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.

One of two viewpoints that are a must while visiting San Sebastian, but be ready for Monte Urgull…read more Why be ready for Monte Urgull, easy it is a stiff hike for someone who either is not found, ready, or use to vertical hill climbing. The positive aspect is that you can take your time, so while it may be a long and strenuous hike, it can be accomplished by most with the right mindset. I took my time as I had a family member who was not "hill climbing" ready, but was very determined to see those beautiful views that were awaiting us at the top! The trail itself is laid out pretty well, but be aware there are several trails, some leading to lower beach/ocean views, and others leading to small park areas, and the other preferred ones leading to the top. Fast forward past all of the beautiful scenery to top of Monte Urgull and you are greeted with various views, all stunning of course, but you can go to the "very top". This max vertical accession requires going through their free museum which is a nice touch especially on a hot day as some of the exhibit rooms are air conditioned! The very top obviously is where you will catch the iconic panoramic shots that most will see online when researching the city. On one last note, the opposite side of the mountain is the other view point, which is paved and regular bus routes consistently run throughout the day. It really leaves you with two choices, but many prefer the hike.

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.

Protecting the narrow streets of Old Town (Parte Vieja) is the solid bulk of Monte Urgull, which…read morealso shelters the small harbour area. This is where San Sebastian was born about 1000 years ago. Because the Town burned down in 1813 (as Spain, Portugal, and England fought the French to get Napoleon's brother off the Spanish Throne), the architecture is generally Neoclassical and uniform. Still, this dense street grid hides heavy Baroque and Gothic Churches, surprise plazas, delicious pastry shops, lots of Pintxos (Tapas) bars, various Basque cultural items, and interesting places to shop. Gayle and I particularly enjoyed seeing the Basilica of Santa María as it faces the Iglesia de Buen Pastor (in New Town) across the Calle Mayor. We also walked along the water on both the Puerto Pequero and Kursaal Bridge sides, and with a nice hike up Monte Urgull in between. The Camino de Santiago (Northern Route) also follows Av. Zurriola (and towards La Concha Beach), and adjacent park was a nice place to hang out and watch this part of the World go by. Our other activities included a wonderful Tapas Lunch, a not as impressive dinner, relaxing at La Bretxa Plaza over a drink, marveling at Constitución Square and the nearby Town Hall and Kursaal Conference Center buildings, venturing into Calle Juan de Bilbao for a short lesson in Basque politics, enjoying the outlying areas of El Muelle, Monte Urgull, and Gros, and doing a lot of walking, including trying to get lost. It's all compact and doable in a reasonable amount of time.

San Sebastian is one of the most beautiful places I've ever set my eyes on. It is even better to…read morewalk around and eat in. It is a destination for for those who love food as the Pintxos to Michelin star eateries are abundant. The architecture a mix of Basque, Spanish, full of one of the most enthusiastic eating societies ever. Going from bar to bar hunting down Pintxos in the old town is a great way to experience the culinary offerings that are hidden through the many nooks and alleys. The Basque culture one of the most unique I've ever experience and the breadth of it can be had here in the Parte VIeja

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.

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!!!

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.

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.

My family and I had been in Spain for a full week and had become Tapa'd-out. Looking for an…read morealternative for dinner lead us to La Raviolina. I saw it was located on the busiest street of Old Town in San Sebastián and figured it was a good pick. The waitress was very friendly and immediately got our Tinto Sangria and made it at our table (best Sangria I had in Spain). We ordered a Cesar Salad to share and it was also top notch. I ordered a pizza with mozerella, baked ham, mushroom, artichoke and peppers. We ordered a 2nd one to go because it was so good! We were all so pleased with the food and service that we went back the next night and chose the pasta route for dinner. Might have been even better than the pizza! We had both the meat and mushroom ravioli (best dishes that night!) as well as the pesto pasta. House-made Gelato served in glasses at the end topped off the meal nicely.

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.