Im going to be in San Sebastian area for 6 nights in Late November.....after reading the RS books, it doesn't look there is a ton to see there. Am I wrong? Thinking about spending 3 of those nights in the Gascony region of France... Any ideas about what to do or where to go in the southern france , northern Spain area? I have already been to Carcassone, Barcelona, Narbonne Any advice will be greatly appreciated!
Posted by
LaGrange, Ga, USA
1178 posts
The Caves of Altamira are excellent. Be sure to see them and the coast of the country... Drive along the side roads, not the main highway. San Vincient is amazing...north of Santander
Posted by
Atlanta
3250 posts
It depends on a couple of things: First, will you have a car and how far do you want to drive? Next, what you want to see or do. We were in that region in May. We liked Bordeaux and if you like staying in a moderate-sized city it might be interesting for a couple of nights. We spent 4 nights in the seaside town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz and used it as a base to visit Bayonne and also to drive to the small Basque villages of Sare/Sara and Ainhoa. It was a beautiful drive. If you want to drive farther south, we liked our two-night stay in the French Pyrenees village of Saint-Lary-Soulan - it would be a bit of a trek back to San Sebastian however.
Posted by
Florida, USA
12172 posts
San Sebastian is pretty small. The main activities seem to be the beach and the restaurants/bars (great seafood choices). To me it's a great spot for a break (think a more developed Cinque Terra) from a hectic pace but I probably wouldn't spend 6 nights there. If you want to do some touring, there are options. You could work toward France. I'd probably start by visiting Pamplona and Olite (since you're there) then to St. Jean Pied-de-Port (start of one pilgrimage route) then up to the coast and back down to Donostia (the preferred local name of San Sebastian). Alternatively, you could head south and west. I'd probably go through Vitoria to Burgos, then up to Santander working your way back to Donostia.
Posted by
OP
Mesa, AZ, USA
90 posts
we will have a car, I love to eat and drink, but I am also taking my 2 young children(ages 4 and 2) as well as my daughter 14yrs and her friend.... I like the idea of Bordeaux I read an article about Gascony and how wonderful the food is there..... Im thinking 1 night in San Sebastian, then 2 nights in the country near there or Bilbao, where we can tour that area Then I was thinking going up near Agen or Bordeaux and spending some time there I have from Thursday the 21st of november off, until the 5th. We have to be at a wedding in Alicante, Spain on the 28th-1st of December..... I was thinking about touring that area, going to alicante, then going back up to BCN and flying out of there....
Posted by
Portland
3601 posts
If you want to see the area around Bordeaux, I highly recommend the town of Arcachon and the nearby Dune du Pilat. You can get an architectural walking tour, through the TI office, which is really interesting. Assuming decent weather, I think all the kids will love the dune, which is 347 ft. high and 1.7 miles long. You can climb to the top via a wooden stairway and roll down, if you like. I think I'm remembering correctly that you can alao get a boat tour around the bassin. Cadogan Publishers has an entire guide for Gascony and the Pyrenees.
Posted by
OP
Mesa, AZ, USA
90 posts
thank you!! I will order that book
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
Mark, I am glad someone has already mentioned Arcachon & the Dune du Pilat, both easy to get to from Bordeaux. I would also like to suggest Bidart, a Basque village right on the ocean, much less expensive than Bayonne or Biarritz, and with a grand beach which we had entirely to ourselves one day.
Posted by
OP
Mesa, AZ, USA
90 posts
wow! thank you!