Pasai Donibane, Pasajes San Juan.

Pasai Donibane, Pasajes San Juan, one of the most charming places in the Basque Country.

Pasai Donibane, Pasajes San Juan in Spanish, is one of the most charming places in the Basque Country. Also one of the most visited districts of Pasaia. We must remember, that the locality of Pasaia is formed by 4 districts: Trintxerpe, Antxo, San Pedro and Donibane. These last two are located at the mouth of the bay, caressing the waters of the Bay of Biscay, spaces full of life that make us fall in love with their fishermen’s houses. Among all of them, the bridge houses of Pasai Donibane stand out, structures that create a beautiful network of urban passageways. Would you like to get to know Pasai Donibane with us?

What to see in Pasai Donibane.

The historic center of Pasai Donibane is full of interesting places. For this reason, we recommend you to walk through its streets and squares. In this case, we encourage you to walk along the street that crosses the entire town center. A way, that in several points passes under the famous houses bridges of Pasaia creating magical passages.

Church of San Juan Bautista: This church located on the slope of Mount Jaizkibel opened its doors in 1643. A baroque style temple that keeps inside the tombs of the Ferrer Brothers and a striking and interesting altarpiece.

Porcelain factory: The chimney of the 19th century porcelain factory that we find at the entrance of Pasai Donibane, in the Bizkaia neighborhood, reminds us that in addition to the well-known shipyards of Pasaia, there was also a notable industry.

Basilica of Santo Cristo: The Basilica of Santo Cristo de Bonanza, is located on the seafront, next to the Bay of Pasaia, near the Plaza Santiago. An eighteenth century temple of baroque style in which rests the Christ of Bonanza, the Christ of fishermen, merchants and privateers.

Castle of Santa Isabel: This small fortress was built in the year 1621 by express order of Carlos I. A structure, which was intended to protect the strategic port of Pasaia.

House of Victor Hugo: This popular house of Pasaia of the XVII century welcomed Victor Hugo in 1843. Today, this house, besides serving as a tourist office, also has an exhibition about Victor Hugo’s house. The views of the Bay of Pasaia from any of its 3 floors are amazing.

Hermitage of Santa Ana: At the top of Pasai Donibane, in a natural watchtower, we find the hermitage of Santa Ana. Although the year of construction is unknown, it was restored in 1758. Its strategic location allows us to contemplate the entire bay of Pasaia.

Santiago Square: This square located on the shores of the Bay of Pasaia, is one of the most emblematic and charismatic corners of Pasai Donibane. A rectangular square open to the sea, surrounded by fishermen’s houses (colorful) creates an epic, postcard space. This square represents the social heart of Pasai Donibane.

Old Town Hall: In the center of the Plaza de Santiago, facing the sea, we find the old town hall of Pasaia. A building, in which the most important decisions of this fishing village were taken since the ties with Hondarribia were broken in 1770. In the 20th century, with the incorporation of the districts of Antxo and Trintxerpe, the town hall changed its seat. Although it still resides in Pasai Donibane (San Juan).

Mount Jaizkibel: This 545-meter-high mountain is located on the Basque coast, between the towns of Pasaia and Hondarribia. Its cliffs, up to 240 meters, are home to seagulls, lizards and snakes. In this area we find the emblematic valley of Labetxu, the valley of colors that we find between the cliffs of this Basque mountain.

Bonanza ibilbidea: The Bonanza promenade links the historic center of Pasai Donibane with the Alabortza cove. An idyllic route, which runs along the shores of the Bay of Pasaia. At the end of this walk we find the canteen of the same name, Alabortzako Kantina. A place where we can enjoy some grilled sardines while enjoying the sea.

Alabortza Beach: This small cove known as Alabortza or Kalaburtza, is located next to the mouth, in one of the wildest corners of Pasai Donibane (San Juan). About 15 minutes walk from the town center. This small cove with a stone bottom has showers and a water fountain. There is also a small canteen where you can have a drink while enjoying beautiful views of the sea.

These are just some of the most emblematic spaces of Pasai Donibane, if you want to know each and every corner of this emblematic place of Euskadi we recommend you to visit the Platain house, the humilladero de la Piedad, the Villaviciosa Palace, the house of the Miranda family or the Arizabalo Palace (town hall).

Guided tours in Pasai Donibane.

If you want to know Pasai Donibane and Pasai San Pedro, we recommend you to take one of our guided tours. Undoubtedly, the best way to learn about the culture and history of any tourist destination. If you are interested in this option, you should know that there are guided tours in Pasaia every week. On the other hand, if you travel to Pasaia in a group, remember that there are special rates for groups of more than 10 people. In any case, we encourage you to use our contact form to ask us any question related to guided tours in Pasaia. We will try to answer you as soon as possible.

Video.

As usual in all our publications, we have created a short video about Pasai Donibane (San Juan). An audiovisual, with which we intend to show you in a more real way what awaits you during your next getaway. In case you like this kind of videos, we encourage you to subscribe to our YouTube channel to discover all the places and experiences that we recommend in the Basque Country, we are waiting for you!

Boat from Donostia San Sebastian to Pasai Donibane.

There is a boat route that shows us Pasai Donibane from the sea. A route that starts from the port of Donostia San Sebastian and runs along the cliffs of Mount Ulia to reach this stunning destination. You can read all about this maritime route in our article about the Donostia San Sebastian Pasaia boat route. You can also read about all the maritime routes that the capital of Gipuzkoa offers us in our publication about boat routes in Donostia San Sebastian.

Rent a boat in Pasai Donibane.

You should know that there is the possibility of renting a boat to know much of the coast of Gipuzkoa. The strategic location of Pasaia allows us to sail off the coast of Donostia San Sebastian, Hondarribia or Hendaye in a sea route of 3 hours. If you are interested in this proposal, we recommend you to use our contact form. We will try to respond as soon as possible.

Pasaia.

If you want to know all the spaces and experiences offered by the 4 districts of Pasaia, we recommend you to read our article about what to see in Pasaia. We are sure it will help you to plan your getaway to this corner of Euskadi. And spaces like Albaola or Mater are worth seeing and enjoying.

Motorboat from Pasai San Pedro to Pasai Donibane.

The motorboat, the boat that joins the districts of San Pedro and Donibane, allows us to cross the bay of Pasaia in just a few minutes. A very practical and economic transport, that we recommend you to use to visit spaces like Albaola, the lighthouse of the Silver or the museum Mater. A transport with great roots in Pasaia, that we recommend you to use during your getaway to this corner of Euskadi.

Where to eat in Pasai Donibane.

Pasai Donibane has a good number of restaurants to choose from. Most of them are specialized in fish. In fact, that is our recommendation, to taste seasonal fish. Depending on your budget, you can choose between enjoying a snack in one of the terraces of the area or eat inside one of its restaurants. We recommend the restaurants Yola Berri and Ziaboga.

Experiences in the Basque Country.

If you like adventures, we encourage you to take a look at our reservation center. A section where you will find experiences for all tastes and budgets. We leave you a short list with some of the most demanded activities. We hope you like them.

What to see near Pasaia.

If you want to know the most important and beautiful places that surround Pasaia, we encourage you to value the possibility of visiting some of the places that we propose. We hope you like them. In case you have any doubts, we encourage you to use the comment system of this article to send them to us. We will try to respond as soon as possible.

As you have been able to verify, Pasai Donibane (Pasajes San Juan) is one of the most emblematic places of Euskadi. In case you have any doubt, we encourage you to use the comment system that you will find under these lines. We will try to respond as soon as possible. Ondo pasa!