There's new Lonely Planet books that I have co-authored falling out of the sky this week - France, Spain, Discover Spain, best trips France and Indonesia all out now! Buy them at http://shop.lonelyplanet.com/
Showing posts with label Spain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spain. Show all posts
Friday, 3 May 2013
Saturday, 27 April 2013
Travellers Guide: Coastal Catalonia
The following is a feature I wrote for the Independent newspaper in the UK. It appeared in print on April 27th 2013 as part of a series on Spain. The online version is available here: http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/travellers-guide-coastal-catalonia-8589543.html
Or you can read the same below.
Travellers Guide: Coastal Catalonia
For many tourists, Barcelona is the be-all and end-all of Catalonia, but venture beyond the city limits and out spreads a coastline of such diversity that you could spend weeks dissecting it. As well as being varied, this corner of the Iberian peninsula also offers something culturally very different from the rest of the Spanish Mediterranean. In fact, many Catalans will insist that they're not really Spaniards at all. For a visitor, the most obvious manifestation of this is the use of Catalan as a day-to-day language (although everybody will speak to you in Castilian Spanish – or even English in the tourist towns), and the abundant fluttering of Catalan flags.
Or you can read the same below.
Travellers Guide: Coastal Catalonia
For many tourists, Barcelona is the be-all and end-all of Catalonia, but venture beyond the city limits and out spreads a coastline of such diversity that you could spend weeks dissecting it. As well as being varied, this corner of the Iberian peninsula also offers something culturally very different from the rest of the Spanish Mediterranean. In fact, many Catalans will insist that they're not really Spaniards at all. For a visitor, the most obvious manifestation of this is the use of Catalan as a day-to-day language (although everybody will speak to you in Castilian Spanish – or even English in the tourist towns), and the abundant fluttering of Catalan flags.
Political and cultural differences aside, after fleeing the
region's capital, the priority for most people is to lay a towel
down on a beach. Catalonia has around 580km of coastline, which
stretches from the rocky French frontier at Port Bou in the north
to the marshlands marking the frontier with the province of
Valencia.
Package tourism may have been born on the Costa Brava, to the north of Barcelona. But the "Wild Coast" is very different to the heavily visited Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol – and contains some of Spain's most exceptionally beautiful slips of sand.
One hundred kilometres north-east of Barcelona is the one-time fishing town of Tossa de Mar – which curves around a boat-speckled bay and is guarded by a headland crowned with impressive medieval walls – is today the most low-key and attractive of the bigger resorts. Come early or late in the season (May is a delight) and it can almost come across as undiscovered.
Further north, not far from the French border, is the sea-sprayed, white-washed town of Cadaqués. There's a special magic to Cadaqués – a fusion of wind, sea, light and rock that has long attracted the creative. Federico García Lorca, Paul Eluard and Gabriel García Márquez are some of those who have been inspired by the town. However, it was the painter, Salvador Dalí, who really put Cadaqués on the holiday wish list of the chic set. He once described L'Hostal, a Cadaqués bar that's still going strong, as the "lugar más bonito del mundo" (the most beautiful place on Earth) .
Although man created a work of art when he built Cadaqués, nature has done an even better job with the nearby Cap de Creus. This easternmost point of the Spanish mainland is a place of sublime, rugged beauty, battered by the merciless Tramuntana wind. The odd-shaped rocks, barren plateaux and deserted shorelines that feature in so many of Dalí's paintings were not just a product of his fertile imagination. This is the landscape the artist would draw inspiration from, described by him as a "grandiose geological delirium".
Sitting roughly halfway between Tossa de Mar and Cadaqués are the small towns of Palafrugell and Begur. In between these, lie dozens of pocket-sized coves hemmed in by pine trees and lapped by azure waters. Even the names of some of these beaches – Aigua Blava, Fornells, Sa Tuna and Aiguafreda – sound exotic. And the best thing is that on account of their small size and difficult access, many remain largely undeveloped, hosting no more than one or two upmarket, boutique-style hotels.
South of Barcelona, the coast is very different to the Costa Brava. This is a region of apparently endless flat, sandy beaches and, beyond the history-soaked streets of Tarragona, there are few coastal places of interest. Until that is the Ebro, one of the great waterways of Spain, mutates from stately river to become the flamingo-tinted Ebro Delta; a confused web of channels, lagoons and dune-backed beaches reaching down to Catalonia's southern border and forming northern Spain's most important wetland bird habitat.
Cities by the sea
There is more urban fun to be had outside Barcelona. Just 35km south, Sitges is an old fishing village that's now a beach resort and a favourite with locals since the late 19th century. It was also central to the Modernist movement that paved the way for Picasso. It now attracts shoppers, clubbers, honeymooners, weekending families and, in July and August, Sitges turns into one big beach party with nightlife to rival Ibiza as well as a renowned Carnaval bacchanalian (February-March).
The sunny port city of Tarragona is a fascinating mix of beach life, Roman history and medieval alleyways. Its top attraction is its sea-facing amphitheatre and other Roman sites ( museutgn.com; admission €3.25 per site/ €10.85 all sites), but the town's medieval heart is also one of the most beautifully designed in Spain.
Gourmet hot spots
Catalonia has something for all tastes, from simple beachside shacks serving seafood to esteemed temples of gastronomy. El Bulli, with three Michelin stars and a record five "Best Restaurant in the World" titles, has closed. But others were quick to move in. One of the best is El Celler de Can Roca in Girona (00 34 972 22 21 57; cellercanroca.com; tasting menus from €130), pictured. Its style is playful – try a "dry gambini", with a prawn serving the olive role in a dry Martini.
In Tossa de Mar, La Cuina de Can Simón (00 34 972 34 12 69; Carrer del Portal 24; tasting menus €68 to €98) has the most imaginative dishes in town (try pig trotters and sea cucumber).
In the Ebro Delta, Mas Prades (00 34 977 05 90 84; menus €30) is where gourmets from Barcelona go for superb delta cuisine such as mussels and baby squid or rice with wild duck.
Dally with Dalí
Salvador Dalí was a boy of the Catalan coast, born in Figueres in 1904. His art defined a movement and his presence still echoes throughout the coast. The Teatre-Museu Dalí (00 34 972 677 500; salvador-dali.org; entry €12), pictured, in his home town, was created by the artist with the goal of allowing everyone to experience his "desires, enigmas, obsessions and passions".
In his youth, Dalí holidayed in Cadaqués, not far from Figueres, and later set up home in the village of Port Ligat. His house, now the Casa Museu Dalí (00 34 972 25 10 15; salvador-dali.org; €11), is open to visitors by reservation only.
Towards the end of their lives Dalí and his wife Gala moved to the Castell de Púbol (00 34 972 488 655; salvador-dali.org; €8), not far from Girona, where Gala now lies in a crypt surrounded by stone elephants with giraffes' legs and other oddities.
What lies beneath
The Costa Brava has some of the best diving in the western Med. The focus is on the Illes Medes, a group of seven islets offshore from the town of L'Estartit. Some 1,300 species of plants and animals have been seen in the waters here, including conger eels, rays and groupers.
The tourist office has lists of scuba-diving operators – Costa Brava Divers (00 34 972 752 034; costa-brava-divers.com) is one option; two-hour trips from €35pp.
Where to stay
There are fabulous places to stay all along the Catalan coast. The Hostal Sa Rascassa (00 34 972 622 845; hostalsarascassa.com; doubles from €135, B&B), pictured, overlooking the rocky cove of Aiguafreda, has a handful of delightful rooms and a sense of utter tranquillity.
The Hotel Cap d'Or (00 34 972 34 00 81; hotelcapdor.com; doubles from €103, B&B), which rubs up against the Old Town walls of Tossa de Mar, is a classic Spanish guesthouse with simple but lovingly decorated rooms.
The Hotel Mediterrani (00 34 972 61 45 00; hotelmediterrani.com; doubles from €130, B&B) has swish, arty rooms decked out in placid creams – some with breathtaking views of a sliver of sand on the edge of Calella de Palafrugell, one of the nicest beach towns on the Costa Brava.
The website rusticae.es lists more, properties with character along the coast.
Getting there and getting around
Barcelona is the main flight hub for the region, served from the UK by easyJet (0843 104 5000; easyjet.com), Ryanair (0871 246 0000; ryanair.com), BA (0844 493 0787; ba.com), Monarch (0871 940 5040; monarch.co.uk), Jet2 (0871 226 1737; jet2.com) and Vueling (0906 754 7541; vueling.com). Ryanair also flies from eight UK airports to the city of Girona, close to the beaches of the Costa Brava.
Package holidays are available from a range of UK airports with Thomson (0871 231 4691; thomson.co.uk) and Thomas Cook ( thomascook.com). Specialist operators include Keycamp (0844 334 8253; keycamp.co.uk) for camping; Solmar Villas (0845 508 7775; www.solmarvillas.com) and James Villas (0800 074 0122; jamesvillas.co.uk) for rentals.
Getting around is a breeze; excellent trains run close to the coast all the way from the French border to south of Tarragona, with reliable and cheap bus services filling in the gaps.
For more information go to: www.costadaurada.info, en.costabrava.org and catalunya.com.
Package tourism may have been born on the Costa Brava, to the north of Barcelona. But the "Wild Coast" is very different to the heavily visited Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol – and contains some of Spain's most exceptionally beautiful slips of sand.
One hundred kilometres north-east of Barcelona is the one-time fishing town of Tossa de Mar – which curves around a boat-speckled bay and is guarded by a headland crowned with impressive medieval walls – is today the most low-key and attractive of the bigger resorts. Come early or late in the season (May is a delight) and it can almost come across as undiscovered.
Further north, not far from the French border, is the sea-sprayed, white-washed town of Cadaqués. There's a special magic to Cadaqués – a fusion of wind, sea, light and rock that has long attracted the creative. Federico García Lorca, Paul Eluard and Gabriel García Márquez are some of those who have been inspired by the town. However, it was the painter, Salvador Dalí, who really put Cadaqués on the holiday wish list of the chic set. He once described L'Hostal, a Cadaqués bar that's still going strong, as the "lugar más bonito del mundo" (the most beautiful place on Earth) .
Although man created a work of art when he built Cadaqués, nature has done an even better job with the nearby Cap de Creus. This easternmost point of the Spanish mainland is a place of sublime, rugged beauty, battered by the merciless Tramuntana wind. The odd-shaped rocks, barren plateaux and deserted shorelines that feature in so many of Dalí's paintings were not just a product of his fertile imagination. This is the landscape the artist would draw inspiration from, described by him as a "grandiose geological delirium".
Sitting roughly halfway between Tossa de Mar and Cadaqués are the small towns of Palafrugell and Begur. In between these, lie dozens of pocket-sized coves hemmed in by pine trees and lapped by azure waters. Even the names of some of these beaches – Aigua Blava, Fornells, Sa Tuna and Aiguafreda – sound exotic. And the best thing is that on account of their small size and difficult access, many remain largely undeveloped, hosting no more than one or two upmarket, boutique-style hotels.
South of Barcelona, the coast is very different to the Costa Brava. This is a region of apparently endless flat, sandy beaches and, beyond the history-soaked streets of Tarragona, there are few coastal places of interest. Until that is the Ebro, one of the great waterways of Spain, mutates from stately river to become the flamingo-tinted Ebro Delta; a confused web of channels, lagoons and dune-backed beaches reaching down to Catalonia's southern border and forming northern Spain's most important wetland bird habitat.
Cities by the sea
There is more urban fun to be had outside Barcelona. Just 35km south, Sitges is an old fishing village that's now a beach resort and a favourite with locals since the late 19th century. It was also central to the Modernist movement that paved the way for Picasso. It now attracts shoppers, clubbers, honeymooners, weekending families and, in July and August, Sitges turns into one big beach party with nightlife to rival Ibiza as well as a renowned Carnaval bacchanalian (February-March).
The sunny port city of Tarragona is a fascinating mix of beach life, Roman history and medieval alleyways. Its top attraction is its sea-facing amphitheatre and other Roman sites ( museutgn.com; admission €3.25 per site/ €10.85 all sites), but the town's medieval heart is also one of the most beautifully designed in Spain.
Gourmet hot spots
Catalonia has something for all tastes, from simple beachside shacks serving seafood to esteemed temples of gastronomy. El Bulli, with three Michelin stars and a record five "Best Restaurant in the World" titles, has closed. But others were quick to move in. One of the best is El Celler de Can Roca in Girona (00 34 972 22 21 57; cellercanroca.com; tasting menus from €130), pictured. Its style is playful – try a "dry gambini", with a prawn serving the olive role in a dry Martini.
In Tossa de Mar, La Cuina de Can Simón (00 34 972 34 12 69; Carrer del Portal 24; tasting menus €68 to €98) has the most imaginative dishes in town (try pig trotters and sea cucumber).
In the Ebro Delta, Mas Prades (00 34 977 05 90 84; menus €30) is where gourmets from Barcelona go for superb delta cuisine such as mussels and baby squid or rice with wild duck.
Dally with Dalí
Salvador Dalí was a boy of the Catalan coast, born in Figueres in 1904. His art defined a movement and his presence still echoes throughout the coast. The Teatre-Museu Dalí (00 34 972 677 500; salvador-dali.org; entry €12), pictured, in his home town, was created by the artist with the goal of allowing everyone to experience his "desires, enigmas, obsessions and passions".
In his youth, Dalí holidayed in Cadaqués, not far from Figueres, and later set up home in the village of Port Ligat. His house, now the Casa Museu Dalí (00 34 972 25 10 15; salvador-dali.org; €11), is open to visitors by reservation only.
Towards the end of their lives Dalí and his wife Gala moved to the Castell de Púbol (00 34 972 488 655; salvador-dali.org; €8), not far from Girona, where Gala now lies in a crypt surrounded by stone elephants with giraffes' legs and other oddities.
What lies beneath
The Costa Brava has some of the best diving in the western Med. The focus is on the Illes Medes, a group of seven islets offshore from the town of L'Estartit. Some 1,300 species of plants and animals have been seen in the waters here, including conger eels, rays and groupers.
The tourist office has lists of scuba-diving operators – Costa Brava Divers (00 34 972 752 034; costa-brava-divers.com) is one option; two-hour trips from €35pp.
Where to stay
There are fabulous places to stay all along the Catalan coast. The Hostal Sa Rascassa (00 34 972 622 845; hostalsarascassa.com; doubles from €135, B&B), pictured, overlooking the rocky cove of Aiguafreda, has a handful of delightful rooms and a sense of utter tranquillity.
The Hotel Cap d'Or (00 34 972 34 00 81; hotelcapdor.com; doubles from €103, B&B), which rubs up against the Old Town walls of Tossa de Mar, is a classic Spanish guesthouse with simple but lovingly decorated rooms.
The Hotel Mediterrani (00 34 972 61 45 00; hotelmediterrani.com; doubles from €130, B&B) has swish, arty rooms decked out in placid creams – some with breathtaking views of a sliver of sand on the edge of Calella de Palafrugell, one of the nicest beach towns on the Costa Brava.
The website rusticae.es lists more, properties with character along the coast.
Getting there and getting around
Barcelona is the main flight hub for the region, served from the UK by easyJet (0843 104 5000; easyjet.com), Ryanair (0871 246 0000; ryanair.com), BA (0844 493 0787; ba.com), Monarch (0871 940 5040; monarch.co.uk), Jet2 (0871 226 1737; jet2.com) and Vueling (0906 754 7541; vueling.com). Ryanair also flies from eight UK airports to the city of Girona, close to the beaches of the Costa Brava.
Package holidays are available from a range of UK airports with Thomson (0871 231 4691; thomson.co.uk) and Thomas Cook ( thomascook.com). Specialist operators include Keycamp (0844 334 8253; keycamp.co.uk) for camping; Solmar Villas (0845 508 7775; www.solmarvillas.com) and James Villas (0800 074 0122; jamesvillas.co.uk) for rentals.
Getting around is a breeze; excellent trains run close to the coast all the way from the French border to south of Tarragona, with reliable and cheap bus services filling in the gaps.
For more information go to: www.costadaurada.info, en.costabrava.org and catalunya.com.
Thursday, 7 July 2011
Mini Guide to La Rioja, Spain
Photo: Monasterio de Yuso by S.Butler
BBC Travel are currently featuring a min travel guide to the La Rioja region of Spain. The edited down feature comes from the original text I wrote for the Lonely Planet Spain guidebook. Here is a link to the feature - http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20110616-mini-guide-to-la-rioja-spain/1
And here is the article in full.
Mini guide to La Rioja, Spain
Photo: Architect Santiago Calatrava’s winery, Bodega Ysios, shimmers in the Spanish sun. (BBC)
The tiny province of La Rioja is distinguished by its ochre-coloured earth and bright blue skies, and by its famous wine (the official wine region also includes small parts of the neighbouring Basque Country and Navarre).
Vineyards line the banks of the Río Ebro, while hilltop towns such as Haro and Logroño straddle the famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail.See
The hamlet of San Millán, situated in a deep green valley, is the location of two Unesco-listed monasteries. The most extravagant is the Monasterio de Yuso. To visit, you’ll need to take a guided tour (monasteriodeyuso.org; 10am-1.30pm and 4pm- 6.30pm Tue-Sun Easter-Oct; £4.40).
Santo Domingo de la Calzada is small town Spain at its best. A large number of inhabitants still live in the partially walled old quarter, a labyrinth of medieval streets where the past is alive and the sense of community strong. Santiago-bound pilgrims still make up the majority of visitors.
The small village of Briones offers commanding views over the surrounding vineyards. Here you’ll find the space-age wine museum Dinastía Vivanco, which explores the history of viticulture over several floors (dinastiavivanco. com; 10am-6pm Tue-Thur and Sun, Fri-Sat 10am-8pm; £6.50).
Bodega Ysios is La Rioja’s answer to the Bilbao Guggenheim. The winery’s aluminium and cedar roof seems to match the flow of the mountains that frame it. Tours are by appointment (ysios.com; Camino de la Hoya s/n, Laguardia; 11am-4pm Mon-Fri, 11am and 1pm Sat and Sun; £5.30).
One hundred and twenty million years ago, the village of Enciso was at the heart of dinosaur territory. Spend a peaceful day searching the slopes for dinosaur footprints. Get a map from the Centro Paleontológico de Enciso (dinosaurios-larioja.org; £2.50).
Eat and drink
Pintxo are the Basque version of tapas and La Taberna de Baco has a cracking list of around forty different plates. It also serves regional casseroles and salads (00 34 941 213544; Calle de San Agustín 10, Logroño; lunch and dinner; plates from £2).
At Bodega la Petra you have the chance to dine inside one of the cave houses (homes built in natural caves) burrowed into the gorges around Arnedillo and Enciso. The restaurant serves a selection of vegetarian dishes and their speciality, roasted cuts of meat (00 34 941 394023; Avenida de los Cidacos, Arnedillo; lunch and dinner; mains from £8).
Dine in the 17th-century vaulted cellars of Los Calaos de Briones. Aside from the atmospheric setting, the regional menu is exceptional and features locally produced hams and sausages (00 34 941 322131; loscalaosdebriones.com; Calle San Juan 13, Briones; lunch and dinner; mains from £10).
Haro’s best restaurant, Beethoven, is actually a group of three next to each other. All offer good regional food such as stuffed sole and wild pheasant (restaurantebeethoven.com; Calle de Santo Tomás 5; lunch and dinner Wed-Sun, lunch Mon; mains from £13).
Posada Mayor de Migueloa, in the former Viana Palace, offers twists on local cuisine such as venison with honey and grapefruit jus (00 34 945 621175; mayordemigueloa.com; Mayor de Migueloa 20, Laguardia; lunch and dinner; mains from £15).
Sleep
In the small village of Briñas is Casa de Legarda, a guesthouse that dates back to 1634. Areas for guests’ use are furnished with typical antiques but some rooms are contemporary and painted in bright colours such as cerise and turquoise (00 34 605 600646; casadelegarda.com; Calle Real 11, Briñas; from £35).
Casa Rural Legado de Ugarte mixes tradition with boutique styling. The townhouse has been renovated preserving its stone walls and beams. However rooms are eclectic and colourful, with candy-striped wallpapers and velvet wingback armchairs (00 34 945 600114; legadodeugarte.com; Calle Mayor 17, Laguardia; from £65).
From the driftwood art in the communal spaces to the lollipops and red pouffes in the rooms, a huge amount of thought has gone into the Hotel Marqués de Vallejo. It also has a prime location in the heart of Logroño’s historic quarter (00 34 941 248333; hotelmarquesdevallejo. com; Calle del Marqués de Vallejo 8, Logroño; from £85).
History hangs in the air at Los Agustinos, which was originally founded as a convent in 1373. Now the 62-room hotel offers Haro’s most luxurious accommodation in spacious rooms furnished with antiques and floral-print décor (00 34 941 311308; hotellosagustinos.com; San Augustín 2, Haro; from £115).
Occupying a former monastery in Santo Domingo de la Calzada, the Parador Santo Domingo Bernardo de Fresneda offers by far the best value among the region’s paradores – Spain’s luxurious state-owned hotels in historic buildings (00 34 941 341150; parador.es; Plaza de San Francisco 1; from £120).
When to go
Early summer is the ideal time to enjoy the warm weather and good hiking in the fertile valleys and dramatic mountains. Or plan your trip to coincide with the grape harvest in September and October.
Getting around
Regular trains connect Haro with Logroño (£11) and Logroño with Bilbao (£19; renfe.com); there is also a local bus network (autobusesjimenez.com). The best way to get around the region is to hire a car at Bilbao airport (from £20 per day; europcar.com).
How to go
Bilbao is the closest airport. International and budget carriers such as British Airways, Iberia and easyJet fly to Bilbao from London Stansted (from £75; easyjet.com) and Edinburgh (from £230; ba.com). A bus connects Bilbao airport with the city centre and car hire is available at the airport.
Monday, 27 June 2011
Europes 50 Best Beaches
Basil Fawlty; the man who made Torquay great.
The Independent newspaper in the UK recently asked me to be a panellist alongside Simon Calder (the Independents travel guru) and Emma Gregg (Rough Guide author to various African and European destinations - and here I'm going to deviate somewhat and recall how a couple of years ago Emma and I met by chance in a small port in the beautiful Cape Verde Islands. We were both working on guidebooks to the islands at the time and both needed to catch a ferry from one island to another the next day. The problem was the ferry was full and no tickets were available - unless that was you were willing to go dodgy, in which case a man in a cowboy hat could magically conjure up some fake, black market tickets. One of us was honest and didn't want to do the government out of some money. One of us wasn't honest but did sail away into the sunset on a ferry... I will leave you to guess who was the dishonest one!). Anyway, I digress. I was asked to be a panellist for the Independent for a feature about Europe’s 50 Best Beaches and beach resorts which came out a couple of days ago (25th June 2011). I should make clear that not all the places I nominated were included in the list. In fact my top two beach destinations; Moliets on the coast of Les Landes in southwest France and San Sebastian in the Spanish Basque country, didn't make the list (although Torquay in the UK did which just goes to show that you shouldn't believe everything you read!! Sorry, only joking Torquay; you're great really!).
Anyway here is a link to the online version of the feature and when my brain gets big enough to work out how to do it I'll post up the pdfs of the complete feature. http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/the-50-best-european-beach-breaks-2301463.html
Saturday, 18 June 2011
Spanish Basque Country Travel Guide for Independent Newspaper
If you're in the UK then get hold of a copy of todays (18/6/11) Independent newspaper which contains a major feature/supplement on the Spanish Basque country which was co-written by me. For those not in the UK my original text is below (note that the final printed version may differ). If you want to read about Bilbao, Vitoria and inland areas then you'll need to get the paper which contains the other writers features although i shall try and scan a copy up here when I can.
Decathlon: San Sebastián
(1) Sample the sands
The glorious coastal city of San Sebastian is both glamorous and supremely playful – and its beaches are the envy of coastal cities across Europe . There are three to choose from. Playa de Gros (Playa de la Zurriola) in the east is the most popular with locals and its exposure to Atlantic swells also makes it a great surfers’ hangout. But it’s Playa de la Concha, and its western extension Playa de Ondarreta, that is the real heartbeat of San Sebastián Europe and throughout the long summer months a youthful party atmosphere prevails. From June to September you can take a five minute boat ride (or you can swim!) out to the rocky islet of Santa Clara
(2) Get a flavour of the old town
San Sebastián’s old town, which is centred on both the 16th Century Gothic Iglesia de San Vicente (church of San Vicente) and the Plaza de la Constitución which once doubled up as a bullring, is rumoured to contain more bars per square metre than anywhere else on Earth and in almost every single one of these the bar top is overflowing with tiny pintxo (the Basque name for tapas). There are also plenty of small, independent boutiques and quirky back street shops to delve into. With its funky and funny designs Kukuxumusu (www.kukuxumusu.com; tel-00 34 943 421184; Calle Major 15) is probably the best known local clothes designer.
(3) Fish for compliments
Drop by the city’s superb aquarium (www.aquariumss.com; tel-00 34 943 440099; adult/child €12/6) just beside the harbour and get to know the fishy denizens of the deep in a little more depth. Highlights are the vast open ocean pool with its sharks, rays and turtles, the tropical reef exhibits and the collection of slippery, flippery things hailing from the Bay of BiscaySan Sebastián
(4) Aim high
For great views of the city, take a walk to the summit of Monte Urgull and the statue of Christ which overlooks the old town. However, for an even more spectacular viewpoint head to Monte Igueldo (www.monteigueldo.es; admission €1.80, rides extra) at the far western end of Playa de la Concha and Ondarreta. From the base of the hill you can ride the funicular railway (adult/child €2.60/1.90) up to the summit where you’ll be greeted not just by a breathtaking view over the entire San Sebastián
(5) Tour for some top tastes
The chefs of San Sebastián
Penetrating the complex culture behind San Sebastián pintxos is no easy task, but Jon Warren is one of the few foreigners to really know his stuff and his company, San Sebastián Food (www.sansebastianfood.com; 00 34 634 759503), offers highly regarded guided tours of the city’s finest pintxo bars (Guided tour €85 per person) as well as a range of cookery courses (Cooking course €145 per person).
(6) Get surfing
Playa de Gros, with its (comparatively) mellow waves is one of the better beaches in the region on which to learn how to surf. The surf lessons organised by the Pukas Surf Shop (www.pukassurf.com; from €53 for 3 hours) will have you hanging ten in no time. If you already know how to surf you’ll find the eastern end of the beach, which gathers the most swell and tends to have the best quality waves, the most rewarding part of the beach.
(7) Kursaal
Overlooking Playa de Gros, the double cube shaped Kursaal (www.kursaal.org; 00 34 943 00 30 00; Avenida de Zurriola 1) is easily the most eye-catching building in San Sebastián
(8) Take a walk on the wild side
The three-hour hike along the coastal cliffs between San Sebastián San Juan
(9) Museo Naval
With a maritime past awash in tales of pirates, whales and far flung expeditions (some say the Basques were quietly slipping off to the cod fishing grounds off America long before Columbus even knew what a compass was) it’s natural for San Sebastián to be home to an excellent naval museum (http://um.gipuzkoakultura.net; tel-00 34 943 430051; Calle Muelle 24; adult/child €1.20/free). Sadly signage is mostly in Spanish or Basque.
(10) Dine out in style
Where to Stay
Pensión Amaiur Ostatua (www.pensionamaiur.com; 00 34 943 429654; Calle de 31 de Agosto 44; doubles from €50 Breakfast not included) This budget hotel in the old town, with its crazy mix of decoration styles, stands head and shoulders above the rest. The best rooms have miniature flower bedecked balconies overlooking the street.
Pensión Bellas Artes (www.pension-bellasartes.com; 00 34 943 474905; Calle de Urbieta 64; double from €99 Breakfast not included) With its spacious rooms (some with glassed-in balconies), exposed stone walls and excellent bathrooms this is easily one of the best value hotels in town. It’s also the friendliest and the staff take genuine delight in helping their guests explore the city.
Hotel María Cristina (www.starwoodhotels.com; 00 34 943 437600; Paseo de la República Argentina 4; double from €275 with breakfast) When the glitzy and glamorous hit town for San Sebastián’s film festival (www.sansebastianfestival.com) in September this decadent hotel is where they will stay.
More information: The city’s helpful tourist office (www.sansebastianturismo.com; tel-00 33 943 481166; Boulevard 8) is open Mon-Thu 9am-1.30pm & 3.30-7pm, Fri-Sat 9am-7pm, Sun and holidays 10am-2pm. In July and August it’s open Mon-Sat 9am-8pm & 10am-7pm Sun and holidays.
Park and Hike
Santuario de Arantzazu
The hills of the central Basque country make for impressive hiking country, and Oñati, roughly equidistant from both Bilbao and San Sebastián San Juan
Parque Natural de Gorbeia
Inland of Bilbao Bilbao take the N240 to the small village of Areatza
Parque Natural de Urkiola
Driving the A8 motorway between Bilbao and San Sebastián Durango and Vitoria
One of the more unusual walks in the region is the easy stroll in the Omo forest. Local artist Agustín Ibarrola has enhanced nature’s natural art by painting the trunks of all the trees in rainbow colours and surreal swirls and bands. The forest is several kilometres north of the small market town of Guernica
Lakes of Laguardia
A little less challenging than the previous hikes, this gentle stroll around the protected wetlands below the wine town of Laguardia San Juan
Basque Culture
The Basques are different. How different they really are though is open to interpretation and subject to political manipulation. The Basque’s claim to be the oldest Europeans and to speak a language unrelated to any other European language. Whilst there is no doubt that the Basques have inhabited their western corner of the Pyrenees almost forever, almost everything else about Basque origin and identity is open to interpretation and no one theory has been fully proven. One thing is clear however, the Basque language (known as Euskara) is the most important aspect of Basque cultural identity. In fact, so important is it that the Basque name for the Basque Country is Euskal Herria, which translates as Land of the Basque speakers. After many years of suppression the Basque language is enjoying resurgence and has become the language of choice amongst young Basques.
The Basque Coast
San Juan de Gaztelugatxe
The tiny island and hermitage of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe overlooks some of the wildest and most impressive coastal scenery in the Basque country. The hermitage (which is often closed) dates from the 10th Century and, according to local legend, was once visited by St John the Baptist. On 24 June, 31 July and 29 August the island, which is accessed via a pretty bridge (and far too many steps), is the focal point of large processions. The island sits between the small towns of Bermeo and Bakio.
Mundaka
The Basque coast is serious surfing country and below the pretty little town of Mundaka can be found a wave that is regarded as one of the best surf spots in Europe . On its day, it offers a 500m-long, heart-in-the-mouth sprint over a shallow sandbar. The town itself has resisted becoming an international surf ghetto and retains a distinctly Basque fishing culture. Beginners shouldn’t attempt to surf Mundaka at any size, but the Mundaka Surf Shop (www.mundakasurfshop.com; tel-00 34 946 876721; €50 per person for 4 hrs) at Txorrokopunta Ibiltokia 8 will get you in the surf somewhere suitable to get to grips with it all. While in the area don’t miss the chance to explore the beautiful Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve (www.tourism.euskadi.net).
Elantxobe
One of the most attractive villages along the coast, the tiny hamlet of Elantxobe clings to the edge of such a steep cliff face that it’s likely to give vertigo sufferers fluttering hearts. Its precarious position, as well as the lack of a beach (the locals dive in to the water off the harbour walls) has meant that tourist development is minimal. The waters here are always calm thanks to the shelter provided by the surrounding cliffs and headland. There are no hotels here but you will find a couple of simple bars selling seafood pintxos down by the waterfront.
Lekeitio
With an old quarter filled with wonderful Belle-Époque buildings, an overstated 16th Century Gothic church (the gold plated alter piece is one of the largest in the country), lots of fantastic seafood and two stunning beaches (the one just east of the river and the town, with a small rocky mound of an island just offshore, is the prettier of the two), bustling Lekeitio is the highlight of the central Basque coast. The tourist office is on (www.lekeitio.com; tel-00 34 946 844017; Plaza de la Independencia).
Hondarribia
Largely overlooked in Spain-France border crossing, graceful Hondarribia consists of a wedge of colourful, old town streets surmounted by a castle turned luxury hotel, the Parador de Hondarribia (www.parador.es; tel-00 34 943 645500). It was built by Navarran King Sancho Abarca in the 10th Century and is as regal as you’d expect. San Sebastián Spain and France
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)