San Sebastian at £100 a night: a budget guide to Spain’s dazzling culinary capital

Set around a stretch of golden sandy coves and framed by three lush mountains, cities don’t get much prettier than Spain’s San Sebastian.

But it’s the food that sets this coastal city apart; after all, it is the birthplace of the pintxo (also known as pincho), a bar that is a meal in miniature.

And with bars serving wine from €2 and pinchos from €1.50, a holiday here doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.

Where to eat and drink

Gandarias

Grab a table outside this standing room-only pinchos bar and listen to the locals speak in the ancient Basque language. The bar makes the best solomillo – steak served on bread topped with green pepper (restaurant egandarias. com).

Baztan

Fill out a paper order form as you browse the colorful pinchos at the bar and hand it to a waiter. Pair food with the local txakoli, a fizzy, crisp white wine. Find some of the city’s best vegetarian and vegan pinchos here (barbastan. com).

Bar Ganbara

This family-run pinchos bar in the old town uses the freshest ingredients (the simple but delicious tomato and olive oil plate is testament to this). Sit at the bar and watch the staff hand out plates with impressive frequency. Ganbara’s specialty is spider crab cakes (€3). Wine and beer from €2 (ganbarajatetxea.com).

Where to stay

Hotel Arbaso

With views of the cathedral, valet parking and an excellent restaurant, Arbaso is a perfect city center hotel. The rooms have wooden floors, Marshall Bluetooth speakers and Dyson hairdryers. Rooms from £99 (hotelarbaso.com).

Hotel de London

An imposing 19th century building near the coast. The bar is popular with the locals. Doubles from £93 (dogres. com).

Hotel Zinema7

In the non-touristy district of Amara, this cinema-turned-hotel offers rooms inspired by stars who attended the San Sebastian Film Festival. Doubles from £67 (zinema7hotel.com).

Things to see and do

Take a dip in La Concha

Swim with the older Basque locals at La Concha, which stretches a mile from the old town to the suburb of Ondarreta and is one of the best urban beaches in Europe. Even in winter, the golden bay is busy with locals walking their fluffy dogs and children splashing in the water. During the summer, swimmers can escape the crowds on a floating platform off the coast.

Climb Mount Urgull

Make room for even more pinchos by working up an appetite with a hike up this mini-mountain, which rises from the old town and the bobbing boats of the harbour.

The 30-minute walk is dotted with landmarks and viewpoints, and is topped off with a 12th-century castle and a 12-meter statue of Jesus Christ. At the top, watch the sunset as you sample a bottle of cider from one of the 42 cider houses on the outskirts of town (buy six bottles of Essencia Wine in the old town for €18).

Join a pinchos tour

Pinchos hopping is mandatory in San Sebastian. The best way to pack the bars is to join a txikiteo (the official word for a pinchos crawl), bouncing from bar to bar in the old town, pairing colourful, small bites with local wines and cider.

A word on etiquette: don’t overload your plate with the displays on the bar, but instead sample one per drink, two if you must, then move on. Tours from £25 (viator.com).

Walk around the cathedral

The charming Cathedral of Buen Pastor (the Good Shepherd), made of sandstone and slate from the local mountains, was completed in 1897 at a time when the town was becoming a thriving, aristocratic seaside resort.

The spire of the cathedral, located on a pretty square surrounded by tulips, can be seen from all over the city. On a summer’s day, the sun shines brightly through the stained glass windows, casting an array of dancing colors on the walls. Free entrance.

How to get there

London Gatwick to Bilbao return from £65 (Vueling.com). Buses to San Sebastian take an hour (£15. pesa.net).