Buenas tardes familia y amigos,
Donostia as known in Basque or San Sebastian as know in Spanish, is still a darling some five years after first having made her acquaintance. As an urban beach destination, she still reigns supreme in my not so subtle opinion. Not only does Donostia offer excellent beaches but also a very walkable town with varied and interesting styles of architecture. She is also known as quite the foodie destination for those with that inclination. And it appears there is no shortage of shopping choices.
The Promenade
Looking upon Kontxa (or Concha) bay, the main beach of the same name extends from the old town on the right, all the way to Miramar park. From there, the family oriented beach of Ondarreta covers the last third of sand fronting the bay. Above the old town, is Mont Urgull with its fortress and prominent statue. On the other side of the bay is Monte Igueldo with its lighthouse and children’s amusement park. The former is a walk of roughly a couple of miles while the latter may be accessed via the funicular.
Situated between the two peaks at the entrance to the bay is the island of Santa Klara which is only accessible via boat. On the other side of the old town and across the mouth of the Urumea river is the surfer oriented beach of Zurriola. What is truly beautiful about all of this, is the promenade which extends from below Monte Igueldo around the entire bay through the marina (pictured above) and then extends around the base of Mont Urgull facing the open sea before finally crossing a bridge over the river to finish up below Mont Ulia which lies at the end of Zurriola beach.
The Marina
La Perla
And every evening, residents and visitors alike, take a stroll on a portion of this promenade to close out their day. As to the picture on the left, well that’s the gym I joined for the month of November. Yes, it looks out onto the beach and one can walk out from it onto the beach. It’s La Perla and besides the gym contains a spa plus a cafe and restaurant above on the promenade – see the photo gallery for the cafe and restaurant.
That’s it for now. As always, please feel free to share this link with anyone who expresses an interest. Please have a look at the gallery below for full-size versions of the photos above as well as additional photos of Donostia-San Sebastian. Feel free to leave a comment as they should now be re-enabled for entry below the photo gallery.
Hasta pronto,
Papi
Mike,
Absolutely gorgeous. You missed your calling as a travel journalist!
Cheers,
Christy
Thank you for the kind thoughts my friend – very much appreciated!
Awesome pics, Mike. Looks like a great place. Hope the rest of your travels are just as interesting & beautiful.
Thanks Bruce. Next long stop will be just as interesting but a different kind of beauty.