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Bilbao, cutting-edge metropolis, San Sebastián, beautiful and refined, or Vitoria-Gasteiz, our “green capital”.
The best thing is that you don’t have to choose - you can visit all three as they’re so close together!
OUR CITIES
San Sebastian i one of the most romantic cities in the world, famed for its beauty and fine food.
If you like cycling, we suggest you explore San Sebastián by Bike; a sightseeing bike tour of the city with local guides to show you the most famous landmarks in the city.
If you want to find the best pintxos bars and experience the local bar-hopping custom of txikiteo, we hope to tempt you with Flavours of San Sebastián. You will visit the city's most famous and popular spots on this tour, and to give you a real taste of San Sebastián's rich cuisine you will sample a specially selected pintxo and a drink in three bars in the Old Town. You can also do this tour as a two-hour, self-guided pintxo tasting tour if you wish.
After this first-hand experience and getting an insight into the city, we can cross through the Old Town to get to the Port of San Sebastián and the Paseo Nuevo which borders Mount Urgull, one of the three mountains that surrounds and embraces this city. We will continue on our walk, under the watchful gaze of the Sacred Heart, admiring the magnificent sculpture, Construcción Vacía (Empty Construction), by Jorge Oteiza and the vast, rough Cantabrian Sea.
If you are travelling with children the Aquarium and the Basque Maritime Museum, located in the Port area, are not to be missed. They are open to visitors in the morning and afternoon.
To restore flagging energy, there is nothing better than to head back to the Old Town, where you can enjoy a sit-down lunch or tuck into some pintxos.
After a really great lunch, we suggest you set out on the Stroll of your lifetime through the Pearl of Cantabrian Sea. Start your walk from the Paseo de la Concha, and the more active visitors can walk along the promenade or along the beach. If you prefer, take the bus to the El Antiguo neighbourhood. There at the end of the Ondarreta promenade and very close to the Peine del Viento (The Wind Comb), we will get to the old funicular station and can board the cable car up to Mount Igeldo, where we can take in the now legendary panoramic view of the city. We can sit down to have a drink and a light snack in the hotel on the same mountain and enjoy this superb visual spectacle.
Going up to Mount Igeldo with children is not a problem; they will also enjoy the ride up in the funicular and the views. And once at the top, they can play in the amusement park on Mount Igeldo, which exudes a charming retro feel.
Why not stay a little longer? Make the most of this experience, leave all your stresses behind and relax in the famous thalassotherapy centre, La Perla Thalasso-Sports Centre. You will enjoy a different view of the Bay of La Concha from inside the spa while you get pampered and spoiled.
San Sebastian is also home to other excellent thalassotherapy centres such as Hydra María Cristina located in the prestigious Hotel María Cristina.
If you would like to do a spot of shopping, you will find a wide offer in the Old Town, the Alameda del Boulevard and the Centre.
If you want to keep abreast of the cultural attractions and festivals that are on in San Sebastian and the surroundings while you are enjoying your weekend, we suggest you check out the San Sebastián Tourism Programme of Events.
At dinner time and to put the finishing touches to a full day allow yourself to succumb to some of the finest dining options offered by any one of the masters of signature cuisine or make your way to the Old Town to sample a traditional Basque menu.
Another option for dinner is to try the Txotx experience. We will take you to a cider house where you can sample a traditional menu (cod omelette, cod with peppers, T-bone steak, cheese and walnuts), serve yourself cider from the Kupela and learn more about the Basque cider culture.
In the evening you can go out and enjoy San Sebastián's nightlife in one of the pubs or nightclubs.
For today we suggest you get a copy of the The Other View brochure at the San Sebastian Tourist Office, where you can go on a self-guided tour through different parts of the city, learning about the work of Eduardo Chillida and other influential Basque artists.
If you are travelling with children, it would be worth your while to make your way to Miramón, where you will find the Eureka! Science Museum, an interactive venue with plenty of activities for children. Another equally enjoyable option would be a visit to the Txuri-Urdin Ice Palace.
The renovated San Telmo Museum is a must for art lovers. Housed in a former sixteenth century Gothic and Renaissance style Dominican convent, the interior houses over 26,000 pieces in its permanent collection on archaeology, fine arts, ethnography, photography and history.
The beaches of San Sebastián, affording spectacular views of the city, are the ideal location for surfing. Both those who want to try their hand at surfing as well as the real surfing enthusiasts can enjoy riding the different types of waves. Additionally, there are several surf schools offering courses which are perfect for beginners.
If these options for spending the morning around the city do not appeal to you, we suggest that after going for a stroll you enjoy the city from a different angle, travelling in one of the more unique forms of transport: the Donosti Tour Bus, the Txu-Txu train, the City of San Sebastián Catamaran or the boats to the Island of Santa Clara.
If you are a foodie and you are interested in learning more about Basque cuisine, allow us to entice you with several foodie experiences on offer such as Gastronomic workshop at the Restaurante Ni Neu-Kursaal - San Sebastian.
We suggest you try any one of the dining establishments to tickle your taste buds and satiate your palate; after all, you are in the gourmet capital
We suggest you spend the afternoon exploring San Sebastian's most romantic area. We will start at the mouth of the Urumea River, visiting the Kursaal Convention Centre and Concert Hall, before strolling along the Boulevard, visiting the City Hall and Alderdi-Eder gardens, the Plaza de Gipuzkoa, the Avenida de la Libertad and the Plaza of the Catedral del Buen Pastor (Cathedral of the Good Shepherd).
Alderdi-Eder means beautiful place or spot and is a lovely recreational area where children can have fun playing safely.
Before making your way to the Centre, you could climb Mount Urgull and visit the Cementerio de los Ingleses (The English Cementery), one of the most romantic, peaceful corners in the city.
For culture lovers it is worth visiting the Casa de la Historia (History House) and the remains of Castillo de la Mota (Mota Castle) on Mount Urgull, a place where we can learn more about the city's past.
If you visit in July or August we suggest you try out a sporting experience that will give you an insight into the most universal Basque sport, Jai Alai. You will see some of the very best pelota players in the world in action, you'll have fun and at the end of the match you can sample some delicious pintxos at the fronton court.
You can also travel to the east coast and explore the fishing villages of magnificent beauty and great historical and cultural interest. Hondarribia is an idyllic coastal town that has a walled historic quarter and boasts a promenade along the Bay of Txingudi, from where you can catch sight of the nearby French town of Hendaye. Pasai Donibane, with its beautiful Historic Quarter is also worth a visit where, if we wish, we can take a guided boat tour through the port and the Bay of Pasaia.
During the Belle Epoque San Sebastián was a cosmopolitan city and boasted a casino frequented by leading European personalities of the time. Today, the Kursaal Casino located in the Old Town, offers great entertainment, along with a restaurant and a gaming area where you can play traditional casino games.
After a final stroll along the Paseo de la Concha, make your way to the Old Town to enjoy a traditional menu, a great way to put the finishing touches to this weekend.
On our third day we suggest heading to the West Coast, where the beautiful village of Getaria awaits us. On the way, we recommend stopping off in Zarautz for a visit to the Historic Quarter, the promenade and / or any of the txakoli wineries. We will continue our journey until we get to Getaria along the N634 road, which runs parallel to the coast, while admiring the beauty of the Gipuzkoan coastline. Once in the fishing village, the birthplace of distinguished figures, we will visit the Church of San Salvador, the picturesque fishing harbour or some of the sculptures honouring its most international mariner, Juan Sebastian Elcano.
The Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum in Getaria, which exhibits the largest collection of creations by the renowned fashion designer and couturier born in the coastal town of Gipuzkoa, is a must-see tourist attraction.
If you are interested in nature we recommend you visit the Basque Coast Geopark, where you can enjoy the Flysch Route experience, an open book with millions of years of geological history written in stone.
We can have lunch in an asador (which is a typical restaurant-brasserie with a traditional wood-fired oven and grill) in Getaria or indeed in any town in the surroundings, where we'll have great char-grilled fresh fish all washed down with some Txakoli.
After lunch, we will venture into Gipuzkoa's green countryside journeying through Azpeitia. The Santuario de San Ignacio de Loyola (Sanctuary of St. Ignatius of Loyola) is located in this town. This monument group is a key element of religious tourism in the Basque Country and one of the attractions on the route Tierra Ignaciana - Route of the 3 temples. The sanctuary consists of a series of buildings erected around Loyola's tower house, the birthplace of St. Ignatius of Loyola, now known as the Santa Casa.
If you are travelling with children, one option is a visit to the Railway Museum in Azpeitia and you can take a ride on the Urola steam train which covers a distance of five kilometres along the old Zumarraga-Zumaia railway line between the Gipuzkoan town of Azpeitia and the Azpeitia district of Lasao.
For those looking for rest and relaxation on this last day we suggest a visit to the spa resort Balneario Cestona in the town of Zestoa, which is a 20 minute drive from Getaria.
You can stay overnight in the area and dine in any of the towns you have visited along the way as the cuisine is so varied and there is such a wide selection of fare on offer, or if you prefer, you can return to San Sebastian to complete your stay in the Old Town or dine in any restaurant in the city.
We suggest you spend the morning visiting Tolosa, a town known for its excellent cuisine and famous beans. Tolosa also boasts a rich architectural heritage, great examples being the Church of San Francisco, the Tinglado Market, the Convent of Santa Clara and Santa Maria Parish, amongst others.
Andoain, great for nature lovers and located halfway between San Sebastian and Tolosa, is the gateway to the Leitzaran Protected Biotope, the perfect surroundings for lovers of hiking and biking.
Tolosa Puppets International Center (TOPIC) is a place where children and adults will learn much more about puppets and forms of theatre related to puppetry.
If it's Saturday, you're in luck; the famous Tolosa market that transforms the centre of the village is held on Saturdays. This farmers market has been held for centuries and visitors can purchase the most traditional local produce as well as typical produce used in Basque cuisine.
Before leaving Tolosa we recommend you visit the confectionery shops, where you will discover the most traditional sweets in Tolosa: the xaxus (almond cream pastries), tejas (almond biscuits) and cigarillos (crispy rolled butter wafers).
You can enjoy some magnificent Tolosa beans or a delicious chuletón (T-bone steak) in any of the restaurants in the town. Visitors also have the option to continue on to Ordizia or Beasain where there is a wide selection of culinary delights to choose from.
We will visit the Igartza Monumental Site in Beasain and we will go for a stroll through the Historic Quarter in Ordizia, where we can visit the D'elikatuz Centre, a centre that is dedicated to food, nutrition and diets and whose work is focused on the whole of the Goierri region.
Then we will make our way to Zumarraga to visit the Ermita de la Antigua, cathedral of Basque chapels, the inside of which features unique and characteristic coffered oak panelling.
Time-permitting, we will stop off in Legazpi on the way to Oñati where the Iron Valley offers a variety of attractions for the visitor to choose from such as the Basque Iron Museum, the Chillida Lantoki or journeys through time into the lives of working families, amongst others.
Oñati is, without doubt, one of the villages in the Basque Country featuring the greatest amount of monumental heritage; it is home to a rich artistic heritage of churches, monasteries, chapels and other forms of civil and religious architecture. However, the most valued treasure in Oñati is the Sancti Spiritus University, a real jewel of Basque Renaissance art.
This area offers many options for hiking. We recommend that you come back to visit again and travel up to the Sanctuary of Arantzazu, one of the meccas of Basque spirituality, nestled right in the very heart of the Aizkorri-Aratz Natural Park; or visit the Arrikrutz caves, where you can enjoy an underground experience.
Regardless of whatever you might have planned for the evening, a great option is to have dinner in the village of Oñati or in any town or village on the way to San Sebastián.
