SPAIN 2026
San Sebastián / Donastia
After the failure at Gaztelugatxe, it was nice to arrive in San Sebastian. Today was a day of contrasts... a historic palace in Santander, a modern Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, a park reservation system that sucks (Gaztelugatxeko Doniene), and a very popular city in San Sebastián/Donastia. But it didn’t rain!
San Sebastián or Donostia, is a city that lies on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, 20 km (12 miles) from the France–Spain border.
Our place in San Sebastián was similar to the place we stayed in Santander, a multi-level boutique hotel called Hotel Bidaďa. Located in a quiet district, and again, an easy walk into town and the beach area.
The City Hall is an impressive building, it was built in 1887 as a Casino. However, it was closed as a casino after the ban on gambling in 1924, eventually it became the City Hall in 1945.
When we walked into the "Parte Vieja" (Old Town), we realized it should be called Party Vieja. It is packed, and there is people drinking everywhere, inside bars, outside bars, walking down the narrow streets, sitting on the sidewalks and stairs.
The Basilica of Saint Mary of Coro (Basque: Koruko Andre Mariaren basilika, Spanish: Basílica de Nuestra Seńora del Coro) is a baroque Roman Catholic parish church that was completed in 1774. It is located in the center of "Parte Vieja".
The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd (Basque: Artzain Onaren katedrala, Spanish: Catedral del Buen Pastor de San Sebastián) was completed in 1897 in a Neo-Gothic style. Unfortunately, it was closed when we arrived.
Sometimes you see the weirdest cars in Europe
Another beautiful night to watch the sunset.
The Miramar Jauregia (Palace) is a late 19th-century palace located on the La Concha Bay, It was built in 1893 commissioned by the Spanish royal family
Getting pretty hungry, we stopped at Biarritz Jatetxea for dinner. My opinion of Spanish Paella was completely restored after this meal, and Norine's Tomato Salad with Smoked Salmon, prawns, dressed potato and asparagus tips was excellent.
Fed and watered (well, not water), we grabbed the local bus, tapped our cards, and got dropped right by our hotel. Later we would discover we were charged 20 cents for this trip. A very nice ending to the day to make up for the earlier issues.
Sunday
After enjoying our hotel provided breakfast, we decided to take a little day trip to the historical town of Pamplona.
Pamplona
Pamplona is famous worldwide for the running of the bulls during the San Fermín festival, which is held annually from July 6th to July 14th. Our first stop after finding parking was the famous Plaza de Toros, which just translates to "bullring". designed in 1920 in the Second Expansion of Pamplona to host bullfights . It is a first-class bullring, with a capacity of approximately 19,720 spectators, making it the fourth largest in the world by capacity. It is world-renowned for the Running of the Bulls and is also currently used for concerts and other performances.
The running of the bulls involves hundreds of people running in front of six bulls and another six steers down an 825-metre (2,707-foot) stretch of narrow streets of a section of Pamplona. The run ends in Pamplona's bullring. The San Fermin Festival runs for a week, and each day of the festival a different sub-breed of bull appears.Before we enter the ring, we are shown a video montage describing the event.
When the video montage is complete, dramatically the doors open to the bullring. The ring is huge, the ground is covered in sand, surrounded by little walls and cement barriers to hide behind.
Scattered through the outer areas of the building are the pens and holding areas, complete with viewports and images so you can imagine what it would look like as they prepare for events.
From the Plaza de Toros, we wandered the town, to see the streets where the bulls and crazy people that participate actually run.
Pamplona Cathedral or Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption is a gothic church built during the 15th century replacing an older Romanesque one. Archaeological excavations have revealed the existence of another two earlier churches.
The church of San Saturnino, is a Catholic religious building in the Old Town which must have been built between 1180 and 1200.
The old town contains all kinds of historic buildings, including the Palacio de Ezpeleta which now houses the School of Educators and the Official Distance Learning Language School.
A short walk from Parque infantil del Parque de la Taconera is the Citadel of Pamplona, a Renaissance-era military bastion star-shaped fort constructed between the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1964, the Citadel of Pamplona ceased to be used for military purposes, and a large part of the fort remains intact and is currently incorporated into a public park
We stopped at a little place called Butchers for some delicious Smashed Burgers, then slowly made our way back through the town to the parking.
One of our last stops is this running of the bulls statue called the Monumento al Encierro (Bull Run Monument). This massive, life-size bronze installation features 6 bulls, 3 steers and 10 runners, it really captures the intensity of the San Merin festival. The names of the 15 people who have died since 1920 during the running of the bulls are listed on the side. One of the fallen runners is a likeness of the statues artist, Rafael Huerta, who completed the piece in 2007.
A very cool road trip to the infamous town of Pamplona… we didn’t run with the bulls, but we saw where it all happens. Then it was back to San Sebastián for some amazing views over the city.
We made a stop at Monte Igueldo, located on the edge of La Concha Bay, this hill offers breathtaking panoramic views of the city and the sea. It has a historic amusement park, and a 1912 funicular that provides a unique way to reach the top.
A short walk from us was a japanese Sushi-Tepanyaki place, we thought we would try. Turns out it is another one of these all-you-can-eat buffet places, but we just ordered a few a-la-carte items and enjoyed a meal under the cherry blossoms.
The next morning we would pack up and head South, past Pamplona, and into Zaragoza.