Destinations Menu
RSS
SPAIN | San Sebastián, Spain Travel Guide
Monday, December 30, 2024
3 Of 4
Hondarribia
La Marina, Hondarribia, Spain (cc)
Photo: Josugoni
Hondarribia
Hondarribia, Fuenterrabía in Spanish and Fontarrabie in French, is a Basque town with a French attitude and French flair. Which is hardly surprising, for here is an old fort town, situated on a promontory on the Bay of Txingudi, at the mouth of the Bidasoa River, directly across the border from France, facing the French port town of Hendaye. How much closer could a Spanish town get to France?
Hondarribia's principal attractions are its lovely, walled old town, Casco Viejo, which is entered through the ancient Puerta de Santa María and is centered around the Calle Mayor (Cale Nagusia), upon which are the Ayuntamiento (town hall), the Gothic Iglesia Parroquial, and a string of 17th-century Baroque palaces; and its vibrant fisherman's quarter, La Marina, located outside the walls and filled with brightly-colored red, blue, yellow and green houses with balconies draped in flowers. Most of the markets, restaurants and small boutiques are concentrated in this area as well, and, too, the beachside promenade that leads from here to the beach and the entrance of a hike up to the Castillo de San Telmo and the Faro del Cabo Higuer (lighthouse). The Plaza de Armas, dominated by the Castillo de Carlos V which is now a tourist parador, is worth a visit too.
Hondarribia is situated just to the east of San Sebastián, and is the locale of the San Sebastián Airport. It is also a popular weekend retreat for Donostrias (residents of San Sebastián). The town has a population of around 16,000.
© Indian Chief Travel Guides
Last updated May 9, 2012
Posted in Spain | San Sebastián
Explore the Destination
Amenities and Resources
Overview
Hotels(12)
Restaurants(9)
Attractions(8)
Activities(4)
Map 
Visitor Information
Weather Forecast
- Reported on:
Mon, 12/30/2024 - 09:30
- Reported on:
Trending Themes:
Guides to Popular Ski Resorts
-
Ischgl is a small mountain village turned hip ski resort, with massive appeal among the party-hearty young crowds. It is... Read More
-
Andorra la Vella is its own little world, and not just because it’s a 290-square-mile independent principality (a fifth the... Read More
-
Bariloche (officially San Carlos de Bariloche) is the place to be seen. It is to Argentina what Aspen is to the... Read More
-
Aspen is America's most famous ski resort. And that's an understatement. For, as a ski complex, Aspen is unsurpassed. Its... Read More
-
Zermatt is a small but glamorous mountain resort town, with a population of approximately 5,700. It is one of Switzerland's... Read More
-
St. Moritz is a glitzy, alpine resort town in the celebrated Engadin Valley of Switzerland, with huge notoriety as the... Read More
-
Lake Tahoe is the premier lake resort of America, and the largest alpine lake in all of North America. It is an absolutely... Read More
-
St. Anton, Sankt Anton am Arlberg in German, is Austria's premier ski-bum resort! It's actually a small village cum... Read More
-
Kitzbühel, a small, Tyrolian resort town in the Kitzbüheler Alps, comes with international renown and huge snob appeal, and... Read More