A really wonderful hike. Definitely a must-do for Donostia in my opinion. Very good display of…read morehistory at the top and the view is amazing.

The bulk of Monte Urgull is on of the several Donostia spots that you can climb up to and…read moreappreciate the view. And that's exactly what Gayle and I did after we first arrived in San Sebastian. The first thing we noticed was the Sagrado Corazón (Sacred Heart) sculpture, which brings on Rio de Janeiro parallels. The work was executed by Franco-era sculptor Federico Coullaut in 1950, stands over 12 metres tall, and can be seen from a distance of 4 miles out at sea. Monte Urgull was an important defensive position until the City walls were taken down in 1863. It saw action from the 12th Century onwards in several battles. The Hill is topped by a small fort, the Castillo de la Mota. There are several areas to walk and the views (especially from the ramparts below the Christ statue) are outstanding. However, the buildings and facilities on Monte Urgull appear to be a bit threadbare in spots. Gayle and I eventually descended to the back side of the hill and to the water. Our Big Bonus was admiring the Construcción Vacía (Empty Structure) sculpture by Jorge de Oteiza. The powerful and original work this sculptor and Eduardo Chillida (another Basque artist) is a key touchstone for this Region.

The Plaza de la Constitución, located in the old town of San Sebastián, occupies the heart of the…read morecity. It is where the most important and most important events of the city are celebrated, such as the traditional Tamborrada or the Santo Tomás Day fair. It is just 10 minutes from La Concha beach and is one of the places with the most history and greatest charm. The best pintxos bars in San Sebastián are located in its surroundings. The Plaza de la Constitución dates back to 1817 and the first thing that catches your attention when entering its premises are the arcades, their balconies and the numbering of the windows at the top. The reason for these numbers is that they were the boxes of the old bullring. If you ever purchased one of these apartments, you knew that the balconies were rented a few times a year to the public for them to watch the bull fights. Very interesting setup, but unique.

Within the centre of Parte Vieja (Old Town) is Constitución Square. Up until the forties, its…read morecentral building was San Sebastian's City Hall. We noticed the seal of San Sebastian above the Clock and the cafe tables at all corners within the square. The balconies of the aesthetically coloured buildings that line the Square bear numbers left over from its past when it was used as a bullring. Even if you owned an apartment here, the City retained rights to the balconies, which it could sell as box seats. Residents of course could peak over the shoulders of the paying customers.

El Muelle or Puerto Pequero is the Fisherman's Quarter. Gayle and I first walked through after…read morecoming down off Monte Urgull. It was Monday and the Aquarium and Museo Naval were closed, but it was still fun to stroll along the water and view the harbor and the fishing boats. Halfway around the harbour is a monument to "Alta Mari", the nickname of a local boatman who became a hero fro his fearless acts of rescue of other sailors in fierce storms off the coast. In 1866 he perished in view of thousands attempting yet another rescue in a terrible tempest.

Ondarreta Beach, located in the west of Donostia / San Sebastián, is by Igeldo Mountain and in…read morefront of Santa Clara Island. The golden-sand beach is one of the most elegant in Gipuzkoa. With its 600 metres, Ondarreta offers a varied sports offer. Swimming and volleyball lessons are organised in summertime. I visited it on my way to "El Peine del Viento" and I saw many people swimming, surfing, sun bathing or just enjoying the area by seating or walking. Definitely more laid back than La Concha, it's more of a beach for locals, being away from the tourist center.

The "little beach" as translated from Euskera. Perhaps one of the most picturesque beaches in a…read moremassively picturesque town. Across the way from Santa Clara island, walking along and observing the quiet and serene from barrier walls, is a terrific way to let your mind wander away.

The old lighthouse also known as the "Lamp" built in the 16th century. They've since built another…read morelight house on the side of the mountain but this still stands as a piece of history with an amazing panoramic view of the bay

This cute town, the capital city of the province of Guipuzcoa is one of my favorite cities in…read moreSpain. Its setting on a beautiful half moon bay surrounded by small hills is just breathtaking....you can see the rough seas hitting the rocks around the city, making the landscape just enchanting. San Sebastian, also known as Donostia or Donosti, lies along a white sandy bay between the Urgull and Igeldo hills. Made up of fishermen's houses, a smart suburb and modern districts make it one of the most attractive cities on the Cantabrian coast. The Museum of San Telmo, the Peine del Viento (the Wind Comb) and the Kursaal are examples of how the city brings together modern and traditional features. Basque cuisine has a recognized international prestige and the amount of restaurants and tapas bars that you can try is immense. Michelin star restaurants abound in the old town as well as in the city center..each area just a few minutes walk from each other. The town centre streets of San Sebastián unfold overlooking the La Concha Bay. Monte Igeldo marks one end of it - a wonderful vantage point for enjoying views over the city. At its feet is Torrepea Point, where the "Peine de los Vientos" ("the Wind Comb"), a sculpture by the famous Basque artist Eduardo Chillida, is installed....if you want to walk it from the old town is about a 30-40 min walk...leisurely on a nice promenade along the bay. A lovely promenade with elegant railings and street lamps runs along La Concha Beach. One of the prettiest buildings near the water is the old Casino, nowadays the City Hall. In this area, between the sea and the River Urumea, is the old town full of bars, tapas bars, shops, souvenir stands and lively squares and plazas. A tourist's dream ! Not far is the porticoed Plaza de la Constitución. Among its many balconies - numbered and painted white, betraying its origin as a bullring - stands the old Neoclassical City Hall, converted into the Municipal Library. Four lamps by the sculptor Mariano Benlliure light the way to the railway station, designed by Eiffel...a simple train station but with its nice architectural notes and touches. Overall a quaint, cozy, walkable, friendly city to visit. I recommend to come during the week, when most businesses in the center of town are open...during the weekends, many of them close, so more difficult to go shopping if that's what you want...the old town remains very active 7 days a week to cater the visitors.

San Sebastián or Donostia is the capital of the province of Gipuzkoa located in the Basque Country…read morein Spain. It is a very nice city near the Atlantic Ocean where a lot of tourists are used to having a walk on weekends. I put 5 stars as it is one of my favourite cities in Europe!!!

When I originally began to design our Northern Spain European vacation, I was overly excited about…read morediscovering San Sebastian. The scenic resort town is on the Bay of Biscay in Spain's mountainous Basque Country. There are two popular beaches also that one can enjoy either on the Bay or on the ocean. These beaches are bordered by a charming Bayfront boardwalk, and popular restaurants with creative chefs. Anyone that is not a seafood lover will have challenges eating in these popular restaurants. Most of our time invested in this fabulous city was in the Old City where we enjoyed pintxos and at one time an awesome cheese cake for desert. San Sebastián was surly well worth the visit. The magnitude of people and their energy draws out the dynamic appeal and absolutely wonderful culture of this delightful city.

This tour was simply the best travel and gastro experience in a long time! Our tour guide was top…read morenotch expert on authentic local Basque cuisine and culture. She catered to our dietary needs/preferences and customized the gastropub tour to fit our needs. I loved everything she had us try, not a single pintxo was anything less than superb (which by the way she ensured was freshly made for her tour guests once we arrived). I am still daydreaming about this experience and already planning my next visit in the near future.

Walking around old town in San Sebastian and felt like a change from our heavy pintxos diet. We…read morestumbled into Raviolina for an Italian meal tonight. The place is jumping, quiet, intimite and with the light rain, it just feels right. We were served a complimentary pizza bread to start. A pizza shell wood fired and lightly brushed with olive oil, garlic and salt. A great start. Our diet has been very lean in the salad department on this trip and a Caesar salad sounded great. The salad was spot-on and had a good flavor. Not quite full, we added a pasta carbonara to split. The sauce was runny, lacked flavor and had a consistency of Mac n cheese. Overall, a disappointment. La Raviolina needs to build out their pasta flavors. They don't taste Italian, but rather a sauce coating noodles. You can judge for yourself and decide what you think.

I don't understand the reviews. Long wait even with reservation, mid food and terrible drinksread more