Today is my last walking day of my adventures along the Basque Coast in Spain. I will be crossing Mount Ulia which is a small ridge (235m) separating Pasaia from San Sebastian. To my right, as usual is my old friend, the sea. The other side is green woodland. Multiple trails go through it, including the Camino Norte, and the signposting is clear. It is a short (13km) and safe route that is popular with families because you can just walk it and get a bus back home after.
Pasaia is one of the reasons why I wanted to walk this stretch. I have never seen scenery like this before. Mount Jaizkibel and Mount Ulia just drop instantly into the water here and there is a tiny fracture in the coast which is just enough for enormous ocean going ships to be pulled in and out by tugboats for repairs. Out through that tiny gap is the whole Atlantic Ocean but in here there is this lovely snug feeling of being protected. I could sit here staring out to sea and drink coffee for hours. This is how it is described by a previous writer who stayed here on his travels.
A curtain of tall green mountains, their peaks cutting against a radiant sky; at the foot of these mountains, a row of tightly juxtaposed houses, all of these houses painted white, saffron, green, with two or three floors of large balconies, a thousand things floating, clothes drying, nets, red, yellow, blue rags; at the foot of these houses, the sea…This bay lacks no grace; when I look at the horizon that encloses it, it is a lake; when I see the tide rising, it is the sea.
Victor Hugo
I leave my accommodation and walk along the southern side – Pasaia San Pedro, admiring the multicoloured houses of Pasaia San Juan. I pass the shipbuilding museum at the end of the pier. I would love to go in but not today. All along the route I have been walking is leviathan country. One of the things I learned about the Basques is that they were the first great whale hunters in Europe. They started off chasing one or two whales a year for food. During the 16th and 17th centuries they got very good at it. They hunted the Right Whale in the Bay of Biscay nearly to extinction. They passed on their skills to the rest of the world when there was huge demand for whale blubber for oil and street lighting. The Basque whalers roamed as far North as Canada and Greenland and as far east as Brazil. They were in demand on Columbus’s and Magellan’s boats during the Age of Exploration. At their peak in Canada they were catching up to 300 whales per year.
The Talaia Ibilbidea or the Lookout route as it is known refers to the coastline trail used by whale spotters. They were paid to be on watch here and burn straw to signal to the harpoonists when to launch their slender biscayenne boats. Most of the towns along this route were whale hunters back in the day. Biarritz, Hondaribba and Hendaye are known as surfing towns but they show whale hunts in their town seals, not surf competitions. It’s not the best look but what people have a guilt-free past?
The route out of Pasaia is up an incredibly steep series of steps known as the Senokozuloa Staircase. It just goes up and up. I have to stop and breathe as it climbs. Eventually it reaches a quiet road. This brings me to the Faro de la Plata which is an unusual lighthouse built in the style of a castle. It is named after the silver-like sandstone that shines on the rocks around it. The views back towards the way I walked the previous day are amazing.
From here to San Sebastian is all green trails through woodland that wraps around the many bumps of Mount Ulia. It is a lot greener here than previous days. The trail is edged by ferns and heather and the sea is hedged by cliffs, making it impossible to get close. The woods are dense with Pine and Oak trees. The folklore from these parts is unique and mysterious. There are tales of Lamia (siren like women with ducks feet) and Jentil (hairy giants that look after the woods). These deep impenetrable woods were supposedly full of witches who would come out on stormy nights to cast spells on passing ships.
I pass a wonderful old stone aquaduct, used to transport water to the towns. Although it is hot and sunny again today, this is actually a rainy part of the world. It rains 300 days a year here, which for an Irish person, is very sentimental. I have my wet gear with me just in case. It never comes out of my rucksack but there was no way I was coming here without it. The slope of the hill makes it perfect for running water and this trail can turn to mud quickly. In places I pass the remains of old slab roads. I can make out the channels alongside that were necessary to keep the trail from flooding. It is bone dry today and the ground is a soft carpet of brown Autumn leaves. The trail goes up and down following the large sandstone steps and is a good workout in places. Most of the walking is in the shade but the light blue sky is never far nor the cliffs with the sea below. It makes for beautiful walking. The nearer I get to San Sebastian, the busier the trail gets until finally I see it below.
I reach the city after a final steep descent before lunch and I rest at the legendary Zurriola surf beach eating my chorizo roll. I will spend the day surfing here tomorrow but for now I follow the promenade into the old town. This is my first time in San Sebastian and I like what I see. It is lunchtime so the pedestrian streets are packed with folk sitting outside sipping drinks and eating their Pinxtos. Most people have surfboards tucked under their arms as they walk barefoot from beach to home. It is clean and tidy and the architecture is a wonderful mix of contemporary with old style Belle Epoque.
I end my journey at La Concha, a beautiful sandy bay surrounded by stylish hotels, grand municipal buildings and fishermen’s housing. There is a metal pier at one corner with steps down to into the water. I sit there for a while watching the swimmers and the fish playing in the small waves that flow gently into shore. Then I join them.
