Birthplace of cider 

The excellent Basque cuisine is unbeatable if it is accompanied by the traditional natural cider. In fact, the cider season, known as the season of the Txotx, starts now and lasts until June, although bottled cider is available the rest of the year.

In popular culture, natural cider has always been linked to a festive social event. Throughout Spain and particularly in Asturias, Guipúzcoa and Navarra, there are sidrerías, or cider houses, where, along with the cider, you can sample other gastronomic delights from each particular region. 

Day one, morning  

10am - Up Monte Igueldo to the funfair

We begin our visit in style, climbing Monte Igueldo from the beach to discover the best possible views of the city. The easiest way to get there is its endearing and historical funicular railway, which sets off from Plaza del Funicular. At the top, we can spend a pleasant hour or two at the funfair. It was created at the beginning of the 20th century and still has a period charm. It is an ideal spot to visit if you are travelling with children.

Another attraction on top of Monte Igueldo is a former lighthouse, now known as the  Torreón. Although not in use, it still serves as a lookout point with unique views of Playa de La Concha and all San Sebastián. 

12.30 - Peine del Viento in front of the sea

Back at sea level, we say farewell to the funicular in order to go and see the most representative work by one of San Sebastián's best-known sons. The Peine del Viento (Windcomb) is one of the symbols of the Basque Country and can be found on the Paseo Eduardo Chillida, named after its creator, next to the Plaza del Funicular. 

The work consists of three combs on the rocks of a cliff. Watching the waves break over them is a remarkable spectacle. We should also notice seven holes in the floor where the waves push out the air of an underground cave. It is said that the air blown through these seven holes creates a typical Basque melody, like an organ. 

If we are still hungry for more, a few kilometres from the city, in Hernani, there is a museum dedicated to Chillida, where we can enjoy his work in the open air. If travelling with children, they are sure to enjoy the park where they can run among the sculptures.

Day one, afternoon 

14.30 - Lunch on the beach with views of the sea

At number 13 Paseo Eduardo Chillida, very near the work we have just seen, we will make our first stop to eat in San Sebastián. Choosing a restaurant for lunch in this city is very difficult, as this one of the best cities for food in Spain. In any case, the restaurant Branka (recommended by Repsol) serves up traditional Basque cuisine in a modern and minimalist setting. It also, very importantly, has views of the Ondarreta beach. This is a good moment to try their grilled fish.

Another good place to eat is also on Paseo Eduardo Chillida, the legendary Real Club de Tenis Ondarreta restaurant with a wide ranging a la carte menu, taking the best from Basque and international cooking to create unique flavours, such as clam risotto in green sauce. And if you fancy a pint, the tennis club has its own English pub with a wide range of beers.

16.30 La Concha beach and seafront walk

After eating like kings and queens, a leisurely stroll is in order, on one of Spain's most famous beaches, Playa de La Concha. By now we have seen it, but now we are going to have a closer look. La Concha (the shell) gets its name from the semicircular shape of the bay. Many interesting places look over it to the sea. One of these is the Palacio de Miramar, built by the Spanish royal family as a summer residence, catapulting the city into popularity as a resort.

A little farther on we pass by the Balneario La Perla, a spa which is the natural successor to the belle époque of the city, putting sea water to use for our health. This is a must-do relax option, to recharge the batteries. 

If we are travelling with children, at the end of the stroll we come to the harbour and the Aquarium, where we can conclude the afternoon diving with all kinds of sea creatures. 

19.00 - Pinchos in the old town

Now it's time to meet the inhabitants of San Sebastián, and where better to do so than visiting its tapas bars - or bares de pinchos, as they are known here.

At the end of our stroll along the Playa de La Concha, behind the City Hall, the old town begins, known as Parte Vieja. We just have to walk a few minutes along Calle Mayor to Calle del Puerto, and turn right to find ourselves on Plaza de la Constitución, the epicentre of Parte Vieja. If you look up at the balconies you will see they are numbered, as this square was formerly used as a bullring. There are many tapas bars on and around the square, such as La Cepa, where you must try the chipirones (tiny squid) and Jabugo ham, on a plate or in a roll. 

This foodie outing would not be complete without tasting the duck liver tapas in La Cuchara de San Telmo or the scampi in Gambara. If it is still a little early for dinner, you could also pass the time investigating the shops of the area, such as Prudey, across Calle Barrica from Plaza de la Constitución. This clothes shop represents a group of young local designers who have made a name for themselves on the city's fashion scene. 

Another very interesting spot is the hairdresser's Noventa Grados , on Calle Mayor. Here, as well as a trendy haircut, you can find accessories, gadgets and clothes.

21.00 - A sophisticated dinner

If you are still hungry after discovering pinchos, then dinner at Kokotxa  (awarded one Repsol Sun) is a good way to end the day. Leaving Plaza de la Constitución by Calle del Puerto, we get to the restaurant on Calle Campanario. Here we will be treated like royalty and we can order their signature dish: cocochas de merluza (hake). And if you prefer meat, the taco de buey albarado con oliva negra (beef with black olives) is another of the restaurant's classics. 

Or perhaps after the tapas we want to try some of the best traditional dishes of the city, prepared in age-old style. This is the city's gastronomic secret. 
If you are travelling in a group and want a less intimate setting, the restaurant  A Fuego Negro  (recommended by Repsol) is a really original place for an evening out with friends. With creativity as the watchword, its cooks create pinchos to sate our hunger and our imagination. We will find them at 31 Calle 31 de Agosto, at the level of Calle Mayor.

As a final touch to the evening, a cocktail and a chat in Dicken's, a cocktail bar with a long list of awards, which makes an impressive gin and tonic. It is at 27 Alameda del Boulevard.

Another popular option in this city is to try your luck at the Casino Kursaal  of San Sebastián, at the head of Calle Mayor. It is considered to be one of the best in Spain. If luck is smiling the hours will fly by! In any case, tomorrow we will see it in all its splendour in the daylight.

Day two, morning 

10.00 - El Ensanche de Cortázar

We pick up our route where we left off last night, on Alameda del Boulevard, but in daylight everything is different. If we continue down this street towards Playa de La Concha, we find the City Hall. This building was once the casino. Its ballroom is now the meeting room of the Plenary Council. It is an elegant building overlooking the sea, with the bustle of the Parte Vieja behind it, and the gardens of Alderdi Ederin front. 

Going through these gardens, we come to the part of the city called Ensanche de Cortázar, joining Calle Hernán with Avenida de la Libertad and Calle Loyola, until we find the market, Nuevo Mercado de San Martín, after about twenty minutes' walk. In a modern building, the market houses a plethora of shops on its indoor street. This is a good place to spend the rest of the morning shopping, and here we can find everything for everyone. 

If the market doesn't interest us, the streets nearby, Calle Loyola and Calle San Marcial, also offer many choices for shopaholics. Here we can find everything from local organic food at Holi (14 Calle Easo) to the most elegant clothing by the Basque house Auzmendi, at 30 Avenida de la Libertad.

Second Afternoon 

14.30 - The best of Basque food

Shopping is practically a sport, and it is certainly tiring. So we deserve a little rest followed by a good lunch. Leaving Mercado de San Martín by Calle Urbieta, on the opposite block, at 48 Calle San Marcial, we find Gran Bar La Espiga.

It is comfortably decorated in wood and stone with large mural paintings. This is a good place to enjoy anchovies, which here they prepare three ways. As well as a good a la carte menu, we can also try a tapa such as the crujiente de langosta (lobster crisp); delicious!

If you prefer a more classic atmosphere, Iturrioz offers award-winning tapas. This bar has a long tradition of many years bringing cheer to the people of San Sebastián. You will find it on Plaza de la Catedral, just two blocks away following Calle Urbieta from Mercado de San Martín.

16.30 - San Sebastián's historic buildings

Hunger assuaged, we will spend our last afternoon in San Sebastián strolling around and discovering its most important buildings. In the square where we ate at Iturrioz, we find the Catedral del Buen Pastor, towering over the city in Neo-Gothic style. It looks more like a central European cathedral, with its pointed arch windows and rose windows, which are worth stopping to study. In the Plaza Café (Plaza Artzai Onaren, 14) we can have a break with views of the spectacular cathedral.

Continuing our walk, we leave the Plaza by Calle Urdaneta, where we find the Post Office building and the cultural centre Koldo Mitxelena Kulturunea. Crossing Plaza Bilbao, we find the María Cristina bridge over the Urumea river. This bridge was built over a hundred years ago to connect the Estación del Norte station with the city centre. Remember to look at the four obelisks on its sides, copied from the Aleixandre III bridge in Paris. The architecture near the bridge gives the area a very Parisian air.

Following the river to the sea, after half an hour we come to Plaza Oquendo, and the Victoria Eugenia theatre. After years of restoration, we can now see it in its original splendour. The luxurious interior is decorated in impeccable white marble. We can visit its Chinese Salon, with paintings by Pierre Ribera. The salon gets its name from the oriental theme of the paintings, with exotic birds, lanterns and female figures. 

If we had the good fortune to plan and book ahead, we can see a concert or play in the auditorium, which is said to have perfect acoustics.

19.00 - The Kursaal, symbol of the new San Sebastián

Following the Urumea a few metres, before it reaches the sea, we cross the Zurriola bridge to the Kursaal a conference centre which by now we all know. It hosts the best film festival in Spain and the biggest advertising festival in the Spanish-speaking world, among many other things. 

The two glass cubes designed by the architect Rafael Moneo are even more impressive when seen lit up at twilight, which is why we have left this for late afternoon. Once inside you can visit the Sala Kubo exhibition space, and to add a touch of class to your visit to San Sebastián, you could also dine in the restaurant Ni Neu (recommended by Repsol Guide) run by the acclaimed chef Martín Berasategui inside the space. Why not indulge ourselves?