So after raving about Bilbao and how much we loved it, Spain has outdone itself with San Sebastian, about 2 hours along the coast. I could go on and on about the architecture and scenery but I’d bore myself as well as everyone else so instead, here’s a couple of photos to illustrate for me:

We were so lucky that the sun came out pretty much as soon as we arrived and only disappeared when we were on our way to the bus station to go to Madrid. It meant we could walk for miles in amazing sunshine, and sit outside in trendy but overpriced cafes. Bliss! We even managed to find a lovely hostel in the middle of the city for a not-exorbitant-price. We stayed at ‘A Room in the City’ and would highly recommend it. It’s basic but we got our own room (complete with awesome bunkbeds) and shared bathroom (surprisngly really really nice) for 30 a night. Impressive when you consider average hotels start at 45 a night. Menu del dia in restaurants came with a bottle of wine- RESULT for backpackers everywhere!

The city is separated into different parts and our favourite (and judging by the crowds, everyone else too) was the old town. Lovely little streets lined with pintxos bars and cute shops, cafes selling calorific looking cakes and great coffee. It was quite easy to get lost in it and we found ourselves wandering for ages. There’s a great coastal walk around the edge of the city too- you can easily walk from one beach to the next in 30 mins.

SS also has some incredible beaches within a few minutes of the hustle and bustle of town. The above photo was taken just 10 minutes from our hostel and was so lovely. It was super hot and we tried our best to get back our bronzed glow from South America but I think we need a few more days!

Key ingredients for a perfect few days away:

1. Great hotels. Check
2. Fab food: Check
3. Culture: Check
4. Gorgeous beaches: Double check
5. Sun: Check check check

Do yourself a favour- make sure you visit San Sebastian.

We’ll be back!

Onwards to Madrid!