San Sebastián in the Basque Country, Northern Spain is known for it's unbeatable food scene from Michelin Star Restaurants to Pintxos, beautiful beaches and totally unique culture. Apart from wine it also has a totally unique beer drinking tradition.
Who's heard of a Zurito & what is a Caña?
They are both on tap draft beers but it's all about the size.
A Caña is the larger of the two, about a half a pint but with a more generous pour.
A Zurito is a smaller about half the size of the Cana and a regular half of beer.
Why small beers are the locals way to go in San Sebastian
They both pair perfectly with Pintxos and give you the chance for multiple bar stops without getting too full. More importantly keeping the beer short keeps it ice cold, just right for those hot, Summer days. There's no hugging warm pints on these streets!
Not breaking the bank, a zurito usually costs around €1.60, while the caña €2.50.
How to order like a local?
"Un zurito, por favor." (for a small beer)
"Una caña, por favor." (for a slightly larger half beer)
& for those balmy, hot sticky days at a beach side Txiringito we love it with a quarter lemon, "yes please!"
We would totally recommend paring it with some tasty olives, the iconic gilda pintxo, tortilla de patata (we love Bar Adamo) or some grilled Foie in Bar Sport.
It's a Cheers, Chin Chin, Salud or we like to say Topa!
So next time skip the oversized pint and enjoy beer the Basque way: small, fresh, and always with great company!
For a full deep dive into the Pintxo food scene here, what's the new, where's those hidden spots, the best wines to pair with what, plus beer spots and where we love to have cocktails The BEST Pintxo Experience in San Sebastian
The days are getting shorter, the jumpers are on and the burnt colours of Autumn are setting in. This means one thing, It's Sweet Chestnut time, a total nutty treat!
Strolling the city, late afternoon at dusk in there it is WHAM BAM! That absolutely gorgeous wintery smell of chestnuts roasting. The same city spots and the same sellers, wrapped up warm, sat in front of the roaster, cheeks flushed phrooarrrr I love this time of the year.
For a 3€ you have a cone of buttery, soft, freshly, roasted chestnuts to warm those fingers and those tummys and the cosiness of winter comes flooding back..
It's a simple pleasure that encapsulates the total essence of autumn in San Sebastian.
Now for a little history into the humble castaña..
Sweet chestnuts have a long history in San Sebastian and the Basque Country. The sweet chestnut tree, native to this stunning region, has been a source of sustenance for centuries. Historically, chestnuts served as a crucial staple during times of scarcity. They were roasted, boiled, or ground into flour for a variety of dishes, making them a very important food for locals.
San Sebastian's renowned chefs also embrace the sweet chestnut, incorporating it into their innovative dishes. From chestnut-infused, delicious puddings to hearty stews, this little nut finds its way into the city's culinary scene, adding a nutty twist to traditional Basque flavours.
So, the next time you find yourself in San Sebastian during the Autumn, be sure to savor the nutty delight of sweet chestnuts, a true taste of the season in this coastal gem of a city.
San Sebastian’s been voted a top spot for foodies for many years but it has so much more than that, jaw dropping beaches being one of them. There are 3 beaches right on the cities door step all worth a visit but which one is for you?
La Concha Bay – A beautiful white natural sandy beach, the most famous of the three and the one that hogs the limelight. Its the beach closest to the old part, the centre of the city and the harbour.
It gets busy in Summer especially on a big high tide but the further you walk the less people there are. It’s super safe with no waves and its fun to swim out to the floating platforms.
Ondarreta – A stunning wide enclosed beach and a firm favourite with locals. It’s usually calm in Summer although with a good swell small rideable waves peel down the city wall. Sitting in front of an affluent area of the city with the busily main street of Antiguo a short walk away. Its the closest point to Santa Clara island if you fancy a swim out for an ice cream with a pitstop at the diving boards. Absolutely great for families and well worth the walk.
La Zurriola – This is the cities surfing beach which works well for all levels you just need to choose your spot. Its a consistent beach break picking up waves with even the most smallest of swells and holds its size up to 2 – 3m. A large beach in front of the cool up and coming area of Gros with a good atmosphere and plenty of people spotting. Head to the far end for beers and to watch the sun go down.
Our top trip tip is to walk the 3 beaches including paseo nuevo, around a 10k stroll of gob smacking views and dreamy scenes. If walking isn’t for you join us on the San Sebastian City bike tour and cruise the shoreline for a real behind the scenes moment.
We provide San Sebastian day tours all year round. If you would like more details on our sightseeing, explore tours or any of our other activities please get in touch https://www.experiencesansebastian.com/contact-us/
La Concha bay in all it’s Summer glory.
Dreamy scenes of the harbour and the corner of La Concha beach
Santa Clara with Ondarreta beach
There is only one Basque blue.
La Zurriola, the surfing beach of the city.
A birds eye view of the waves in La Zurriola
Our latest bespoke tour was three days we won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
We kicked off with a pintxo tour of the old part, all our favourites on the menu and definitely off the beaten path from the usual hot spots, topped off with goblets of gin and tonic and a cheesecake surprise.
The next day we had a mellow start by hopping aboard the incredible Lucretia, a beautiful ninety seven year old, sixty foot, wooden hull yacht. There was a light breeze making the perfect conditions to cruise down the coast, we stopped off at Getaria for a superb lunch, wandered the streets of the lovely old fishing port where we spotted the old tradition of fixing the nets, before heading back to San Sebastian.
The final outing started with a trip East to Txakoli territory, with a full tour of the grounds and vineyard, we took a breather on the patio surrounded by vines we had a taster and tapas session.
We didnt want to get too full as next on the list is the cooking class in one of the top seafood restaurants in the area and of course we got to eat our hard afternoons work. Overlooking the sea we relaxed, filled our bellies and sipped the areas finest vino.
We provide San Sebastian day tours all year round. If you would like more details please get in touch https://www.experiencesansebastian.com/contact-us/
The beautiful yacht Lucretia
Fine tuning as we head down the coast.
Cooking class starts with pescado
Onto to the art of slicing the ham
It has been a mixed bag of weather this Spring with our San Sebastian Tours from rain to hot, sunny days we have definitely had it all. But who cares when your “Out of Office” signature is on. We have had some great crews visiting for team building and corporate days where we mixed some amazing active, outdoor tours with a healthy dose of Basque food and drink. Our favourite combination is our bike ride “THE TRAIN TRACK TRAIL” followed by the food and drink taste explosion “BACK TO THE BASQUE ROOTS”
We provide San Sebastian day tours all year round. If you would like more details please get in touch https://www.experiencesansebastian.com/contact-us/
Cider house, tour and traditional lunch
The train track trail mountain bike tour
Txakoli tasting & tapas session
Experience San Sebastian boat day tour
