The 6 best day trips from San Sebastián

With a plethora of pintxo bars to eat your way through, dazzlingly verdant mountains to hike, and beaches to lounge upon, many visitors wish they had more time in San Sebastián. 

Another reason to add days to your stay? The historic towns along the Bay of Biscay’s coast and inland. From the fishing village where Balenciaga was born to the larger-than-life hermitage that doubles as Dragonstone on Game of Thrones, the picture-perfect possibilities are endless and well worth taking a break from pintxos (tapas) and playa (beach).

Whether your priority is tucking into some of the world’s best grilled fish, or you have your sights set on famous sanctuaries and Picasso’s inspiration for Guernica, you’ll find a memorable place to visit on this list of six day trips you can experience in under two hours’ drive.

1. Live like a Basque fisherman in Hondarribia 

Travel time: 25 minutes

This Basque town sits meters away from the French border, yet retains its medieval, southern Basque character. The plan for this day trip is strolling and snacking, so take a turn about the casco antiguo, which dates back to medieval times, and see the Plaza de Armas and its imposing castle. By then, you’ll have worked up an appetite, so go downhill to Calle San Pedro, a brightly painted street in the fisherman’s quarter where the art of the pintxo is a daily practice and you can find one of the best pintxo bars of all time, Gran Sol. A postprandial stroll is best done along the marina and the Bidasoa river, and you can even take the ferry to Hendaye, right across the water.

How to get to Hondarribia from San Sebastián: The E20 and E21 buses go from San Sebastián’s central Plaza de Gipuzkoa to Hondarribia at least once and sometimes twice an hour, from 6:30 in the morning to 10:20 at night. E21 is the more direct option, with just one stop at the EAS airport. The journey is quicker by car, about 25 minutes.

2. Eat and visit in style in Getaria

Travel time: 30 minutes

Cristóbal Balenciaga (yes, that Balenciaga) was Basque. So was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, Juan Sebastián Elcano. Getaria is their birthplace, so you can visit the monuments to these two men here (in the case of Balenciaga there’s an absolutely fabulous museum featuring rotating exhibits of his most iconic looks). 

Grilled fish had something of a renaissance in this village in the 20th century, so be sure not to miss the world’s most delicious grilled turbot at Elkano. After this luxurious meal, a digestive stroll is in order, so take a turn around the port where you can catch a glimpse of boats unloading their catch and women cleaning bones off anchovies.

How to get to Getaria from San Sebastián: Public transport is easier, if a little slower than car. You can take the UK10 or UK11 Bidaide buses from their stops on Avenida de Libertad in the center of the city. Buses leave every 30 minutes, from about 7am to 10pm

3. Delve deep into Basque history in Gernika

Travel time: 1 hour 10 minutes

As one enters Gernika, it can look somewhat nondescript, but the attraction of this town is a living, breathing thing – its history. After an hours-long aerial bombing by Italy and Germany in 1937, thousands were killed and this small village became an influential focal point in the Spanish Civil War. Its symbolic oak tree, the Gernikako Arbola, survived and remains today one of the most sacred sites in all of Basque Country. Visit the Gernika Peace Museum to get the context and the story of this gruesome attack, which was the topic of one of Picasso’s most famous paintings, Guernica, of which you can see a life-size replica on Calle Allendesalazar, 11. Try to go on a Monday, the day of its very famous fresh market, and don’t miss its jai alai court, where games of the gorgeous cesta punta mode of Basque pelota are played.

How to get to Gernika from San Sebastián: Gernika is not the easiest village to reach from San Sebastián by public transport, so take a car if you can. To take the bus, you must first go to Bilbao and, at the station, get one of the provincial BizkaiBus rides, such as the A3933 or A3523 for an equally long journey to the interior of Bizkaia. You can also take the Euskotren from the city center, making a transfer in Lemoa. Both are around 3hr journeys.

4. Take in the tasty village of Tolosa

Travel time: 30 minutes

Any trip to the village of Tolosa should be taken on an empty stomach. Start your day at the traditional outdoor market, one of the best in the region and home to some special local products, like Tolosa black beans and pickled guindilla peppers from nearby Ibarra. Learn about the history of chocolate at the Museo del Chocolate, a project from one of Basque Country’s most famed pastry chefs, Rafa Gorrotxategi. If it’s lunch time, the smell of txuleta, or Basque steak, is sure to be in the air, and Casa Julian is a cult favorite for grilled steak, red peppers, and great wine. Wind through the charming streets of the old town to finish your day at the quirky TOPIC, Europe’s most comprehensive center for marionette art.

How to get to Tolosa from San Sebastián: This lively inland village is wonderfully easy to get to. You have two choices – the provincial Bidaide bus BU08 or the RENFE train. Both are about 30 minutes, but the train is more comfortable and scenic. It’s frequent, too, with at least one every hour.

5. Visit the birthplace of the Jesuits in Azpeitia

Travel time: under one hour

Loyola, the Jesuits – these are names that will sound familiar even to non-Catholics. Even those who know that Saint Ignatius of Loyola founded the Society of Jesus may not realize that before he became a saint, Ignatius was Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola, born in the Basque town of Azpeitia. Visit the Sanctuary of Loyola, a stunning basilica built around Ignatius’ birth home and sanctified in 1738. It has a gorgeous grand dome that rises up out of the misty mountains at an impressive scale. If you are especially interested in religious history and relics, follow the Route of the Three Temples to see the ultra avant-garde Arantzazu. If your interests are broader or you have kids in tow, be sure to check out the Museo Vasco del Ferrocarril, or the Basque Railway Museum, where in summer you can ride the old steam locomotive down the Urola railway line.

How to get to Azpeitia from San Sebastián: The bus is the best public transportation for getting to Azpeitia. Take one of the Bidaide buses from the Avenida de Libertad stop – the UK01 is the quickest option, clocking in at just under an hour.

6. Get your Game of Thrones fix in San Juan de Gaztelugatxe

Travel time: 1 hour 50 minutes

San Juan de Gaztelugatxe sits on a remote point of the coast of Bizkaia, a steeply jutting piece of land that remains connected by a single file bridge whose 241 steps end in a lonely hermitage. Just the sight of it is enough to provoke fits of imagination and fantasy, and that’s before you find out this spot doubles as Dragonstone, Daenerys Targaryen's castle on Game of Thrones. The temple that sits on the top of the zigzagging stairway is rich with local legend and religious rites. Have a headache? Bunions? Sleepwalking? Is your kid wetting the bed at night? A prayer and a ringing of the bell at the top is – as legend has it – all you need to fix your troubles. During summer and on peak weekends, you have to reserve your free ticket.

How to get to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe from San Sebastián: San Juan de Gaztelugatxe is too remote to reach by public transport, so you’ll have to take a car or hire private transport to get there.