Exploring the Pays Basque has been something on my mind for the last few years… I had heard of the pinchos, the sangria, the waves and the culture that is so specially Basque. I’ve had this idea in my head that it would feel like the European version on my hometown Santa Barbara, California. And while yes there is a beach and a chill vibe, I wound up feeling surprised at how different it really feels than my little Spanish colonized hometown around the globe. In fact I found the the culture a bit farther north on the French side of the Pays Basque felt more similar to home.
Needless to say San Sebastián is incredible and so unique. The city is alive and feels like there is always something to celebrate for. Whether it be grabbing a beer and eating pinchos in the street of the old town city center or drinking sangria, listening to the dj’s tunes, and looking at the view of the Bay while at the little bar on top of the hill of the Santiago Bateria this city knows how to enjoy.
Of the two main beaches in the city there is Zurriola Hondartza the surf beach that is on the more chill side of the city, and on the other side is La Concha which is more touristic and closer to the old town. Both beaches are packed over summer but they are beaches none the less so go enjoy unless you have a mode of transport to find more exclusive shores.
Without realizing we arrived for the last few days of the annual festival Semana Grande, a week long celebration starting August 15th which includes an international fireworks contest that goes on every night in the bay La Concha, swim competitions, volleyball competitions, music groups in the streets, dancing, drinking, of course eating.
We randomly found ourselves caught in the middle of a “gigantes and cabezudos parade” which was quite the weird experience! Gigantes are people on stilts dressed as archetypes of Basque townspeople with giant heads, and cabezudos are people just wearing giant paper maché heads who carry a pigs bladder filled with air to smack people and children. It was quite a bizarre experience seeing children being hit by someone with a giant head on the street. One girl got hit in the face and got super angry and started hitting the guy who had accidentally hit her face!
