The second stop of our 10-day roadtrip was in San Sebastián, officially known by the bilingual name of Donostia / San Sebastián. It was our second visit to the city after first visiting in May 2019. Nik and I were thrilled to return at a different time of year, especially with Koval the dog joining us. Our excitement grew knowing we’d be staying in what is arguably the city’s most elegant hotel. After a short drive from Bilbao, the three of us arrived. Read on for more!
Staying at Hotel Maria Cristina
Trying to use our Marriott Free Night Awards, Nik booked us a room at the Hotel Maria Cristina for a two night stay. It’s part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection of hotels. Booked using points, we successfully applied the award and were upgraded to an amazing suite, complete with two balconies. Watch the room tour below:
The Hotel
One of the suite’s balconies opened off the bathroom, offering a view of Ramón Labaien Plaza and the San Sebastián Christmas Market.
The other balcony was off the living room with views of the River Urumea which runs into the Cantabrian Sea on the Bay of Biscay.
Related: Our San Sebastián visit in 2019
A nice touch was a welcome note with a bottle of wine and chocolates waiting for us in the room. Having the extra space was also great and the room was very comfortable overall.
We had breakfast just once, in a grand room adorned with early 1900s décor. With both a buffet and an à la carte menu, everything was excellent.
Cocktails at the hotel’s lavishly appointed Dry San Sebastian Bar were also very good. All the seats were a smoke-blue velvet adorned with the hotel’s crest in gold thread.
Related: First Roadtrip Stop in Bilbao
History of Hotel Maria Cristina
Hotel Maria Cristina is a pretty historic building named for Queen María Cristina of Spain, who, starting in 1887, would spend summers in San Sebastián.
During the Spanish Civil War, heavy fighting took place in and around the hotel, and even today some bullet holes can be seen in the facade. During the opening phase of the July Coup of 1936 fascist army officers attempted a coup by trying to take control of all major cities. This failed as Republicans in the cities put down the initial coup. In San Sebastián the army officers ended up trying to hold out in the hotel until they were overwhelmed by Republican forces.
The creation of the San Sebastian International Film Festival in 1953 brought the hotel back to the limelight. Festival stars have stayed in the hotel every year since. A new wing was also added in the 1950s, and the building shifted from its original L-shape to a U-shape.
A complete renovation of the hotel began in 1985 adapting to new changes, while keeping its original charm and achieving its current five star status. From the first steps into the hotel, you knew it was luxurious. The lobby had huge portraits everywhere, a grand staircase and monogram logos in the elevators.
We were enamored with the building and its history during our 2019 visit, so staying there this time felt especially exciting. Both Nik and I are so glad we were able to make this stay happen.
Cider Tour in Basque Country
For centuries, the Basque Country has been known for its cider production, with San Sebastián being one of the top locations for it. We enjoyed some cider on our trip in 2019 but wanted to tour a cider house this time around.
Astarbe Cider House
Nik found us a guided tour and lunch through Viator and it was run by Sagardoa Route, the tourist Agency of the Basque Country Cider House Association. We met our guide and driver Maya near our hotel and eight of us piled in the van and drove about 20 minutes outside of city center to Sidrería Astarbe Sagardotegia (Astarbe Cider House.)
The Astarbe family has been making cider since 1563 and pictured behind Maya is the Mendiola farmhouse where the cider is produced. They use two main apple varieties, the Astarbe and Mendiola to make three ciders: a traditional still cider and two sparkling ciders. One of the sparking ciders is aged 12 months and the other is aged 24 months.
The apples are harvested by hand between mid-September and November before becoming an apple juice and then it’s moved into barrels to become cider. Pictured above on the left is where the apples get cleaned and then they move up the conveyer into the apple press.
Following the tour and learning about the incredibly interesting Astarbe history, we moved inside to the cider house which houses their barrels and restaurant. We poured cider straight from the barrels, more like a spray and you catch it in your glass without it hitting the floor. Basque cider has essentially no sweetness and is dry, crisp and delicious.
Following the tour, we had the most delicious and filling lunch. The food was served family style and included unlimited cider from the barrels. Spread over four courses, the menu included: a cod omelette to start, cod with onion and peppers, T-bone steak with salad and a Basque cheese tasting with apple and cider jelly and walnuts.
The tour and learning the cider history was so fascinating. Both Nik and I are glad we took the tour and highly recommend booking direct through Sagardoa Route. We left with full bellies and a few bottles of cider to bring home.
Dining Out in San Sebastián
While San Sebastián has the second most Michelin stars per capita in the world and a wonderful reputation for fine dining, we kept it pretty simple during our visit. In addition to the outstanding meal and experience during the cider tour, we had two enjoyable dinners in the city.
Bar Nestor
During our 2019 trip, Nik and I checked out Bar Nestor for a drink because we had already eaten elsewhere. We regretted not eating there on that trip but made up for it this time around. It’s a small, old spot nestled in San Sebastián’s Old Town. They’re known for four main dishes: their Spanish tortilla, tomatoes, peppers, and steak.
Bar Nestor does not take reservations and often has a line of people waiting to get in. After enjoying a couple of beers at Bidassoa Basque Brewery Taproom and Mala Gissona, we arrived at Bar Nestor and were pleasantly surprised by the short wait. With limited table space, we were given standing spots at the bar for our meal.
We got a plate of their padrón peppers which are small, long green peppers that are generally fried in olive oil until the skin starts to blister and the pepper collapses. So good when cooked properly. Our steak came out sizzling and was outstanding.
To satisfy our sweet tooth, we walked a very short distance for Basque cheesecake at La Viña. It is the best in the area. For some reason each order comes with two thin slices.
It might seem like a tourist trap, but it really is so good and I highly recommend you include it in your visit.
Borda Berri
According to our trip recap from 2019, Nik and I stopped into Borda Berri but we don’t have any pictures nor do we remember what we might’ve ate or drank.
This time, on the recommendation of a friend, we stopped in and thoroughly enjoyed two small plates, the “kebab” costilla de cerdo (pork rib) and carrillera de ternera al vino Tinto (veal cheek). The menu is handwritten on a chalkboard so have your Google Translate app ready.
That’s a wrap on our two night stay in San Sebastián. Now that we’ve visited in May and December I really want to visit in the heart of the summer to enjoy the beaches. Hopefully Nik and I make a return visit down the line. And if I were to pick any other Spanish city to live in, for at least a year, San Sebastián would be at the top of the list.
