Old World Charm in San Sebastian

AS A TRAVEL destination, San Sebastian - a small coastal town in northern Spain facing the Bay of Biscay and part of the Basque region straddling the border between Spain and France - is blessed with an embarrassment of riches. The city has a proud history, an Instagram-worthy location fronting a perfect crescent-shaped beach framed by green hills, and an outsize reputation for culinary excellence that attracts food lovers from around the world.

Even sirimiri, a local word for the light rain or drizzle that is a constant misty presence around these parts, sounds pretty enough to eat. Perhaps not surprisingly, Sirimiri is also the name of a popular pintxos bar in the city's old quarter, or parte vieja. Pintxos, of course, are the Basque versions of tapas, although they're not synonymous (more about that later).

San Sebastian (or Donostia in the Basque language) has served as a summer retreat for Spain's royals, hosts celebrity-studded events like the annual San Sebastian International Film Festival and was designated a European Capital of Culture in 2016. Because of its compact size, full discovery will also involve excursions to some of the many picturesque fishing villages and surfing beaches along the Bay of Biscay's 176 km-long coastline, and to storied French beach resorts like Biarritz, a short 50 km-drive from San Sebastian.