San Sebastián!

Day 31: Elizondo to San Sebastián (49 miles / 3,045 ft.)

We began our morning with breakfast and a little more time with Amaiur and their two-year-old daughter, Goiztiri. Joseba had already left for work, so after saying our goodbyes and thanking them for an unforgettable Warmshowers visit, we rolled away from Elizondo.

The day began by following the Baztan River out of the valley. Near Oronoz-Mugairi, the river changes names and becomes the Bidasoa. Much of our route followed the Bidasoa Greenway, built along the former Tren Txikito railway that once connected Elizondo with Irún. The little train began as a mining railway before carrying passengers and freight through the valley until 1956.

It was another amazing stretch of riding, following the river through a narrow green valley beneath heavily forested hills. We had some light rain, but never enough to ruin the day. The wet pavement, low clouds, and first touches of fall color gave the mountains a completely different feeling from the bright sunshine of the day before.

The serious climbing began after Lesaka. The narrow NA-4000 carried us over Alto de Agiña, down toward the San Antón reservoir, and then back up to the Aritxulegi tunnel. The route wound through the forests of Aiako Harria Natural Park, surrounded by steep green mountains and almost no traffic. Near the tunnel, we crossed from Navarra into Gipuzkoa and officially entered another part of the Basque Country.

The climbing kept us warm, but the long, wet descent toward sea level was another story. By the time we reached the bottom, Lisa’s fingers were frozen. Luckily, we found a welcoming coffee shop where a ham-and-cheese croissant and warm cups of coffee gave us both food and something hot to wrap our hands around.

From there, we joined the Arditurri Greenway, another old railway corridor. This one once carried minerals from mines in the mountains to the port at Pasaia. Today it follows the Oiartzun River before linking into a surprisingly complete network of bike lanes through Oiartzun, Errenteria, Pasaia, and all the way into Donostia-San Sebastián.

Once again, entering a large city turned out to be far easier than we had imagined. We simply followed one bike trail into another until the mountains opened to the sea. I could not help thinking about how difficult it would be to navigate loaded touring bicycles into the center of Chicago!

Reaching the coast was spectacular. Dark storm clouds hung over the city while the ocean remained a brilliant blue below them. Large waves rolled toward Zurriola Beach, where surfers were taking advantage of the rough water. Zurriola is San Sebastián’s most exposed beach and the heart of the city’s surfing culture, so even under threatening skies there were plenty of people in the water.

Still carrying all our gear, we took a short bicycle tour along the waterfront and through the city before checking into our hotel. It was much nicer than we expected, with a little balcony and a great view. We relaxed for a while before setting out on our next important mission: pintxos!

We wandered through the narrow streets of the Parte Vieja, stopping for little snacks and drinks along the way. The old town was rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1813, although the Gothic Church of San Vicente, the oldest church in the city, survived from centuries earlier. We also found a small souvenir shop, picked out some postcards, and sent them on their way.

Eventually, our wandering led us to a beautiful place overlooking the ocean for sunset. The colors never became quite as brilliant as we expected, but watching the clouds, waves, and fading light over the Atlantic was still a perfect ending to the day.

Then it was back to our balcony for a few snacks and drinks before calling it a night. Between the rain, river trails, mountain passes, frozen fingers, city navigation, surfers, pintxos, and ocean views, we were exhausted. It was another completely unique day, and another one we will never forget.Read more