What is summer without a beach? While Southern Spain and Portugal are beautiful in summertime, we were seeking out cooler temps. That way, Quinn could be comfortable since he was too little to wear sunscreen and play in the water. Google Flights pointed us to Madrid as the cheapest spot to fly into in Europe, and San Sebastian is about 4.5 hours from Madrid via car. We decided to road trip around Spain to break up the drive (recaps for Valladolid, Madrid, and Bilbao to follow).
Meet Larry Langosta, Quinn’s first souvenir. He came from San Sebastian and kept him company on our road trip.
WHAT TO DO:
San Sebastian was actually much bigger than I imagined, with lots of waterfront, walking paths, restaurants, etc. The biggest attraction is the beach! Or should I say beaches. La Concha (on the shell shaped bay) is the biggest, Ondarreta is on the same bay, but quieter, Zurriola is big for surfing, and Santa Clara Island when it is low tide. Temperatures are mild, which made sunbathing beach days unpredictable.
We had one day warm enough to enjoy the sand, though. Rental chairs and umbrellas are snapped up early in the morning, however the boardwalk by the beach provided a nice shade for most of the day. Quinn’s muslin blanket sufficed as our beach blanket while he napped in his chariot, as we like to call it. If we had more beach days, we would’ve bought some of the cheap beach towels and an umbrella at one of the souvenir shops.
I hope COVID is a distant memory sooner than later, but in the meantime, we will remember the summer of face mask tans.
Basilica of Saint Mary of the Chorus is an impressive Roman Catholic church in the old part of town. While there, wander the small, winding streets for hidden treasures.
Gipuzkoa Plaza is a beautiful park in the middle of the city, complete with swans, ponds and gardens. We grabbed coffees across the street and enjoyed the peaceful scenery.
The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd was stunning at night!
Monte Urgull, a scenic overlook of the city and water, can be accessed starting at the San Telmo Museum. Unfortunately it would have required about 5 gazillion stairs to get on the trail, so we decided against it with the stroller/lugging a baby in the carrier. Instead, we took the road and walked along the water, which provided an equally amazing view (and an elevator by the aquarium to get back down). Monte Igueldo, another scenic overlook with attractions can be accessed via funicular.
Stroll along the boardwalk at night for live music, street artists, etc.
Chillida Leku is an open air museum a short 15 minute drive from San Sebastian that I would’ve liked to fit in, but we didn’t make it.
TO EAT:
The second biggest attraction: the food! I basically plan trips around where and what we will eat and drink. I love trying the local cuisine (within reason…) and going to places that locals would go, not the touristy spots when possible.
This may be a COVID thing or a peak August vacation time thing, but make dinner reservations! San Sebastian is known to have the most Michelin-starred restaurants per square meter in Europe, but they also have plenty of more casual options. We ALMOST booked lunch at Mugaritz since another food trip we had booked pre-baby (Noma in Copenhagen) was canceled due to COVID, but the price tag and unpredictability of Quinn’s nap schedule made us rethink. It looked like a fantastic experience, and the FAQs indicated babies and children were welcome. Maybe someday we will go back!
These other restaurants, many Michelin-starred, came highly recommended, but alas, we went to none: Arzak, Rekondo, Zazpi, and TOPA
Where we DID eat:
Koh Tao was our first stop for coffee and dressed up avocado toast with gluten-free as an option- hooray!
On our first evening, not realizing the whole reservations necessary part, we got charcuterie, good cheese, olives and wine for the beach. Nothing beats a sunset view with European-priced meats and cheese.
Kafe Botanika was an excellent spot for healthy brunch. They serve lunch and dinner, but that would’ve required reservations. It was open-air with huge windows and a large outdoor patio garden.
Old Town Coffee had really good coffee and yogurt bowls to start the day off right.
Iraila was a casual takeaway spot right behind our airbnb. They had smoothies, fresh-pressed juice, and lots of gluten-free and vegan goodies.
Maiatza served as an excellent people-watching spot for Quinn, who quietly chatted away to this couple sitting next to us with his sweet little voice. Great gluten-free toast and lattes to fuel us before hitting the road again.
Cortázar– We ate outside, but it was pretty cool looking inside. It was delicious!
Taqueria Santo Remedio tacos hit the spot!
The Loco Polo for popsicles- they are all over the place.
TIPS:
San Sebastian is in Basque Country, where locals speak both Basque and Spanish. English was prevalent as well, which is a good thing because Basque is nothing like Spanish, and our Spanish skills leave something to be desired still.
Funny story..well, not at the time. We got trapped in a parking garage. As mentioned, we understand Spanish, but certainly aren’t fluent. Our credit card kept getting rejected at the parking garage exit, and we didn’t want to hold up any cars that might pull up behind us to get out. So, back we go down the parking garage ramp to find a pay booth. This maneuver rivaled parking in a Trader Joe’s garage. IYKYK… After trying to communicate with a lovely gentleman that only spoke Basque, we finally realized it was debit card only, or at least for foreign credit cards?? So come prepared with cash or debit cards, just in case.
Siestas are a real thing. Restaurants have a gap between lunch and dinner where they only serve drinks. Even the grocery store closed mid-afternoon, so plan your meals accordingly. We should’ve bought more snacks before hitting the beach. Charcuterie, good cheese, olives and decent wine are SO cheap and feel fancy. Since we didn’t have dinner reservations set our first night, we opted for the DIY charcuterie board and brought it to the beach for sunset. That beats most restaurant meals in price and views!
WHERE TO STAY:
Airbnb was the answer for us. We wanted a kitchen, laundry, and living space separate from sleep so we could stay up after Quinn went to bed. Hotels were really expensive anyway, so it worked out. Location-wise, we stayed near the beach in a very walkable part of town.
Recaps of the rest of Spain coming soon..ish, along with an updated map with all the things to do, see and eat after I figure out how to fix it!