Well we’ve been in San Sebastian for some much needed R & R and I have to say that all the reports I’ve heard are true — it’s a beautiful city!
One of the first things we did was book a table at one of San Sebastian’s numerous Michelin-starred restaurants. The restaurant
we chose was Mugaritz, it’s one the three-star restaurants in the area. Mugaritz’s modus operandi is to serve many small dishes (I think we had 24!). Essentially it’s a degustation menu with some intriguingly named plates such as — Salting of ashes: orchids and ferns and A thousand leaves… It changes all the time and is largely based on what’s seasonal and what’s on offer in the local markets. The experience was…interesting and most of the food was very enjoyable and it’s something that we can cross off the
list. However, if you do make reservations for such a restaurant I recommend that you read the cancellation policy carefully (some of them charge a hefty cancellation fee).
When we first arrived in San Sebastian the weather was quite arctic! Everyone was wandering around in winter woollies and there was a fierce wind blowing. A couple of days later however, the sun was shining and the temperature had warmed up considerably — yippee, swimming weather! The beach was beautiful — soft, white sand and loads of beach chairs with awnings to rent. The sun was out and I couldn’t wait to get into the water, when I ventured in however, my breath stopped and I flapped my arms around like an untrained seal and squealed — it was freezing! I don’t know if it’s the Australian in me, or if I’m just a non-handling princess, but it took me some minutes to get used to the water temperature! My husband assured me that it wasn’t that much cooler than what we’re used to but I suspect he was humouring me to get me in! Once immersed though, it was truly lovely and the water is beautifully clear and clean.
It’s a fabulous place to walk around and the old section is great for tapas. Also, you must visit the bull-fighting plaza in the old town. The surrounding apartments used to be private viewing boxes, their old numbers are still displayed above the doors.
The lookout offers picturesque views across the beach and the city and makes for a good energetic walk, as does the foreshore at sunset.
I totally recommend it but pack for some varying temperatures and wet weather. Also, there’s a great bike track that runs along the foreshore, so keep that in mind.
