April 14th, 2022

San Sebastian is a beautiful little city in a quiet sandy bay in the north of Spain. The promenade extends all the way around the bay and along the crescent shaped beach from one headland to the other. There are actually two beaches along the bay, the Ondarreta Beach and La Concha Beach which are separated by the Palacio de Miramar which was the Royal Summer House built by Maria Christiana of Austria, the widowed consort of Alfonso XII of Spain, and the Queen regent until the coming of age of her son (creatively named Alfonso XIII). The Palacio de Miramar is now owned by the city council and the palace grounds are open to the public and offer splendid views of the bay.

From the palace, we walked along the promenade to the old city at the base of Mount Urgull. This old portion of the city is wonderful to stroll around, with musicians playing in the streets, numerous cafes, and a large square in front of city hall with manicured flowers and palm trees.

There is also the very impressive Basilica of St. Mary of Coro which was completed in 1774 and is a baroque Roman Catholic parish. The façade of the church is a work of art.

Beyond and behind the church is the base of Mount Urgull (really more of a large hill) and the paths and stairs which lead to Mota Castle at the top. Mota Castle was built in the 12th Century to protect the city and the fortifications have seen several major battles. Probably the most memorable is the Siege of San Sebastian. Napoleonic forces had captured the city in 1808 and, in 1813, British and Portuguese forces attacked the city. The battle was hard fought with heavy casualties so the British and Portuguese ransacked the city after their victory, burning it to the ground. Only one street remained which is now called 31 August Street after the day the city fell in 1813.

Today, Mota Castle offers a fantastic viewpoint and there is a very interesting history museum located within the old castle that tells of the city’s history and industry from whaling, ship building, and soap making to cocoa trading. The statue of Christ at the very top is also beautiful and a striking silhouette in the evening.

After our hike up Mount Urgull, we decided to stop into one of the cafes in the old town for some tapas which we had heard were very good in this area. We went to Casa Vergara which is just in front of the Basilica. The tapas were all laid out behind the bar and it was nice to relax with a glass of sangria and sample the various flavors.

Once we had our fill, we strolled back along the promenade to finish off the evening with a walk on La Concha beach.

We definitely enjoyed our short time in San Sebastian and were impressed by the clear turquoise waters and the fascinating history of the town.