Pasai Donibane (Pasaia)

Pasai Donibane (Pasajes de San Juan in Spanish) is the old fishing village on the eastern shore of Pasaia bay, about 5.5 km east of San Sebastián in a straight line: one long street of sailors’ houses with wooden balconies, stone passages under the buildings and a square on the water. You reach it by road from the Lezo side or by the small passenger boat from Pasai San Pedro across the bay. It suits walkers and anyone who likes harbours and seafood; skip it if you want a beach, because the bay is a working port.

Quick facts

• Names: Pasai Donibane in Basque, Pasajes de San Juan in Spanish. The municipality is Pasaia (Pasajes).
• Where: eastern Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, on the eastern side of the bay of Pasaia, between Mount Ulia and Mount Jaizkibel (turismo.euskadi.eus).
• Coordinates (Santiago plaza): 43.3272, -1.9201.
• Part of: Pasaia, made up of four districts: Donibane and San Pedro by the sea, and the more urban Pasai Antxo and Trintxerpe. The bay holds Gipuzkoa’s most important commercial port (turismo.euskadi.eus).
• Landmarks: the church of San Juan Bautista, the Arizabalo palace, the hermitage of Santa Ana, the basilica of Santo Cristo de Bonanza and the house where Victor Hugo stayed (turismo.euskadi.eus).
• Across the bay: Pasai San Pedro, with the Albaola maritime factory.
• Tourist office: Pasai Donibane, phone 943 34 15 56 (Basque Government route sheet).

Getting there and parking

By boat from San Pedro: Donibane and San Pedro face each other across the bay and are linked by a small motor boat, the motora (turismo.euskadi.eus). OpenStreetMap maps it as a foot and bicycle ferry with landings about 100 m from Santiago plaza and on the San Pedro side. We could not open the Pasaia tourism page with its fares and hours.

By road: the other link between the two districts is the road round the bay through Lezo (turismo.euskadi.eus). Donibane is essentially a single street, so cars stay at its edge.

Parking: OpenStreetMap shows a free surface car park at Bizkaia plaza, at the eastern entrance of the village, about 450 m from Santiago plaza, and a multi-storey car park nearby. We could not confirm capacity, prices or rules.

On foot: Donibane is the end of stage 1 of the GR 121 coastal path from Hondarribia, which arrives along the “paseo de Puntas” under the arches of the castle of Santa Isabel and Santa Ana (Basque Government route sheet). Stage 2 starts across the bay in San Pedro and climbs over Monte Ulia to San Sebastián.

What to see

The street and the square. Turismo Euskadi describes houses with the typical architecture of a sailors’ town, most of them lined up along one street on the eastern bank, which at times runs through passages under the buildings. The Basque Government’s path sheet adds the traditional fishermen’s houses with wooden balconies and the cobbled passages of the single street of the old quarter. The square, Santiago plaza, opens onto the water, with terraces in front of the balconied houses.

Churches and houses. Along the street you pass the church of San Juan Bautista, the Arizabalo palace, the hermitage of Santa Ana, the basilica of Santo Cristo de Bonanza and the house where the French writer Victor Hugo spent a few days (turismo.euskadi.eus). OpenStreetMap maps the Victor Hugo house as a museum, close to the Santa Ana hermitage.

The Mater. Turismo Euskadi recommends a visit to the Mater, a tuna fishing boat that is now a floating museum about fishing techniques. We could not confirm its current opening hours or prices.

Albaola, across the water. In Pasai San Pedro, Albaola, the Sea Factory of the Basques, recovers traditional boatbuilding and shows the construction of a replica of the San Juan, a 16th-century whaling ship (turismo.euskadi.eus). San Pedro also has its parish church with a striking façade and the house where the sailor Blas de Lezo was born; from there Mount Ulia is easy to reach, with a view over the bay.

Food

Turismo Euskadi recommends a fish dish in one of the village’s restaurants; the village has been tied to the sea since time immemorial. Most restaurants line the street and the square. We do not list names or prices.

Accessibility and safety

The street is narrow, with passages under the houses. OpenStreetMap tags the public toilets near Santiago plaza as wheelchair accessible, but the boat landings as not accessible for wheelchairs. The bay is a commercial port, so keep to the quays and walkways. The GR 121 sections on either side are steep and exposed: the path sheet advises walking with company and carrying water and a charged phone. In an emergency call 112.

Best time to visit

Any time of year. Come in the morning to walk the street before lunch, or plan Donibane as the end of the Jaizkibel walk from Hondarribia or the start of the Ulia walk to San Sebastián. Pick a dry day for either path.

Nearby alternatives

• Pasaia to San Sebastián walk (GR 121), 0.2 km away: the cliff walk over Monte Ulia, starting across the bay in San Pedro.
• San Sebastián, 5.5 km away: the city of La Concha and the Old Town.
• Isla de Santa Clara, 6.5 km away: the island in La Concha bay.
• Monte Igueldo, 7.3 km away: the viewpoint at the west end of La Concha.
• Hondarribia, 11.2 km away: the walled border town where the coastal path starts.

Distances are in a straight line from Santiago plaza.

FAQ

How do I get from San Sebastián to Pasai Donibane?

The village is about 5.5 km east of San Sebastián in a straight line. You can drive round the bay through Lezo and park at Bizkaia plaza, or walk the GR 121 in reverse over Monte Ulia and cross the bay by boat from San Pedro.

How do you cross from Pasai San Pedro to Pasai Donibane?

By the small passenger motor boat across the bay (turismo.euskadi.eus). We could not confirm fares or hours.

Is there parking in Pasai Donibane?

Yes, at the edge of the village. OpenStreetMap shows a free surface car park at Bizkaia plaza, about 450 m from the square.

Is Pasai Donibane worth visiting?

Yes, for a short walk and a meal: the single street of balconied sailors’ houses and passages is unusual on this coast, and Albaola and the Mater are close by (turismo.euskadi.eus).

Where did Victor Hugo stay in Pasaia?

In a house in Pasai Donibane, listed by Turismo Euskadi among the village’s buildings of interest.

Sources and freshness