Pyrenees, (C) Wikimedia
While the pandemic is still with us, you are probably hoping it stops so you can go on your trip. Am I right? You take part in travel zooms, look too often at the Expedia website, or salivate watching people on TV who are not sitting in their living room. Admit it, I am not far off the mark! You may have saved a lot of money by not spending much since the start of the pandemic. Money that could be put to good use on a nice trip. I have the best destination for you: the Pyrenees! People love Europe to see Paris and the Eiffel Tower, Spain and Barcelona, but they never go further than the major attractions. Why not go to less explored areas like the Pyrenees? This region abounds in magnificent places to visit, where past and present blend in picturesque architecture. It is well worth a visit!
The trip is divided into three, allowing you to do just one part if you wish. The French section, which starts in Perpignan and ends in Bayonne & Biarritz for those doing just this part, or at the border for those doing the whole tour. The Spanish section, which begins in San Sebastian and ends in Girona for those who only do this part, or from the French border to the Andorran border for those who do the whole trip. The third section consists of the Principality of Andorra. Andorra has no airport, so you must come from the French or Spanish side. In our case, especially if you are doing the entire trip, the route would be from Girona to Andorra la Vella and then on to Perpignan to catch the plane.
Let us continue with the second part, the Spanish part. We will discover the ideal itinerary for your trip, with places to stay, things to do and transport to take. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to France! On behalf of the entire crew, your flight attendant wishes you a pleasant stay at your destination!
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Suggested itinerary
Map of the Pyrenees - Spanish Side, (C) Google Maps
San Sebastian
The suggested itinerary starts in San Sebastian if you are beginning your journey, and at the Franco-Spanish border, in Irún, if you are starting from the beginning. On the other hand, planes arriving in the San Sebastian area land in Bilbao, outside our area, or in Biarritz, in the French part of the Pyrenees. For those arriving from France, I suggest you stop off in Irún to see the Luis Mariano Museum, in his hometown. As mentioned in the first part, it is easier to get there by bus, as by train you have to change at the border. Once in San Sebastian, there are a couple of nice places to spend the night; the Hotel Parma and the Ur-Alde. Prices are from their website and Expedia’s rating.
Hôtel Parma: 4,3/5
Price: Minimum of $120 CAD per Night
Good: Clean, Cost, Downtown
Bad: Breakfast is not Free
Ur-Alde: 5/5
Price: Minimum of $82 CAD per Night
Good: Clean, Cost, Downtown
Bad: — Nothing Major —
There are tons of places to stay in the region. Good addresses, on the other hand, not so much. San Sebastian, also known as Donostia, is considered a seaside resort. It is, therefore, a little more touristy than the others. There are a lot of B&Bs, and fewer hotels and motels. As for suggested addresses, the Hotel Parma costs around $120 according to their website. Expedia, on the other hand, has a much lower price. It is hard to know what the real price of an average room is in high season. There is an extra charge for breakfast. The second, the Ur-Alde, which I suggest you choose, does not have a website, so I have used the Expedia price. Both are very well located, as are all the others. You may be lucky enough to find a gem if one of these does not suit you.
As for things to do in San Sebastian, they are all linked to the ocean, so you can take a stroll along La Concha Beach or Zurriola Beach to take it easy. If you are looking for higher ground to admire the coast and the city, you could go to Mont Urgull or Mont Igueldo-Txubillo.
As for activities in town, there is the Parte Vieja, also known as Parte Zaharra. Almost everything is written in both Spanish and Basque. Then, they often have two names. This is the busiest place in San Sebastian for the tourist trade. Another interesting place is the San Telmo Museoa, which is a historical and ethnographic museum, as well as a gallery for exhibiting paintings. Admission costs around $9. If you are into politics, you can visit the Miramar Palace, built over a hundred years ago at the request of Spanish royalty. You can finish off with a visit to the Plaza de la Constitución.
On the other hand, there may be other things to see if you go during the winter. Around December 20th each year — depending on the dates that fall on the weekend — the Santo Tomás takes place. This fair kicks off the Christmas festivities. A month later, around January 20, the Tamborrada de San Sebastián takes place. This is a drum parade in honour of the local patron saint, St. Sebastian.
You will probably have a day and a half to visit. You will need to spend two nights in a hotel. If you are going in winter, plan an extra night to celebrate with the locals. Then, it is off to Pamplona. You will take the coach to San Sebastian with Alsa, which costs $12 and will get you to your destination in just over an hour. The train is too long and the timetable does not correspond to the standard tourist day. If there are no buses that day, you can take a BlaBlaCar, which will cost you about the same amount of money.
Pamplona
Depending on the time you arrive in Navarre, you may have time to do a little sightseeing before checking into your hotel. There are plenty of worthwhile hotels here too, as this is a region that is attracting more and more tourists. The best hotels are; Hotel Europa, Hotel Yoldi, and Hotel Zenit.
Hôtel Europa: 4,6/5
Price: Minimum of $103 CAD per Night
Good: Clean, Service Quality, Downtown
Bad: Cost
Hôtel Yoldi: 4,4/5
Price: Minimum of $118 CAD per Night
Good: Clean, Service Quality, Downtown
Bad: Cost
Hôtel Zenit: 4,4/5
Price: Minimum of $80 CAD per Night
Good: Clean, Cost, Downtown, Service Quality
Bad: Breakfast is not Free
There are plenty of places to stay in Pamplona since it is Navarre’s largest city. All three are prestigious hotels, but one is less expensive. Even if it does not serve lunch at this price, you can always pay extra to include it, or simply eat at the restaurant next door. I would still recommend Zenit, but the other two are not that bad either.
When it comes to things to do in Pamplona, there is a lot of them. Virtually everything you can see or do relates to the local buildings, most of which are historic. Let us start with the places of worship, as there are several. The first is the Catedral de Pamplona, the second, is the Parroquia San Lorenzo, and the third, is the Iglesia de San Saturno. The architecture of these buildings is splendid. Furthermore, they are still active places of worship, so it is free if you decide to take a look inside.
Next, you can visit the Plaza del Castillo and Pamplona City Hall, both of which are of great beauty. Afterwards, you can head for the Parque de la Taconera, which is just as magnificent. Conclude your trip in the city with a visit to the Monumento al Encierro and the Plaza de Toros, both themed around bullfighting, bulls and bullfighters.
You will have about two days to visit. I would suggest staying three nights, considering you are travelling on the first day. True, it is a short journey, but you may be leaving San Sebastian late. After these memorable moments in Pamplona, it is time to hit the road for Huesca, the historic site of the former Kingdom of Aragon. You can take the bus to Jaca with La Burundesa and from Jaca to Huesca with Alsa. All other trains and buses pass through Zaragoza, which is outside the area. Being only two hundred kilometres away, you may be able to take a BlaBlaCar. Most leave from the outskirts of Pamplona, where Freeway 15 runs directly to Huesca. The price of the bus is indeterminate, and carpooling costs between $15 and $25, depending on the driver.
Huesca
If you take the bus, it may take a good part of the day. On the other hand, if you are travelling with a companion, you can arrive in Huesca at any time you like. In town, there are a few places to stay that look interesting. As choices; Abba and Hotel Pedro I Aragon.
Abba Huesca: 4,4/5
Price: Minimum de $108 CAD per Night
Good: Clean, Downtown
Bad: Cost
Hotel Pedro I Aragon: 4,6/5
Price: Minimum de $82 CAD per Night
Good: Clean, Service Quality, Downtown, Cost
Bad: — Nothing Major —
There are many other hotel establishments. On the other hand, they are paired with spas, which pushes the bill up pretty quickly, even exceeding $200 easily. Of these two choices, even though they are both quality hotels, it seems obvious because of the price to stay at the King of Aragon. Everything is there to please. On the other hand, if there is no more room, you will know which other hotels to fall back on.
There are fewer things to do in Huesca, but enough to stop. Unfortunately, not enough remains of the Kingdom, although the capital was briefly in Jaca before moving to Huesca. In terms of historical vestige, the Monasterio San Pedro el Viejo, the Catedral and the Villa Médieval de Montañana remain. These are all accessible, even though they are still in use. That also means they are free. On the other hand, you may well be asked to make a voluntary contribution to the preservation of the buildings.
In terms of nature, there is the Parque Miguel Servet. Here you will find a miniature house and several other eclectic works of art. Then there is the Valle de Aguas Tertuas y Del Tena. Here, overlooking the city of Huesca, you can admire the region and its mountains.
You will have a day and a half to visit. Then, you will need to spend two nights in Huesca. After your stop in this town perched in the mountains, you will move on to the last stop on the Spanish part of the tour, Girona. There are two ways to get there. The first is to take the bus to Lérida in the morning with Alsa and to Girona in the afternoon with Elèctrics Interurbans. This is the only way by bus or train to get to Girona via Zaragoza or Barcelona. The price may be higher, around forty dollars in total. The second option is always a BlaBlaCar. On the other hand, since the distance is bigger, it can be enormously expensive. When I last looked, it cost around $35 to get to Girona.
Girona
Once in Girona, the last stop on the Spanish leg, you will want to sleep in something extremely comfortable, before continuing to Andorra or heading home. There are a few places of interest on the hotel front; Hotel Carlemany, Hotel Palau de Bellavista, and the DoubleTree.
Hotel Carlemany Girona: 4,4/5
Price: Minimum of $91 CAD per Night
Good: Clean, Downtown, Service Quality
Bad: — Nothing Major —
Hotel Palau de Bellavista Girona by URH: 4,3/5
Price: Minimum of $82 to $110 CAD per Night
Good: Clean, Downtown
Bad: — Nothing Major —
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Girona: 4,3/5
Price: Minimum of $100 CAD per Night
Good: Clean, Downtown
Bad: Cost
There are many other hotel establishments. On the other hand, they are paired with spas, which pushes the bill up pretty quickly, even exceeding $200 easily. Of these two choices, even though they are both quality hotels, it seems obvious because of the price to stay at the King of Aragon. Everything is there to please. On the other hand, if there is no more room, you will know which other hotels to go to.
In Girona, there is no shortage of things to see and visit, in every possible socio-cultural sphere. There are places dedicated to Christianity, Judaism and Islam. First of all, there is the Catedral. Admission costs $10, but you have access to an audio guide, financed by the city council. The same goes for the Esglesia de Sant Feliu, which also costs $10 with an audio guide. There is the Museum of Jewish History, which focuses on their presence in Catalonia since the Middle Ages. Admission is $6. On the subject of Islam, there are the Arab Baths. You can see what was built by the Arabs of al-Andalus. Admission is $5.
Another interesting spot is the Passeig de la Muralla. This place overlooks the city, providing a spectacular view, especially at sunset. The next point is the Plaça de la Independència. This square is located right in the heart of Girona’s city centre. There are often markets and stalls in the middle of the place. Finally, there is the Museu del Cinema. Film museums are not commonplace, so this is a good reason to stop by and learn more about Catalan cinema. Admission to the museum is currently $9.
It will probably take you two to two and a half days to visit, and there is a lot to see. The estimate is based on the fact that there is probably more to see and do than we know. If this is the case, you will need to budget for it. Most ask for donations or have fixed costs for building preservation. The difference is financed by Girona and Catalonia. Then, with all these activities, plan to spend two or three evenings in a hotel. After, it is on to the Pyrenees and Andorra. You will need to take a bus to Manresa. From there, you will need to take another bus that will take you directly to Andorra la Vella. The trip should cost around $40. Please consult the Alsa and TEISA websites for further information. At the moment, there is no better way to get into Andorra. The airport project is far from being completed, estimated for 2026. There are no trains and not many buses. It is hard to increase tourism with this kind of transport. There is, of course, the option of going via Barcelona, but that is out of the area.
If you are only doing the Spanish part, you can take the train to Perpignan and back to the airport. The train is extremely fast, taking just forty minutes. The cost is around $30. I hope you have enjoyed this part of the trip and that it inspires you to travel further.
Spanish-Andorran border, (C) LonelyPlanet
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Sources:
- Alsa
- BlaBlaCar
- Expedia
- Google Arts & Culture
- Google Maps
- LonelyPlanet
- Rome2Rio
- TEISA
- TripAdvisor
- Wikimédia
- Académie Royale de Gastronomie Espagnole
- Conseil de Ville de Gérone
- Gouvernement de la Catalogne
- Sud Ouest