International Greeter: San Sebastián, Spain
Before we arrived in San Sebastián, Spain, we had heard all about the food and the lively nightlife. Yet, we hadn’t read much about the history or researched what to do or see while there. Naturally, we contacted the International Greeter Association and made a meetup time and date for a general city tour. Without anything specific in mind, we asked our guide, Iñigo, to show us the highlights. We met him early in the day and headed off into the cold morning winds.
We Meet Our International Greeter
Iñigo gave us a fantastic tour of the city, which is small and easy to walk through. We had already visited the Castillo de la Mota on the hill, so instead of visiting again, he gave us a concise history of the fort’s origins and significance within the city’s growth.
We had nothing specific to accomplish, so our tour was laid back and open to changes as we walked. The three of us roamed the streets as he told us stories of the history of San Sebastián and pointed out different significant buildings, such as the churches, cathedrals, Miramar Palace, the government buildings, and the plazas.
The city is divided into 3 to 5 areas, depending on your reference preference. The main districts most visitors frequent are the beaches, Old Quarter, downtown, and Zona Romantic. Within these sectors, you can find everything you need for your first visit to San Sebásatian. We spent the majority of our time walking the streets of the city. It was a bit too cold for the beaches.
Bring on the Food!
Iñigo also told us that food is the heartbeat of the Basque Country, and San Sebástian embodies everything cuisine-related. Everyone must experience a pintxo-pote hop while visiting San Sebástian. Think of it as a happy hour barhop, but it’s better! A pintxo is like a tapas food plate but smaller. For around 1 Euro, you get a beer and a choice of the bar’s pintxo plate special. Depending on the location, the pintxos could be made of egg, potatoes, fish, beef, cheese, bread, shellfish, or a mix of ingredients; the list goes on. Pintxo-Potes starts around 6 pm and runs until late, depending on your stamina and appetite. The idea is to hit as many different bars and try as many different pintxo plates as possible.
Although it wasn’t quite a pintxo-pote hour, we ended our tour with a beer and pintxos plate. Iñigo took us to one of his favorite locations for a tortilla de patatas, an egg, potato, and cheese mixture of bliss. We had tried a few of these previously, but the one we ate at Bar Zabaleta was our favorite. As we finished, Iñigo said goodbye, and we noticed it was officially pintxo-pote time and headed to the next bar for another pintxo plate and beer.
We are big fans of International Greeter and highly recommend making arrangements with them while in San Sebastián. In particular, we would suggest requesting either a history tour to cover all the important locations, buildings & memorials or a food tour with recommendations of all the great restaurants and what meals not to miss in the city.
Travel Basics
Website: International Greeter Association
Prices: Free. You will be asked to make an optional donation to the organization.
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Copyright 2024, Heather Holmes — All rights reserved.
Originally published at https://travelationship.com
