by Wendy
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San Sebastian, or Donostia, was one of our favorite places we visited during our recent road trip. It is located in the beautiful Basque country in Spain. And we almost missed it. So many people raved about it online that we foolishly worried that it would be too touristy. I confess, we might have snobbishly (stupidly) considered skipping it in favor of a smaller, potentially more “undiscovered” coastal town nearby. Sometimes we get so caught up in finding hidden gems, we forget that places are popular for Really Good Reasons.
Jack and I love cities and beaches. San Sebastian has the most gorgeous city beach we’ve ever seen.
There is a long sparkling coast curving along the city with wide sandy spaces, some rocky areas, and stunning, clear turquoise water. There was a blue sky and warm sun, light breeze, no humidity.
It’s crowded, yes. There are lots of tourists, sure. This isn’t your quiet, secluded spot. It’s the gathering spot for a city. Boats and surfing and swimming. We saw families with kids flinging sand. We sat near backpackers with their gear taking a break to bask in the sun with a beer. We saw travelers like us discreetly bringing hotel bath towels down to the beach. Jack loved swimming in the water. I waded in – so cold but so refreshing. Locals soaked up the rays on an afternoon break. Lots of bikinis and speedos. We noticed an elderly couple strolling together and part ways to complete their exercise routine – he took a dip in the chilly water and she went for a brisk walk down the shore. We watched teenagers in wet suits jumping off the edge of the seawall into the deep, dark blue water. One guy jumped in with his flip flops, took them off and used them as a pillow behind his head as he proceeded to float effortlessly, like a sea otter.
Jack began to declare that San Sebastian might be his new favorite place in Spain. And we couldn’t believe we almost missed it.
That evening, we left our hotel to walk around the city. We took a few winding routes up hills and through parks and down narrow streets – but felt the pull back to the paved beach promenade, like so many others that evening. We saw a lot of children and parents laden with strollers and bags, as well as teens claiming benches for a night spent catching up with friends. We saw a lot of older people with different levels of mobility taking a pre-dinner walk, pausing to sit and watch the ocean, or heading up to a bar for a pintxo.
Oh, the pintxos. You’ll find what seems like endless articles singing their praises. And they are everything you read about. We followed the coastal path to the side opposite our hotel neighborhood and then veered into the narrow streets filled with bar after bar after bar after bar. Find a busy counter and look for a free space to squeeze in. The bars are lined with trays of exquisite and simple combinations. We went in a crowded one and had a great time choosing pintxos and drinking txakoli (sparkling wine) and other beverages. Egg with squid rice, square cod croquettes, rolled ham filled with fruit, salmon and sardine on toast…one was better than the next. We were shoulder to shoulder with locals and tourists in the festive atmosphere.
San Sebastian may be similar to Rio – there is even statue of Christ way up on one of the hills, visible as you walk along the beach. It reminded us of some neighborhoods in San Francisco – very hilly, similar weather, amazing food scene, beautiful landscaping in front of houses.
Regardless of the comparisons, San Sebastian absolutely radiates its own unique character. As we headed back to our hotel, we soaked in the elegant beauty of this spectacular city at night. It was late, and the quiet meant we could hear the ocean waves as we made our way along the promenade, dutifully remembering that label of “touristy” only alludes to one facet of a gem and wishing we had booked more time in this sparkling city.
