San Sebastian, Spain 1990

"San Sebastian has a rich and colourful maritime history"

San Sebastian is arguably the most picturesque of Plymouth's five twin cities. Situated in the Basque region of Northern Spain close to the French Border, it lies at the foot of three hills. Monte Igueldo to the West, Monte Urgull at the centre and Monte Ulia to the East and in turn, these hill encompass three sheltered beaches.

With a population approaching 180,000, San Sebastian is a calm, quiet city set in beautiful countryside, boasting as it does numerous peaceful mountain beauty spots only a few minutes away from the bustling city centre. It also enjoys a mild climate all through the year with an average summer temperature of 22 degrees C.

Like Plymouth, San Sebastian has a rich and colourful maritime history and is also a popular centre for sailing. It was as a result of this activity, that the two communities came together, following the introduction of the biennial Armada Cup Yacht Race. This fostered a long period of friendship between the two cities, which involved mutual exchange visits, that came to a peak in 1988 when Plymouth commemorated the 400th anniversary of the Spanish Armada. In 1990, the formal twinning agreement between the two cities was duly signed.

Throughout the year, San Sebastian hosts numerous festivals, including the celebration of, Jazz, Classical Music, Cinema, Fireworks, Dance, Sailing and local Sports and each one of these draws visitors to the city in their thousands. A unique feature of the City is its rich variety of restaurants where excellent cuisine can be discovered, including the temptations of many Basque speciality dishes.

San Sebastian is easily reached from Plymouth, via the ferry services between Plymouth and Northern Spain. Upon leaving the ferry terminal in Santander, it is only a leisurely two hour, scenic drive eastwards, before the beauties of San Sebastian are revealed.