Spectacular Spain that Britons forget
THINK of a Spanish holiday and you probably envisage bumping into lots of other Brits sunning themselves in the Costas. But my husband John Stapleton and I have just come back from northern Spain, where there seemed to be no British tourists at all, despite it being the height of summer. They’re missing a treat.
We spent five days in Bilbao and San Sebastian, and thanks to the strong pound, it turned out to be a brilliant, and cheap, destination for a short break.
We flew with Vueling – cut-price Iberian Airlines – to Bilbao, an old industrial town with the magnificent Guggenheim Museum and a futuristic metro created by British architect Sir Norman Foster. The curved glass entrances to the stations are affectionately known as Fosteritos.
Outside the museum – an astonishing building made of titanium, glass and limestone – a must-see is the giant Puppy by American artist Jeff Koons, covered in a glorious patchwork of flowers.
A short walk away is the old town, which is crammed with bars and restaurants. And with local wine costing from £1 a glass and ‘pinchos’ (a cross between tapas and open sandwiches) starting at just over £1, it’s pretty difficult to break the bank on lunch.
After our stay in Bilbao, we made the 60-mile journey along the coast to San Sebastian by bus. It turned out to be comfortable and twice as fast as taking the train, not to mention being incredibly good value – the trip cost just €11 (£8) each.
They even print the bus number and seat numbers on tickets, so the service is easy for non-Spanish-speakers to use.
In ‘San Seb’ we stayed in the Hotel Londres, which is very expensive for the area and past its best, but its sea-view rooms offer wonderful panoramas of the amazing beach. We had the best fish we’ve ever eaten in San Seb, not in some acclaimed Michelin-starred restaurant but in cheap and cheerful local places at the end of the harbour.
Our favourite was La Rampa near the aquarium, where they serve grilled hake, bream and whole squid. In fact La Rampa was so good that we went there twice.
Hills surround San Seb, with the funicular train up Monte Igueldo – which has an old-fashioned funfair at the top – costing about £1.30 each way for those who don’t want to walk it.
Wander the back streets and you’ll find that locals who live in hilly areas get outdoor escalators to help them to their homes, though they do have to walk back down again.
We’d really recommend the bits of northern Spain we’ve seen and, if you’re planning when to go, look out for seasonal festivals.
In Bilbao, we just missed the BBK Live music festival, and also a craft festival for quieter souls.
In San Sebastian, organisers were setting up the stages for a jazz and food festival. Frustratingly, we missed that too – but there’s always next time.