Head to the airport and take a quick flight to the European Capital of Culture for 2016: San Sebastian. This pretty medieval city loves the finer things in life, which is why it has no fewer than 22 Michelin-starred restaurants. Famed for its pintxos [tapas], film festival and surf… this glamorous resort with its rugged coastline definitely takes some beating.
Leave your luggage at the boutique beachfront hotel Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra. Then start your day with a spot of pintxos and people watching at Café Santana on Alameda del Boulevard by the river. You can sip café con leche and tuck into a ham bocadillo while the city comes to life.
Grab your designer bikini and head to the beach for a surf or SUP lesson. Every year, thousands of surfers descend on the town to catch a wave or two. Visit La Zurriola beach and get ready to hang 10 or just hang onto your board (hey, no-one’s judging). Pukas Surf Eskola, which is right on the beachfront, is the longest running surf school in Spain. The knowledgeable instructors will help you choose the perfect board then show you how to ride those waves.
Once your tousled beach babe locks are dry, you can do a spot of window shopping at San Martin, which features an array of high-street brands as well as a bustling market selling local produce. Or as you’re in the cultural capital, you can raise an eyebrow and impress other visitors as you murmur a knowledgeable ‘interesting….’ while looking at the exhibits at Museo de San.
Ready for dinner? You could enjoy the laid-back vibe of the famed four-generation Arzak restaurant, which sports not one, but three Michelin stars. Expect dishes such as scorpio fish wrapped in crisp kataifi pastry, volcanic oysters and chocolate truffle. However, the less glamorous, but just as fun pintxos bar crawl in the old town is also a winner with gourmet lovers. The local bars throw open their doors and serve a bountiful array of tapas. Start your taste bud tantalising tour at Calle 31 de Agosto, which features Bar La Vina and A Fuego Nero then wind your way through the alleyways to discover more pintxos gems. Pair your marinated anchovies and crisp shrimp with a glass or two of txakoli, a light dry wine that the bartender will serve with as much flair as Tom Cruise in Cocktail.
You could spend more time in San Sebastian, but with La Rioja on the doorstep it would be rude not to take a look. In fact, you could lose a week or two just winding your way through the villages and discovering new bodegas. Find a designated driver and enjoy a tipple or two before moving onto the capital of Spain – Madrid. With historic buildings, picturesque parks and chocolate con churros to insta, you’re going to be racking up more likes on your social media than Ms Kardashian herself.
While Bilbao has its famed Guggenheim museum, Madrid is home to the Museo del Prado that has more than 7,000 paintings by the likes of Goya and Velazquez. For dinner you could enjoy roast suckling pig at the world’s oldest restaurant – Botin, which dates from 1725. While previous patrons include Hemingway, the kitchen staff were equally prestigious – the painter Goya is said to have worked here before he got creative with a brush. Or take in a flamenco show at Corral de las Moreria. Celebrating its 50th anniversary, you can tuck into a degustation menu, enjoy a sherry tasting and rub shoulders with a flamenco celebrity or two.
After watching a flamenco star strut his or her stuff, you might think that you’ve ticked your last Spanish to-do box. But as every Spaniard will tell you, before you head to Barcelona, you need to visit Toledo. The UNESCO heritage site is where Charles I held court. Looking over the Tagus River, this city is filled with historic treasures, including a cathedral packed with works of art by Van Dyck, Goya and Raphael. And trust us, it’s more than worth fitting this into your schedule as the Spanish say if you haven’t seen Toledo, you haven’t seen Spain.
This post was written by Lightfoot Travel for LUXE City Guides. For more great travel experiences visit Travel by Lightfoot.
