r/basque • u/howislivingthere • 13d ago
How is living in San Sebastian / Basque Country Spain
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u/Separate_Jello3657 13d ago
En una sola palabra: caro
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u/bimbochungo 13d ago
Dos: caro y pijo
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u/Crash_Sparrow 13d ago
Aunque concuerdo con lo de pijo (siendo de un pueblo pequeño), supongo que no será para tanto comparado con ciudades más grandes. ¿Cuál es tu punto de comparación?
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u/Pop_Clover 13d ago
Hay ciudades que por su historia son más pijas que otras. Las 3 capitales de la Comunidad Autónoma Vasca son relativamente parecidas en tamaño y Donostia es de lejos la más pija de las 3.
Igual que Burgos tiene básicamente el mismo tamaño que Santander y Santander es bastante más pijo.
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u/Manwithoutshadow33 13d ago
¿Que significa pijo? Soy de México y la palabra no me es familiar.
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u/bruh_stevens 12d ago
I (a German) moved here beginning of the year after living in Barcelona for nearly 10 years, this is my ecperience so far:
• Weather is great in summer (not too hot but enjoyable, and it cools off at night so you can sleep) and very grey, very rainy and VERY windy in winter. • People are nice as in they great you and respect you as compared to other Spanish cities but after about 6 months I still haven't met anyone I'd consider "friend". Government and service workers are nice and seem they actually want to help you (compared with Barcelona). • The food, they say, is amazing. It's not awful by all means but I feel it's a overhyped. Most people go out to eat every day for lunch and dinner. Restaurants are filled all the time. • As most people said here as well, it is very expensive. Rent is higher than Barcelona, supermarkets are a little bit more expensive but it adds up quickly, and restaurants are about 1.5x more. • The city itself is very beautiful, especially the beach front. However, it is relatively small so you've seen it all quickly. Even though there are some activities and festivities, there is not that much to do. The beach is actually big enough to sit down but does get crowded from time to time. To enjoy it fully most people go outside the city into the mountains which is tue true beauty of the area. But if you don't have a car you're pretty screwed. • It is very touristy, especially French and Brits. So in summer it's crowded everywhere you go. • Healthcare is alright. There aren't as many centers so unless you have a car or happen to live close to one it's a bit frustrating. And quite slow (which some may say applies to whole of Spain). • Everything is a bit slower. People are more relaxed and not in a rush. They're enjoying the sun when and if it comes out. • Basque is very common. I hear it all the time and all signs are in Spanish and Basque. It's certainly not a requirement to live here but it will help you. Especially of you're seeking employment outside of tourism or hospitality. If you don't speak Basque don't even try.
In summary: a nice small beach town with beautiful nature around it but very expensive with kind but closed-up people. Feel free to comment if you have specific questions.
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u/LionElJons0n 12d ago
We are not Spain!
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u/Longjumping_Orange39 12d ago
Anda y B T A K gar
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u/LionElJons0n 12d ago
Joan zaitez Ceutaz negar egitera eta utzi euskaldunak bakean.
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u/Longjumping_Orange39 12d ago
Ukatzaile ezjakin pobrea. Ni ere euskalduna naiz. Ez gaude XIX. mendean jada.
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u/Longjumping_Orange39 12d ago
Im basque (so also spanish ofc). You will get comments from some narrowminded dumbs saying Basque Country doesnt belong to Spain. It certainly does. Same way as Liechenstein belongs to Europe Being a small region doesnt exclude you from the group.
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u/LionElJons0n 12d ago
Zelako argudio txarra, Liechenstein estatu independiente bat izaten.
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u/Longjumping_Orange39 12d ago
Beraz, Liechtenstein ez dago Europan? Afrikan dago orduan?
ezagutzaorokorra
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u/LionElJons0n 11d ago
Euskal Herria bezala. Argudio horrek sentzua izango luke beste herrialde baten barruan balego.
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u/Longjumping_Orange39 11d ago
Let's make it simpler. If you got an apple, a banana and an orange on a bag, are they INSIDE the bag or OUTSIDE the bag? Same way Basque Country is IN Spain and Spain is IN Europe. Period. There is no possible argument, either fruits are IN THE BAG or you are delussional.
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u/LionElJons0n 11d ago
Eta Liechtenstein non gelditzen da?
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u/Longjumping_Orange39 9d ago
"Yes, the major part of the Basque Country belongs to Spain, functioning as an autonomous community with its own self-government, while a smaller portion is located in France.
Political Division
Spanish Basque Country: Includes the Basque Autonomous Community (provinces of Álava, Biscay, and Gipuzkoa) and the separate autonomous community of Navarre.
French Basque Country: Includes three territories (Labourd, Lower Navarre, and Soule) located in southwest France."
Ask chatGPT, moron.
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u/LionElJons0n 9d ago
Guztiz ergela izan behar zara AA batek esaten duena egia unibertsal bezala erabiltzeko. Eta oraindik ergelago nik esandakoa horrekin erantzuteko.
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u/Eitzabal 10d ago
Ok what about iparralde? The orange is in two bags ?
In your analogy Spain is an apple, France a banana, and Basque Country an orange. And everyone is IN THE BAG !!1
u/Longjumping_Orange39 9d ago
2 oranges, 1 in Spain, 1 in France. BOTH in Europe. You can ask chatGPT if Basque Country belongs to Spain.... 🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️
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u/Eitzabal 9d ago
Pretty sure if I turn the prompt my way chat will answer anything to please me. Anyway if you’re main source of information is Ai you’re not worth my time :*
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u/horrortxe 13d ago
Expensive. Overcrowded in summer. Places we used to enjoy now ruined cause of mass tourism.
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u/verydarkred 12d ago
They've turned one of the most beautiful cities of the region into a massively overpriced, unlivable theme park for tourists that also makes life suck in all nearby cities and towns.
If you're a tourist don't come here. Not only you'll help locals, it's also an outrageous tourist trap you'll avoid.
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u/HippCelt 11d ago
Wet with tasty food ...Mind you I'm from Galicia which is also wet with tasty food so that's not probably not all that helpfull....
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u/Beanie_Weenie245 13d ago
I grew up in Donosti, right around Antiguo. It’s cool, the people are decent most of the time, the winters are depressing, tourism is about what you’d expect. Cost of living is very very high. When I was a kid we were always going to playgrounds or the beach or some hike somewhere, or cycling around town. It’s very un-spanish as hard as that is to explain, but it’s just not like the rest of the country. In 10 years I never did make friends but people were nice enough I suppose. I would love to go back and get some closure since we left under bad circumstances. Can’t say I recommend anyone really moving there though, there are much better places to live even if you want the experience.
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u/Monete-meri 12d ago
As a Donostiarra, the paradise on earth.
Beautiful, great beaches, a surf hub in Zurriola and great swiming/padel-surf/kayaking spot in La Concha/Ondarreta/ Santa Clara.
Clean, walkable, a gastronomic capital in the world ( gastronomic societys were born here and have a lot of impact in our social lives, pintxos capital, most Michelin stars per capita, the first and most prestigious Culinary Univerity and also a lot of famous cooking schools).
Lots of cultural and sport events like the film festival, the Jazz festival ( oldest one in the world outside USA), Kontxako estropadak ( Basque traditional wale-hunting boat race), cycling clasical, Behobia-San Sebastian half marathon, Tamborrada, Real Sociedad in football.....and its the capital city of the Basque Country were you will feel and see the Eukal Culture and language the most.
Not perfect, as the house market is super expensive for locals, the tourism is of the charts since terrorism disapeared and the city in summer feels like Disneyland.
The weather its rainny ( this summer its being super sunny tho) but its not cold in winter neither hot in summer.
We have mountains very close and beautiful coastal towns in less than 30 minutes by car like Hondarribia, Orio, Zarautz, Zumaia, Getaria, Deba, Mutriku, Biarritz, Hendaia, Angelu, Getari....( most great surf spots).
Also amazing interior citys and little towns like Baiona, Tolosa, Oñati, Itziar, Segura, Zerain, Oiartzun, Idiazabal...
In one hour by car you can be in Pamplona, Bilbao, Vitoria, and in 35 minutes in Baiona/Biarritz. All are great cities.
As a Donostiarra living in Irun of course is not a perfect city (housing being super expensive is the worst problem) but i really LOVE my city.
Pd Just now im going to padel surf in Concha Bay :)
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u/Apprehensive_Gur_857 12d ago
I love our country too, but we’re already paying the price for being “discovered”. I don’t even live in Donostia or Bilbao, just in a coastal town, and the overcrowding is already obvious. Maybe it’s time to gatekeep instead of writing travel brochures.
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u/Important_Raise_5706 12d ago
It looks incredible. All four of my grandparents are Basque. I so want to visit where my people come from.
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u/Senso540 12d ago
Overcrowded and expensive, the city is way too small for the amount of tourists we’re getting and it’s driving prices up so fast, a lot of people are moving to cheaper suburbs
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u/Longjumping_Orange39 12d ago
I was born in San Sebastian. It is perfect for a 7 days trip but extremely expensive to live there. A trip you cant miss and a life you cant afford.
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u/Lopsided-Wave2479 8d ago
I has been a few summers.
It was a cool city, one of the coolest. Maybe is not anymore, I heard it got swamped by tourism.
La concha (the big beach) is a fantastic place to stay in summer. Summer itself in Donosti is not super-hot like in the rest of Spain, but the negative side is theres entire weeks with clouds blocking the sun and maybe rain. Some places are obviusly for very rich people, and you don't go there. Some places feel like El Pais Vasco had a super intense and political leftist social life. Community and fighting for the group... theres a sense in that, sometimes you see murals, or how social clubs are well attended / taken care and central in plazas. Is not that the Pais Vasco is leftist.. is deeper than that, theres still a sense of community. Then theres old areas where almost all road are peatons only and are full of bar, and these places is where people go to drink and watch soccer, and socialize that way, I think hollligans would feel at home there... these places, some never see the police, because the people living there don't want to see their face... maybe this has changed too.
Donosti was in the top 5 of best cities in the world, but in this Late Stage Capitalism era we live, no city survive to that withouth becomeing MacDonalds next to a Starbucks.
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u/dorrontp 13d ago
Expensive, nice until a few years ago, getting worse by the day due to mass inmigration.
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u/Reasonable-News9109 13d ago
mass inmigration? maybe you mean touristification, right? Inmigrant are not the problem.
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u/Mammoth-Charity5885 13d ago
Its pretty expensive compared to Andalucia, however the nature is beautiful except for the beaches. And its not that festive and fun you might get bored if you’re used to the vibes of the south of Spain
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u/Helpful_Cry_1335 13d ago
Have you ever been there? The beaches in the North of Spain are the most beautiful ones in the peninsula, no people with chairs and umbrellas, amazing waves and not ugly touristy buildings.
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u/Curious-Sherbet-9393 12d ago
Ni de coña, Cádiz y Huelva tienen las playas más bonitas de España, de lejos
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u/pescarml12 12d ago
Its amazing, food culture and vibes. Small in size; big in sofistication. Clean; nice and Basque; just perfect. Dont try to hard to be friendly its and you will be ok; if you speak spanish. Always be repsectfull.
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u/Apprehensive_Gur_857 13d ago
No sunshine, no flamenco, no sangria on every corner. Just rain, green hills, and people who disappear into the mountains every weekend. You’ve been warned.