Top Rated Shopping in San Sebastian

The Basque Country has for centuries been an area with a great chocolate tradition, but there are not many traditional chocolate-makers left. One exception is Saint Gerons, whose chocolatiers still make chocolate the way it was made in the 18th century. In a little shop in the centre of San Sebastian, the descendants of the original owners of Saint Gerons sell chocolates, sweets and truffles of outstanding quality, without colouring or preservatives. They also make concoctions of "turrón" (nougat), which both adults and children will enjoy. This shop is highly recommended for all chocoholics!

This shop is part of a chain that has been in San Sebastian for quite some time. They specialize in comfortable, casual clothing for both men and women. (Keep in mind that a European standard of casual, however, can be quite chic compared to North American standards.) Their prices are reasonable, and they offer a wide variety of clothing, ranging from women's intimates to men's and women's leather coats and sportswear.

Casa Ponsol is a historic and praiseworthy store that was established in 1838 and is known to produce some of the finest hats in the city. With almost 18 decades of experience in the field, one would expect nothing less. The store retains its ancient and rustic charm and combines it with modern furnishings that give it an elegant and charming vibe. On offer are a wide variety of hats for both men and women including the famous Basque Beret. Head over to Casa Ponsol on your visit to the city, you're sure to find something that suits your taste.

Although the style of this bookshop is modern and contemporary, a plaque outside reminds us that this was the house where Pío Baroja, one of the greatest writers of the "98 Generation," was born. Hontza is in the city's Zona Romántica, near the historical quarter (Parte Vieja), and is an essential stop both for its historical interest and the variety of books on offer. It's visited by many architects and students of architecture, as it has an extensive range of books on the subject. It also has an impressive range of books in Basque on subjects like architecture, I.T., philosophy, photography, business, travel, teaching, and ecology.

Pukas was a brilliant idea conceived by a bunch of surf lovers who designed and constructed surfboards when this sport was still almost unknown in Spain. Therefore, they have been selling clothes, accessories and sports materials to go surfing for more than 25 years now. They offer surfboards made by themselves in all sizes and shapes, and also other surfboards by the most prestigious manufacturers, which guarantee both safety and maneuverability to surfers. Apart from surfboards, they also have their own sports clothing label, Pukas Surfwear with clothes designed in a modern and comfortable style. Moreover, you can also buy garments and footwear by other brands such as Quicksilver, H. Wawes, Billabong, O'Neill, Reef, Oakley, Rip Curl, Rusty, Speedo, etc. In short, they offer everything you need to become an excellent surfer like some of the young surf stars that can already be seen in Spain. This company also sponsors the Pukas OP PRO, a competition that counts towards the Surf World Championship, which gets the best surfers in the world together for some days at the Zarauz beach. In addition, they started the Pukas Surf Eskola, in which children learn to surf on the rough sea of the Bay of Biscay.

This is a famous and classic shoe shop that has been able to maintain its style with the passing years -- no small thing given the stiff competition there is in this city in the shoe business. They offer variety, comfort and quality to all those who know how to appreciate and value such classic shoefitters. Their clientele is made up of people of all ages and their name is synonymous with good taste.