We spent two days in Zarautz, another of Spain’s premier surf towns.

Zarautz Beach was voted the best beach in Spain for 2024 by readers of Condé Nast Traveler. The beachfront promenade is lined with bars, and restaurants, giving the beach a lively atmosphere from morning until late at night.

The scenery wasn’t bad, either. The beach stretches for miles, with green hills and rugged coastline providing a spectacular backdrop.

Zarautz sits in the heart of Basque Country, where the local language, Euskara, bears little resemblance to Spanish. It made translating menus a bit more challenging.

The highlight of our stay came during a late-night stop at a local bar. We found a guy absolutely hammering away at the piano. He didn’t tickle the ivories. He body-slammed them. Fortunately for everyone listening, he was really, really good. Take a listen.

Then it was time to say agur—Basque for goodbye—to Zarautz and continue our journey down the coast.

San Sebastián was our next stop. It’s a beautiful city that reminded me of a smaller version of Barcelona, with dramatic churches, elegant architecture, and a laid-back beach vibe.

La Concha Beach is regularly ranked among the best city beaches in Europe. Its name means “The Shell,” a nod to the bay’s distinctive shape.

Strolling the beach, we were amazed with the artwork etched into the sand. It’s a lot of work that will eventually be washed away by the tide.

We spent a morning walking up to and touring Castillo de la Mota. It was really more of a climb than a walk as its name translates to Castle on the Hill.

The views from the castle were spectacular, stretching across the city, harbor, and coastline. It was easy to see why this location was chosen for a fortress centuries ago.

Of course, no visit to San Sebastián would be complete without sampling some of the local food. We enjoyed plenty of pintxos and even found time for a paella dinner.

Sunday morning the town square came alive with vendors and musicians. It drew a large crowd and was a perfect finale to our time in San Sebastián.

Our trip is approaching the halfway point. Sunday afternoon, we fly to Venice and board a cruise that will take us to Croatia, the Greek Islands, and several islands along the Amalfi Coast.

After we dock in Rome, it’s about 10 days on the Amalfi Coast followed by 10 days in Tuscany. We get back to Florida on July 1. I’m pretty sure we’ll be ready.

Enjoy.

Pete