Egia neighbourhood

Although many tourists never get to know it, San Sebastian is much more than the Old Town and La Concha, something that we at Go Local insist on a lot. Around the most visited places there are many neighbourhoods where visitors don’t go, but which are essential in the day-to-day life of the people of San Sebastian. One of them is the Egia neighbourhood, about which we are going to tell you a few things.

Egia is very close to the city centre, you only have to cross the Urumea river over the María Cristina bridge and the train tracks to get there from the Buen Pastor cathedral. Or cross the Santa Catalina bridge and pass under the train tracks next to the courthouse and you’ll be there in no time.

But why go to Egia?

Easy, in Egia are two of the most interesting places to visit in the city: Tabakalera and Cristina Enea.

Tabakalera is a cultural centre, more specifically the International Centre for Contemporary Culture, located in the former state tobacco factory in Donosti, hence its name. In this building, exhibitions, film cycles, conferences, concerts… are organised. There is a cafeteria, a restaurant, a huge media library and on the fifth floor there is a viewpoint from which you can see the city centre, the Urumea and even the sea. So visiting it is totally worthwhile.

Also worth a visit is the Cristina Enea Park, located right next door. This public park was once the residence of the Dukes of Mandas, Fermín Lasala and Cristina Brunetti, who gave the park its name. On the death of both of them, they donated the gardens and buildings to the city and today anyone can enjoy them. It is a large park, with numerous species of plants brought from all over the world and a pond where ducks, a swan, turtles and peacocks roam freely. There are also red squirrels, although they are quite difficult to see. Without a doubt, Cristina Enea is the perfect place to get away from the city, but not too far.

The Egia neighbourhood

Egia goes beyond Tabakalera and Cristina Enea. Egia is known for its regeneration in recent years and for its popular and artistic atmosphere. The people of Egia know each other, greet each other and organise themselves to improve the neighbourhood or organise the festivals, called Porrontxos, which take place in September. Porrontxos, by the way, is one of the most beloved festivals in Donosti, an essential date in the annual calendar for anyone who likes popular parties.

As for the artistic side of the neighbourhood, there are a couple of concert venues in Egia, the best known of which is probably the Dabadaba. The municipal cultural centre also organises concerts and plays. Theatre, or micro-theatre, can also be found in La Farándula. And if we go up the streets of Egia we will find artists’ studios and workshops that have their spaces here and that help to create a very interesting cultural fabric.

And of course, the food in Egia is just as good as in the rest of the city. There are the traditional neighbourhood bars, of course, but there are also vegetarian restaurants, international food and traditional restaurants with a twist that will delight the most demanding gourmets.

So if you come to San Sebastian and want to see a different side of the city without going too far, we highly recommend you visit Egia, walk up and down its streets (yes, it is a neighbourhood that is on a slope) and mingle with the locals. We can’t think of a better plan.