Beautiful villages near San Sebastian

San Sebastian is a unique destination to travel to for its mountains, beaches and enviable gastronomy. However, whenever someone asks us, we always recommend getting out of the city and exploring Guipúzcoa if there are enough days to do so. Here we bring you a list of beautiful villages near San Sebastian that are worth a visit.

On the coast of the province

Pasaia San Juan and Pasaia San Pedro

Just 6 km from San Sebastian we find the beautiful villages of Pasaia San Pedro and Pasaia San Juan. With their picturesque houses and at the foot of the sea, these two towns are well worth a visit. Our recommendation is to hike up Mount Ulia to enjoy the spectacular scenery until you reach Pasaia San Pedro. There you can see Pasaia San Juan from the front and you can even take a small boat to get there and discover the places where Victor Hugo once walked.

Zumaia

The village that you will find in all the guidebooks of Guipúzcoa. It is undoubtedly one of the wonders of the province with its flysch that are part of the Basque Coast Geopark. It has been the setting for national films such as ‘Ocho Apellidos Vascos’ and even international series such as ‘Game of Thrones’. Itzurun beach and the Hermitage of San Telmo are two of its main attractions to visit and, if you like hiking, you can walk to Deba and enjoy all the geopark and landscape of the coast of Gipuzkoa.

Hondarribia

Hondarribia (Fuenterrabía) is located near the border with France. Part of the medieval city walls and the only preserved parade ground in the Basque Autonomous Community are still standing. There is also Calle San Pedro where you can enjoy some delicious pintxos. If you love history, this is the city you should visit, you won’t get tired of discovering the many sieges that have taken place in Hondarribia.

In the interior of the province

Azpeitia

If you go to Azpeitia you will feel like you are travelling to Italy, as there you will find the Sanctuary of San Ignacio de Loyola. Part of the complex is the basilica designed by the Italian architect Carlo María Fontana and inaugurated in 1738. The sanctuary is located in the valley of the river Urola, which allows you to enjoy a mountainous landscape representative of the province. Together with the hermitage of Nuestra Señora de la Antigua in Zumárraga and the Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de Arantzazu, it is one of the most important religious monumental complexes in Guipúzcoa.

Oñati

The municipality of Oñati stands out for its history and architectural heritage. It was a stately town that became a county and, oddly enough, did not become part of the province until 1845. It also had the first university in the Basque Country, founded in 1540, where the first Spanish woman to enrol in a university was enrolled: Maria Antonia de Cortázar. It is not the best place to practice if you are learning Basque, as here you will hear one of the most peculiar dialects of Basque, although it is certainly beautiful to listen to.

Tolosa

25 km from San Sebastian is Tolosa, known for its famous carnivals that take place every February. A stroll along the Oria river and a drink in the Plaza Euskal Herria is something you should do if you go there. We recommend you to visit this place on a Saturday, to see the local market that has been held every week for centuries.

How to get to know these villages?

The best way to get to these places is by public transport. Both the Lurraldebus bus service and the Euskotren or Renfe train networks will take you to these towns in less than 2 hours. This way, you will be able to enjoy more towns in Guipúzcoa apart from the capital. You can also book one of our excursions where you will be accompanied by a local guide and discover more curiosities of these areas.