Job Discussion Forums

[cgage]

Hello. I am an ESL teacher of mexican children entering Spain for the first time for ESL/language/culture studies/vacation etc. I had inadvertenly planned to arrive during San Fermin. I heard that this was a big holiday in Euskadi. I would prefer not to arrive when they're lots of crowds and scarce accomodations. Looking at San Sebastian, Hondarribia, or Irun. Anybody know about this?

[mdk]

If you don't like crowds and scarce accomodations, then you won't like Pamplona during San Fermin..I don't know how bad it would be in the rest of the Basque country though.

I saw Irun and San Sebastian when I walked that part of the Camino del Norte, they were nice. San Sebastian is a big resort, but you should be able to find accomodations, especially if you make a reservation. Irun was rebuilt after the bombing and doesn't look that Spanish.

Depending upon what you are interested in, you might like some of the towns along the Camino Frances. Burgos and Leon were certainly very nice places. I also liked many of the smaller towns along the Camino. I could suggest Punta la Reina, Estella, Mansilla de las Mulas and Sarria.

If you are interested in the church architechture, you could pick up a guide to the Camino. There are certainly many interesting things to see.

Bilbao was also quite nice with the Guggenheim museum.

The week after the fiesta most of the drunks will be gone. Pamplona was a very nice place. I just wouldn't want to be there during the fiesta.

[sheikh radlinrol]

Pamplona is NOT part of Euskadi (Basque Country) even if some people think it should be. It will be very crowded in San Fermin and accommodation difficult to find. San Fermin doesn't affect the places you mention except that many locals travel to Pamplona for the fiesta.