We planned a monthlong stay in San Sebastian, Spain, but left after 10 days. It wasn’t the paradise we’d imagined.

Located in Spain’s historic Basque Country, Donostia-San Sebastian has long been known as one of the most alluring cities in the world.

It’s home to some of the most beautiful beaches in Europe (including Concha Beach), globally celebrated cuisine, impressive architecture, and much more.

With a population of less than 200,000 people, San Sebastian sounded like it would be a welcome retreat from the big cities like London and Paris that my husband and I had spent weeks visiting just before our trip to Spain.

We had no doubt in our minds that we’d have an amazing time enjoying San Sebastian, so we planned a monthlong stay there.

However, once we arrived, the reality didn’t match our expectations.

The city was beautiful, and we hit the ground running during our trip

We booked a 31-day stay in an Airbnb just a two-minute walk from Concha Beach and its famed promenade.

We were also near Old Town with its charming cobblestone streets, historic architecture, and endless pintxo (tapas) bars. With so much action outside our door, we wasted no time in exploring the city.

We walked the entire promenade multiple times, checked out the famous beaches, and admired the natural beauty of the area’s surrounding mountains and waters.

Throughout the trip, we ventured out into different neighborhoods on foot and by bus.

I had fun shopping at recognizable chains, like Zara, and the local boutiques selling everything from jars of bright-yellowish-green guindilla peppers and Spanish wines to colorful handmade jewelry and incredible-smelling soaps.

We loved learning a few phrases in Euskara (the Basque language) and seeing how it made people smile — it was a small but meaningful way to connect with locals and feel part of the place, even for just a little while.

But after about 4 days, we felt like we were running out of things to do

After spending several days exploring the area, we’d already checked off most of what we wanted to see and do during our trip.

We couldn’t shake the feeling that we’d made a mistake renting an apartment for the entire month.

To try to combat our doubts, we booked a city bus tour. We also took a day trip to Bilbao, a larger port city about an hour and 20 minutes from San Sebastian by bus.

We had hoped these excursions would reveal exciting new reasons to stay. They didn’t quite — though seeing Jeff Koons’ enormous flower “Puppy” at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao was a highlight of our trip.

There were a lot more tourists than we expected

San Sebastian is a well-known travel destination, but we thought it’d be light on tourists since it’s not nearly as large as other cities in Spain. We were wrong.

Bypassing crowds to enter the famous churches was anything but a spiritual experience — and finding a good spot on the beach on a warm day could feel like mission impossible.

We also didn’t end up riding the funicular up to Monte Igualdo to see the incredible views from the summit because the lines were too long.

To be fair, we were there in June, during the peak summer travel season. I imagine the crowds would be lighter in the spring or fall.

We also weren’t the ideal audience for the city’s popular Basque cuisine

We knew the region was famous for its cuisine, especially its pintxos, which are elaborate little snacks served on bread with a toothpick to hold the ingredients together.

However, since my husband and I follow a mostly vegan diet that allows for some seafood, we couldn’t eat a lot of the cuisine, which had dairy, meat, or eggs in it.

During our visit, we ate so many of the same pintxos it was comical — a trio of tinned tuna, peppers, and tapenade (a dip made with olives and capers).

We should’ve done more research on the cuisine instead of assuming we’d find enough variety.

Thankfully, we found two bright spots: Gogoan Kafetegia, a pretty coffeehouse offering nondairy milk; and Mapa Verde, a wonderful little restaurant with delicious homemade vegan fare and wildly affordable wines for $2 or $3 per glass.

Though we didn’t plan our trip perfectly, we’re glad for the memories we made here

There’s no denying Donostia-San Sebastian has its appeal — and I can see why it’s such a popular pick for travelers.

It’s got beautiful beaches that travelers who prefer total relaxation over exploration would appreciate. Plus, those visiting during a different season might escape the summer tourist rush — especially in Old Town.

I’m also confident that anyone not following a vegan diet can really enjoy the local cuisine in ways we could not.

Before even getting halfway through our stay, though, we were ready to move on. We felt we only needed three or five days to fully enjoy the city.

After 10 days, we packed our bags and headed back to Paris, grateful for the experience and ready for what was next.

We didn’t get a refund for the unused days of our Airbnb, which cost us thousands of dollars. However, leaving early was still worth it to us because you really can’t put a price on time.

For our next trip, we’ll probably do more research before choosing the length of our stay in a new place.

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