Spring plan in San Sebastian
San Sebastian is a very nice city to visit in spring due to the good weather, the longer days and the quiet but lively atmosphere that precedes the hustle and bustle of the city once summer sets in. During the free tour we usually pass by some particularly beautiful gardens, but today we are going to explain a nice plan to spend a sunny spring morning or afternoon enjoying these spaces to the fullest. So here we go, let’s enjoy a spring plan in San Sebastian!
Cristina Enea
We start our plan by losing ourselves for a while in the beautiful garden of Cristina Enea. One of the most magical and charming spaces in the city, due to its bucolic atmosphere, quiet walks and romantic ambiance. Cristina Enea is huge, but very accessible and well connected to the rest of the city thanks to its different accesses. There are peacocks, ducks, squirrels and beautiful buildings in the higher area.
The gardens of the Paseo de Francia
Very close to Cristina Enea, crossing the train tracks, we find the Paseo de Francia, a romantic promenade, which runs parallel to the Urumea River. It is not very long, as it is located between the bridges of Maria Cristina and Santa Catalina, but it is very beautiful. In it we find fountains rescued from disappeared gardens, fragrant lime trees, flanking an elongated grassy parterre that sometimes are embellished with flowers, like the daffodils that we had until a few weeks ago.
The gardens of Gipuzkoa Square
After crossing the bridge of Santa Catalina we will only have to walk a few dozen meters to reach the first public park in San Sebastian. This park was created at the end of the 19th century by Pierre Ducase, who based it on the romantic landscape style of the period. It is an oasis of calm and elegance in an increasingly busy city, with elegant swans, Mr. Otamendi‘s gifts to the city and beautiful floral designs.
Alderdi Eder
We cross a couple of streets to reach one of the most iconic views of the city of San Sebastian, the garden of Alderdi Eder, which links the area where the facade of the City Hall and the bay of La Concha meet. It has existed since 1885, and was designed by Pierre Ducasse, but has undergone many changes since then. But it is still beautiful, with huge Canary Island palm trees, the charismatic tamarisk trees and a balanced arrangement of rectangular gardens and geometric flowerbeds filled with colorful floral designs.
Miramar
And after walking along the Paseo de la Concha, or if the tide allows it, along the beach (we encourage you to get your feet wet!) we arrive at the final point of our plan, the incredibly well located Miramar Palace. The complex, which separates the two most famous beaches of San Sebastian, was inaugurated in 1893 as a luxurious country house for the Spanish royal family during their summer stays. Its garden is adapted to the irregular terrain in which it is located, with beautiful floral designs and lawns in which to sit and relax.
BONUS TRACK: Aiete Palace
Still hungry for more? Well then you’ll have to go to the upper part of San Sebastian, to the Aiete area, to visit the neoclassical palace that houses the House of Peace and Human Rights, which is surrounded by gardens designed by the ubiquitous Pierre Ducasse in the late nineteenth century commissioned by the Dukes of Bailen. In Aiete there is a rich collection of trees, with more than a hundred species, swans, ducks, turtles and beautiful waterfalls.
I think there is no better way to end the experience.
