There exist bays that seem drawn with a compass. La Concha is one of them: an arc of blonde sand stretched between two hills, an island set in the middle, a white balustrade running for kilometres. Donostia-San Sebastián, discrete jewel of the Spanish Basque Country, has built around this curve a worldwide reputation as a gastronomic capital. The port-call begins, however, somewhat apart, in a miniature fjord that is worth the detour on its own.

Pasaia, the Secret Antechamber

Ships make harbour at Pasaia, a natural port nestled about 10 kilometres east of the city. The narrow entrance channel, constricted between two cliffs, offers a spectacular arrival from the bridge. Before heading to San Sebastián, take a look at Pasai Donibane, a village of a single street whose coloured houses press against the mountainside: Victor Hugo stayed there in 1843 and his house, now a small museum, tells of his affection for this place. Shuttles, taxis and buses then connect the port to the city centre in about twenty minutes.

The Parte Vieja, Realm of the Pintxo

At the foot of Mount Urgull, the old town concentrates the city's energy. Its narrow streets line a record density of pintxo bars, these jeweller's morsels standing on the counters: marinated anchovies, txangurro crab, prawn skewers, fluffy omelette. The local ritual is to sample one or two marvels at each establishment, a glass of txakoli in hand, then move to the next. Between two stops, Constitution Square, a former arena whose numbered balconies served as loges, and the Baroque church Santa María remind you this quarter has memory. The Bretxa market, on its edge, supplies kitchens whose tables accumulate more Michelin stars per square metre than almost anywhere else in Europe.

The Concha Promenade

From the fishing port, the promenade launches along the bay, hugging the sand's curve toward the residential quarters to the west. It is the finest urban walk in northern Spain: the wrought white balustrade, the old street lamps, the Santa Clara island floating at the water's centre, the green hills as backdrop. Halfway along, the Miramar Palace, former summer residence of the royal court, dominates the scene from its gardens, a memory of the era when European high society came to take the waters here, giving the city its Belle Époque air.

Mount Igueldo and the Comb of the Winds

At the bay's end, a century-old funicular climbs to the summit of Mount Igueldo. Up there, the panorama generously rewards the ticket: all of La Concha spreads below, the city on one side, the ocean on the other. Descended back to sea level, a path leads to the Comb of the Winds, the work of sculptor Eduardo Chillida: three steel claws sealed in the rocks, facing the waves that sweep in sprays on rough days. The place sums up Donostia, where urban elegance constantly dialogues with an ocean of character.

A Port-Call to be Savoured

If time remains, the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, shops in the Romantic Quarter or an ice cream at the port fill the last hours. The most gourmand will book a starred table well in advance; others will remember that a simple Parte Vieja counter already nourishes lasting memories.

As the ship glides out of Pasaia's channel, the sun catches one last time the Concha's balustrade, somewhere behind the cliff. You leave San Sebastián as one pushes aside a plate still half full: reluctantly, and promising yourself to return to finish.