The paradores in Spain are quite something ... most of them have the WOW factor and this one is…read moremost certainly one of them. A castle dating from the 10th century, beautifully transformed into a hotel. Lots of charm and luxury. Situated in the middle of the medieval part of town with its winding narrow little streets. The rates are quite steep but definitive worth it! Beautiful rooms with a splendid view, as the castle sits on-top of a hill overlooking the see inlet and harbor.

Gayle and I loved our recent experience at the Parador de Hondarriba. We got upgraded to a Junior…read moreSuite, with loads of room and a stunning view of the Spanish and French waterfront. There's also the very nice Plaza Armas at the entrance, and lots of walking opportunities within the Old Town and beyond. The only challenge was finding the Parador parking lot before we checked in. But as a helpful citizen advised from our lost position - Arriba - Abajo - Derecha! Parador Hondarribia is a 10th century castle built by the King of Navarre in the early days of the Christian re-conquest. The castle was remodeled in the 16th century by Emperor Charles the Fifth. Napoleon stayed here for some time during the wars between Spain and France and many other notable figures in the history of Spain and Europe have stayed here as well. Beneath the castle, there are apparently various tunnels and passageways. One legend is that "many have entered, never to be seen again." A Spanish version of the Hotel California? And to support that point, the walls apparently creak at night, although Gayle and didn't hear anything or experience any haunted sensations. The Parador de Hondarribia Parador is every bit the castle people imagine and Gayle certainly felt like a princess during our stay. We also admired the monolithic stone walls (still pockmarked by cannon-fire from old wars), and interior decorations of medieval armor, weaponry and tapestries. The Parador also contains many charming nooks and common areas for quiet reflection or soft conversation. That included the outdoor room used for breakfast and a river-view deck for guests only. It was a great Parador stay and one of our favorites. There's only a basic café here, but there's great dining right out the door. Staff were helpful and professional and the other clientele were an interesting bunch. Did we already say that our room was fantastic?

This was a super fun experience for us. It was our first stay in a Parador and I'm glad our friends…read morerecommended it. The rooms were ok, very noisy with paper thin walls but the view was so cool that you didn't care. The staff was very nice and we really enjoyed having drinks in the salon and envisioning what this must of been like when it was first built. I would highly recommend this if visiting the area.

The hotel is off the beaten path but close to public transportation and has free parking. The rooms…read moreare clean and comfy, the owner and staff are happy and helpful and the restaurant/bar provided a great reason to stay put. Awesome food, creative indoor and outdoor spaces... and did I mention it was really affordable? After spending most of my nights in Albergues it was a great treat for just a little more, having seen how much rooms in town were, I am glad I found this place!

This isn't a review of the hotel but of the restaurant. We arrived in Hondaribbia just as…read moreeverything was closing for the afternoon. We were hungry and assumed that a hotel restaurant would have some food. The kitchen was closed but they did have some pinxtos on the bar so we had pinxtos and txchakoli. The bar tender was very nice and the restaurant was a pleasant place to sit.

We stopped at the Enbata Bat for a light dinner after an afternoon spent eating tapas/pintxos and…read morewe really enjoyed the tomato salad & hamburger we ordered. The food was good, the prices reasonable & the guys behind the bar were friendly & helpful.