Well – we are so very glad we took this trip to San Sebastián on our last day / night based in Bilbao. We wouldn’t have believed it if we had not seen it first hand.

Should we have stayed here for a few days, and fewer in Bilbao? Definitely!

We decided not to go on an organised tour, as I’d read that it was quite easy to travel cheaply on one of the many buses travelling from Bilbao. The only one with vacancies though happened to be leaving early – at 7.30am from the Intermodal.

We were pleased to see a few taxis at the rank located nearby and arrived with plenty of time to spare. Mick would say way too early! And as it turned out the bus was 40 minutes late, so he was right.

We arrived around 90 minutes later in San Sebastián where the place felt like ‘money’.

We walked across the María Cristina Bridge, which was built in 1904, featured in the above photo.

The weather actually looked threatening, but not rain was forecast, so we headed off towards the main part of town, via the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, with its 75 metre spire – it is the tallest building in the city.

The town had a similar feel to Bordeaux to us. Everything looked neat, quite newly built and organised. And even the old town looked pristine.

I was confused (again) by the sign on our bus ticket as it had us going to San Sebastián -Donostia. But we learnt that Donostia is the town’s name in Basque. San Sebastián’s strategic coastal location informed its history, which comprised many sieges to gain its control. We read that the place was virtually destroyed in 1813 during the Napoleonic Wars .

British and Portuguese troops, fighting to expel Napoleon’s forces, bombarded the city and set it ablaze, destroying most of the medieval town. What followed was a complete urban redesign in the 19th century.

The city was rebuilt following the fire of 1813 with wide streets / boulevards, heavily decorated facades on key buildings and attention to detail in community infrastructure including street lightimg, public seating and green spaces.

Yes, I took quite a lot of photos today!

After morning tea in a central plaza, we explored the old town, which is not really all that old. Mick acted as my tour guide.

The little streets were not full when we first arrived, but after an hour or so, there were people everywhere. Perhaps those who had been able to book a later bus.

This is Saint Nicholas Church (Iglesia de San Vicente). It is the oldest church in San Sebastián, and dates back to the early 16th century.

We then found the beach areas.

We took a break in the centre of the city, seemingling following a tour group, but not intentionally. They stopped in front of this statue of three figures.

This is the Monumento al Tamborrero. Depicting three figures—tamborreros (drummers)—commemorating the city’s beloved Tamborrada festival, held every January 20th to celebrate the feast of Saint Sebastian.

This bronze sculpture captures the spirit of the celebration, with the trio dressed in traditional attire, drums in hand, evoking the rhythm and pride of the city’s cultural heritage. It’s a favorite photo spot and a symbolic tribute to one of the most vibrant traditions in the Basque Country.

We had an awesome day, but it also served a second purpose – it was a practice run for tomorrow when we have to catch an even earlier bus to Madrid Airport. And, I don’t want to miss it, as we are making our way to Portugal.