San Sebastián in 48 hours

If you’re looking for somewhere slightly off the standard city-break beaten-track, somewhere a little different and special, then San Sebastián should be pretty high on the top of your list. It’s not necessarily the easiest of cities to get to; it is necessary to fly into the nearest international airport that is accessed from the UK, Bilbao, but to be honest, this is what makes it special, unique and not particularly heaving with European tourists. We flew with Vueling from Gatwick, an airline I have used a few times now and have been very impressed. To get from Bilbao to San Sebastián, it’s a really simple and inexpensive bus ride, which takes around 1.25 hours and currently costs around €12. The buses depart every hour and are quick, efficient and very comfortable. Top tip – work out which bus you need to book onto for you return journey, and get you tickets when you arrive into San Sebastian – this will save you time and also ensure you get a seat. When you arrive at the bus station, depending on where you are staying, it’s very probable that your hotel is within walking distance…the city really isn’t very big and is very walkable. We stayed at a hotel called the Catalonia Donesti, which is around a 15-min walk from the old town and the bus station. It is brilliantly located within an historic building, but high up, so views (particularly from the roof terrace) are amazing. It has been completely modernised, the rooms are great (beds very so comfortable) and the breakfast is superb. Top tip - go for a Sea View Room as the others are in the modern section of the building with no views to speak of. The weather in San Sebastián in late March is often a slight mixture and we had a little bit of rain, but we still managed to catch quite a bit of sun too. I can imagine it would get quite warm in the summer months. We took a stroll along the beach to the southern side of the city and caught the funicular to the viewpoint. It really doesn’t look that high from the promenade, but the views of the city were simply stunning - as you can see from the photos - if you’re there on a clear day, I’d highly recommend it! The biggest and best part of San Sebastián is the food and pintxos bars. Something quite unique really and something any foodie would very much enjoy. Whilst there are many restaurants in the city, big and small, a large number of which are Michelin starred, we wanted to really mingle with the locals and experience these local establishments. Pintxos bars are effectively bars (as we know them) serving not only all kinds of drinks but a selection of locally produced, small dishes (pintxos) varying from cheeses, hams, steak, and anchovies to risotto, tortillas and even pig’s ears! I thought they were just for dogs! On the first night we took part in an amazing Culinary Backstreets tour, which not only helped us get our bearings but also ensured we visited some of the amazing hidden gems that this city has to offer. Top tip – visit Antonia Bar, which is on the corner point of the old town – the tortilla served here are fabulous (only available during certain times of the day, and not even on the menu!) On our second evening, we not only went back to a couple of these amazing places. We also experienced a few others located in the old town where we tried both hot and cold pintxos, local (excellent) wine, beer of course and a number of different cocktails. I cannot recommend San Sebastian enough for a short break, especially if you like your food and drink. A superb place to visit!