I stayed at Atotxa Rooms, close to the bus station where they offered discount parking. It was just off the historic Puente de Maria Kristina for easy access to Old Town. I stayed 3 nights here because of the long drive from Andorra and arrived around dinner time. They had a shared refrigerator and coffee/tea station outside the rooms that I appreciated.

Recommendations

• Old Town
• Plaza de la Constitution
• Iglesia de San Vicente
• Cathedral Buen Pastor de San Sebastián
• Basilica Santa Maria of the Chorus and the Diocesan Museum
• San Telmo Museum
• Funicular to Mount Igueldo
• Mount Urgull and Mota Castle
• Bay cruise
• Santa Clara Island
• Paseo de la Concha
• La Concha Beach
• Miramar Palace and Gardens
• San Sebastian Donostia Town Hall

My first night I started with just a walk to Old Town, exploring the waterfront, along Passeo Nuevo.

I visited Constitución Plaza and Iglesia de San Vicente that evening. I had a piece of Basque cheesecake from La Vina for dinner.

The next morning I wanted to take the funicular to Mount Igueldo. It was quite a walk but I wanted to walk the Paseo de la Concha (Kontxa Pasealekua in Basque) and see La Concha Beach and Bay anyway so I planned my visit and reviewed the sites for that part of town. It is a beautiful walk, regardless. 

Along the way I saw the Antzinako Tunela, the tunnel and pedestrian path connecting the two beaches.

The funicular is cheap and a great value. There is a small amusement park (for young children) on top, lots of restaurants and bars, a Mercure Hotel, and, of course, fantastic viewpoints all around the mountain top.

After taking the funicular down, I walked through the Ondarretako lorategiak Garden, stopping to see the Maria Cristina Queen’s statue.

I walked up the hill to Miramar Palace, Maria Cristina’s old palace. It’s a convention center now so no access for visitors, but the Miramar Gardens are beautiful, and there are lots of signs about the queen and the history of the building. Maria Cristina was Austrian and the second wife of Alfonso XII and mother to King Alfonso XIII. She built this palace because of the good summer weather in San Sebastián. There are wonderful views of the beaches and the bay and Santa Clara island from the gardens.

I had lunch sitting on the bay enjoying the views, some pintxos with a Basqueland beer. There are many restaurants along the promenade, with a wide choice of food.

I visited the Cathedral Buen Pastor de San Sebastián, Church of the Good Shepherd, on the way back to old town. I had walked by earlier in the morning before it opened and wanted to visit inside.

After my busy morning and early afternoon, I took a page from the Spanish and had an afternoon rest at my hotel for about an hour an a half. I wanted to relax before the walking tour, Free Walking Tour San Sebastián, I booked at 1600.

We stayed in Old Town, seeing the churches and plazas. We walked past San Vicente and Santa Maria Basilica. We heard about the gastronomic societies. Nerea, our guide, told us some of the best food to try, including the cheesecake, and the difference between pintxos and tapas.

We stopped at the old fish market and the weekly farmer’s market. We visited the San Sebastián-Donostia town hall. The building is from 1887 and was originally a casino. The beautiful Alderdi Eder Parkea is in front and a good place to relax enjoying the views of the bay.

I was interested to hear the Basque language, Euskara, is a unique language spoken in the Basque Country in parts of northern Spain and southwestern France. “It is classified as a language isolate, meaning it has no known relation to any other language, and is the only surviving pre-Indo-European language in Europe.” 

I visited the San Telmo Museum, a truly excellent museum. Partly in an old church with some gorgeous art, murals and frescoes that were found in 2010 during restoration. The “Sert Canvases” displayed in the church were designed specifically for the space when the convent was restored as a museum in 1929. The 11 huge canvases illustrate important events in Basque history. There are many additional great exhibits, artifacts, and paintings throughout the museum.

I climbed Urgull to see Mota Castle, the old English Cemetery, and the multiple batteries across the hill: Batteries of the Ladies, Napoleon Battery, Battery of St. James.

It was a steep walk up, but I really enjoyed all the sites and the views from the peak.  The castle dates from the late 19th c; it has been a national monument since 1984.

On my walking tour, we had stopped and talked about the facade of the Basilica Santa Maria of the Chorus. The building was complete in 1774. There is a statue of San Sebastián on the facade and also the city crest. I returned the next day to see the church and the Diocesan Museum inside what used to be the chapels. Entry to the church is free but the museum costs €3.

My final afternoon, I had time for a bay cruise in the late afternoon and found Motoras del Isla on the marina. The lady working at Atotxa rooms reception said the boat tours were done for the season. I did check online as well, a simple internet search found a tour on GetYourGuide.

It was a great hour seeing the bay. We sailed around Mount Igueldo. When I tried to walk all the way on the promenade to Peine del Viento (Comb of the Wind) the area was blocked off with construction. The cruise went past Ondaretta Beach so I was able to see this art. We also sailed around Santa Clara Island, seeing the lighthouse. The boat does include a stop at Santa Clara Island.

Restaurants

• La Vina – recommended for the cheesecake! All their pintxos looked very good, too
• Cafe de la Concha – pintxos of tortilla and prawns
• Loco Polo Ice Cream
• Raviolina
• Arizmendi Pizzería Donostia – good selection of pintxos and pizza

Breweries

• Basqueland Izakaia – came over here after my walking tour and had several half pours. Very friendly staff. 

** All photos property of Lisa, not to be copied or reproduced **