About San Sebastian
San Sebastian is located in northern Spain and is less than 30 minutes from the French border. It is a resort town on the Bay of Biscay with two great beaches. Should you be a foodie, it has a few world-renowned restaurants. Within the Old Town area the cobblestone streets and architecture take you back in time.
Our train arrived in San Sebastian around 5 PM. After a 15-minute walk from the station, we arrived at our apartment on the eastern side of town. This is why I prefer backpacks for our travels; throw it on your back and go. Therefore, no need to drag a suitcase down cobblestone streets.
Room With a View
The apartment was on the 3rd floor overlooking an intersection and had a view of the ocean. We settled into the apartment and took a short break before heading out to see the town and to find something for dinner. Unfortunately, the view from the apartment was not exactly what I was expecting, but it was a view. The apartment was a nice size at about 1200 sq ft (110 sqm) and had 3 bedrooms.
It was about 7 PM before we left the apartment to see the town. Our first stop was the ocean since it was so close and it was in the direction of restaurants, etc. Since it was late May, there were not many tourists and the beaches were fairly empty. It was a quiet place to relax for 2 nights before heading south and east.
Night Life
Fast forward a couple of hours and we realized that we were in the bar and restaurant area. It was not such a quiet place after all. San Sebastian has quite a few students, so the crowd was much younger and more energetic than us geriatric folk. Luckily, most of the places closed around 11 PM or no later than 1 AM. We didn’t have any firm plans the next morning other than walking around town and relaxing, so going to bed early was not a requirement.
The next morning, I walked to the local bakery for some fresh bread and pastries for breakfast before starting our excursion around town. We headed out to see the west side of town (also the older part of town) around 9:30 or 10 AM. San Sebastian looks small on a map, however, it seemed like we walked for hours to get to the other side. Luckily, there is a nice covered walking area along the beach with beautiful views.
Who Doesn’t Like a Funicular?
We took the funicular to the top of the mountain to have a great view of the city. It is a beautiful city with a large beach area that is divided by a mountain between the east and west sections of town. In order to save time (and my old tired feet), we decided to take the bus back to the old town area and to find a place to have an early dinner to beat the crowds.
Last Night in San Sebastian
As it was our last night in San Sebastian, we decided to walk around town before returning to our apartment. Overall, it is a nice place to stop and relax on a train trip. There is some great architecture in the old town area, and beautiful beaches. I try to avoid the beaches, as the occasional “Save the Whale group” will try to roll me out to sea. Due to San Sebastian being a hot spot for tourists in the Summer months, I would probably avoid it late June through the end of August. We were there before the crowds arrived and were able to relax.
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