San Sebastian, Spain | International Travel Photography

The air was crisp, the temperature oscillating between a generous warmth in the sun and a slight chill in the shade. I was easily charmed by San Sebastian with its clear-green waters arranged in a U-shaped sound and its historic town nearby. We started walking from our airbnb apartment to the east of the sound and worked our way across the entire length of San Sebastian. Adding in our stroll back from Arzak the night before, we probably walked ten miles back and forth, all of it lovely.

Our first destination was Galparsoro Okindegia, a local bakery that supplies all the best local restaurants’ breads.

There was a big storm that knocked out a lot of the railings and stone work along the beach, but we were still able to climb down to the sand all along the shore.

I love all of the iron work around the city. The railing below is the symbol of San Sebastian.

We wanted to take a cable car up the side of the mountain at the western end of the city, but it was down for construction, so instead, we just walked to the end of the path where these open air statues are installed– El Peine del viento (combs of the winds) by Eduardo Chillida

That night, we went on a pintxos (Basque tapas) tour with our trusty local guide, Inma. Inma and Jesse were initially connected because they both frequent a particular restaurant in New York City, and Inma generously showed us around San Sebastian, and we hopped from bar to bar sampling all the different variations on pintxos.

The first stop, Bar Nestor, is known for their traditional Spanish omelet. and they make only one per day, so Inma called in advance to reserve us each a portion.

Next, we experienced a modern take on pintxos.

The smoked cod was absolutely amazing. The cod is served raw over a miniature grill. You let it cook for a few seconds over the charcoal, and then you eat it over the small herb chip, followed by drinking a delicious green sip from the straw.

Our third stop was at a more traditional pinxtos spot, where you just take whatever you want to eat and then let them know what you had afterwards at the register.

Inma & Jesse! And on the right below, a Basque eating club. I had just read about these as I was learning about Basque culture the night before. Traditionally, these eating clubs (txokos) are for men only, and they get together to cook, eat, and socialize. Only recently have some clubs started opening up to women as well.

They actually invited us inside (women too!) and we got a look inside the eating club.

And then our pintxos tour continued! Inma’s husband didn’t speak much English but still kept pace with Inma translating along the way.

Our last pintxos bar was completely packed, and we ended the night with an amazing cheesecake and a nice walk home.

San Sebastian at dusk.

I had a wonderful time in this small city, and we certainly ate to our hearts’ content. Between Arzak and all the pintxos, this truly kicked our gastronomic tour into high gear!

Visit San Sebastian, Spain

Stay

We stayed at Olga’s Beach House, booked through airbnb. The place is like an Ikea showroom and is centrally located in San Sebastian.

Eat

Arzak is a wonderfully creative take on traditional Basque cuisine. With its 3 Michelin Stars and its ranking as the 8th best restaurant in the world, be sure to book reservations early.
Stop by Galparsoro Okindegia SA, to pick up fresh baked goods. It’s a small bakery that supplies all of the area’s top restaurants.
Eat lots of pintxos! Options range from traditional to modern and experimental. Some of our favorites include Bar Zeruko, the modernist bar with the smoked cod, and Bar Nestor, a traditional spot known for its once-a-day traditional omelet.

Do/See

Walk around La Concha beach. It’s beautiful from one end to the other.
Visit the Combs of the Winds sculptures by Eduardo Chillida at the western end of the beach.
Take the tram up Monte Igueldo for amazing views and a visit to the old amusement park. Unfortunately, the tram was closed when we tried to go.

Anna Wu is a wedding and portrait photographer based in San Francisco but often jetsetting around the world. Follow her on facebook for more photography and travel adventures.

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