja or Old Town, the heart of the city. It took around 20-30 min to walk from our stay to the center. It was a beautiful walk as we walked by the beach. Remember that kitchens usually do not open until 1 PM. So plan your pintxos hopping accordingly. You can do it in the evening too. But we were hungry and we could not resist trying out pinxtos as soon as we reached there. It was almost 1 PM when we hit the Old Town, so we were on time.
Plenty of displays of pintxos bars overflow with colorful pintxos, but they are mostly made of meat and fish. It was not very easy to find vegan pintxos in the city, but it was not impossible. If you are a vegetarian, then it is easier, as restaurants like A Fuego Negro, Borda Berri, Ganbara, Zeruko, and few more serve vegetarian pintxos. But if you vegan, you need to ask the chef to hold back the cheese as well, and then you can enjoy your pintxos.
San Sebastian City Sightseeing
We covered the main sights of the city by walk. There is a city sightseeing hop-on hop-off bus and a train as well to explore the city, but we considered familiarize with the beautiful city by foot. Here is a list of places you must not miss when you are in San Sebastian for a day.
Parte Vieja (Old Town)
As we were hunting for vegan pintxos, we actually strolled through San Sebastian’s Old Town, locally known as Parte Vieja. It is an essential part of your visit to the Basque city. There are plenty pintxos bars, historic buildings, like important museums, churches, and the city hall. There are many guided walking tours that are offered here, which help you to know more about the history of the city.
Monte Urgull (Mount Urgull)
Next, we hiked up the mountain called Mount Urgull behind the Old Town. It was a pleasant hike, which was filled with well-marked historic monuments. We learnt a lot about the area’s history as we hiked to the top, especially about the devastating battle that destroyed the city in the early 19th century. You can visit the History House Museum located on the top of the museum. We enjoyed the exciting views of the city and the sea from the peak.
San Telmo Museoa (San Telmo Museum)
We walked down the mountain back to the Old Town and the famous San Telmo Museum sits right at the foot of the mountain. The museum is split into sections including ethnography, photography, fine arts, archaeology, and history, showcasing over 26,000 objects. It is now the biggest museum for Basque history from prehistoric times to modernity.
Ayuntamiento de San Sebastian (San Sebastian City Hall)
We walked by the famous building of the city – Ayuntamiento, meaning the city hall. It was a former casino, where artists and politicians enjoyed entertainment. In the present day, it hosts the city council, which governs the city.
Catedral del Buen Pastor de San Sebastian (The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd)
Within a kilometer, we came across one of the most significant religious buildings in the Basque Country – San Sebastian Cathedral. It contains one of the biggest organs in Europe, which consists of more than 10,000 whistles.
La Concha Beach (The Shell Beach)
It was around 5 PM when we hit the city’s most popular beach, locally known as La Concha beach. It is renowned as one of Europe’s most beautiful urban shorelines. We spent some quality time chilling by the Cantabrian Sea. The atmosphere was tranquil and the scenery was beautiful.
Palacio de Miramar (Miramar Palace)
We were heading toward our home and on our way, we saw a beautiful historic building called Miramar Palace. It served as a summer holiday home for the Royal Family.
Isla Santa Clara (Santa Clara Island)
There is a tiny island right in the middle of the Concha Bay, known as Santa Clara Island. It is accessible via ferry from May to August. Though we did not visit the island, we have heard that the little island offers a small beach with great views over the city. There is also a charming lighthouse.
Piene del Viento (The Comb of the Wind)
Past La Concha beach, there is Ondaretta beach in the western area of the city close to our AirBnb stay. We walked until the end of the beach near the foot of Mount Igeldo, and reached one of the most visited places in San Sebastian. This location is called The Comb of the Wind, locally known as Piene del Viento, which boasts the most celebrated sculptures by Basque artist Eduardo Chillida. We spent some time here and enjoyed great views of sea while the waves kept pounding against the cliff rocks.
It was around 7 PM and we were pretty much tired. Earlier, we were planning to take the funicular railway or bus line 16 to the top of Mount Igeldo, which also features the El Torreon tower, dating back to the 16th century. Visitors can climb the tower to enjoy dazzling views of the city, but we skipped it for good.
We really wanted to rest. So we hopped into a nearby supermarket and picked up some pickled white beans and vegetables. Once we got back to our apartment, we ate them together with tomato sauce and multigrain bread – that was a light yet tasty dinner. San Sebastian highly pleased us. It offered us history, culture, beaches, and viewpoints all in a day, and everything at a walking distance.
Net Expense for 1 Person (in EUR)
Let us have a look at the expenses of Day 6 in Spain – San Sebastian.
- Stay at AirBnb Apartment (1 night): 25
- Food in San Sebastian: 20
- Fuel: 15
- Miscellaneous: 10
Total expense (roughly):Â 70 EUR
For a more customized itinerary, whether for solo or couple or group of any number of people, feel free to contact me on Contact Us page.
If you are planning for a much-organized, tastefully-curated, stress-free yet exciting vacation, consider booking your holidays at Travel Love Repeat. It is going to be a treat for sure!
I love the mix of old and modern, as well as the seaside views. i also love the architecture in this part of the world; everything looks breathtaking. i wish i can do a European adventure like this one, too.
Why not Ivan? Plan for it soon, contact https://www.travelloverepeat.com for all your plans!
such a fabulous place, it seem you enjoyed a lot your trip. Next week me too going sebastian with family for 7 days trip. Thanks for sharing good trip experience.
Wow, will you be in Sebastian for 7 days?
What a trip! The road trip you took really seems gorgeous. And the airbnb looks very comfortable. Add to that all the fun and activities that you listed, and this sounds to me like an action packed 24 hours in San Sebastian. If I were to ever get here, I guess I will borrow a lot from how you spent your day here.
Neha, trust me, I wish to spend more days in San Sebastian. 24 hours is too less.
very well written post , liked the way how u structure the post as well as the itinerary preparation that u do before visiting a new location , have seen this pattern in ur posts and it is actually essential
Oh it’s great to know that you observed it so well Sumit, thanks much.
Wow, I can really imagine how fulfilling it is when you had a road trip from Picos de Europa to the Basque Country, which offers very scenic view and so much to offer. And exploring the dramatic clifftop landscape at your own pace was really astounding, in which you get to embrace everything that this place has to offer. I will surely include San Sebastian in my bucket list, and I can’t wait to traipse my feet here soon. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
I am so glad you liked it Ariel.
The architectural design of the Guggenhein Museum is very impressive. I have a thing for buildings with eclectic designs, I believe they make any place a tad bit interesting. Did you ever check out the museum by the way? What can you see in there? Your airbnb looks cozy and I like that it has a view.
I looked at the photo of the San Telmo museum and thought at first that it was a church. Well it does look like a church with those tall columns and the ceiling. The La Concha Beach on the other hand is crazy! Wow, so many people to fight a sunbathing spot with.
I havent checked the interior yet. But yes, would do that soon. It’s all about insane architecture inside. Loved our AirBnb stay.
The place looks beautiful. Love that the europeans are sun seeking and spend a day out communally. In India since our cold winters don’t coincide with beaches being around, we have no developed that habit of minimal clothing at a beach. The sidewalks are beautiful. You should maybe also show us video. We get to travel along with you 🙂 on your journey
Yes Kartik, soon we do that.
Love the way europe has space for old museums which are well maintained and public places are kept for communal interaction. Your AIRBNB looks like a star hotel in India 🙂
Oh yes, it was an awesome stay.
Even I thought that the San telmo museum was a chapel in the beginning .That is how it looks on the inside.The air bnb looks like a hotel room and thr balcony seems to offer such amazing views.Lucky that you found something like that.But bread and olive oil ?Interesting combination never heard of it.This has a plethora of places to check out
Yes, the pintxos are awesome, bread and olives (not oil) are a great combo!
This called a full of an adventure trip, You explore all the wonderful zones in this place. I have not visited here, I want to find my self in this place on my next trip. You capture some amazing views. All of your guideline and pictures are great inspiring for us. I especially like the San Telmo Museum and want to spend some time in Santa Clara island. Keep traveling, looking for your next post. thanks.
Thanks for the encouraging words Alexander!
First, I like your Airbnb. It’s simple and clean, and that’s what important as you only used it for sleeping and showering. Then, I love the looks of those pintxos. As a meat eater, it will be hard for me to choose which one to try first. Haha… I would like to visit the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, but not the Shell Beach. It’s too crowded.
I know, there’s a lot to choose from for non-vegans.
This area looks like a great mixture of culture both modern day and historic with the architecture and the stunning landscape. I hadn’t heard of it before but your post just sent me down a rabbit hole looking further into it.
Must visit!
San Sebastian is a place full of attractions. It was great to see the Guggenheim museum and it’s modern architecture. Also great to watch the neo gothic architecture of San Sebastian cathedral, the San Telmo museum and the City Hall famous for the Spanish civil war. And of course, the vegan Pintxos looked yummy!
Glad you liked it Puloma.