May 27 2026

Even after being in San Sebastián for over a week now, I still catch myself being surprised by how beautiful everything is. On the way to the port, I biked along La Concha Beach like I’ve been doing every day, and somehow it still looked just as amazing as the first time I saw it. It was such a good day too, so I had to get some ice cream before getting on the ferry.

We took a ferry around La Concha Bay to Santa Klara Island, and honestly even the boat ride was really fun. Instead of going straight there, the ferry kind of circled the coastline and the island first, which gave us an amazing view of everything. Being out on the water let us really take in the coastline, the beach, and the city from a different perspective. One thing I thought was crazy was seeing people actually swimming from La Concha Beach all the way to the island. I saw a couple of people doing it, and it looked like such a long swim. There were also people hanging out on boats, paddleboarding, kayaking, and just enjoying the weather with friends. 

When we got to the island, I thought it was really beautiful right away. It felt peaceful, but at the same time there were a lot of people there enjoying themselves. As the day went on, more groups arrived, and it definitely seemed like a place locals go to relax, swim, and hang out with friends in good weather. We stayed there for about three hours, and during that time we discussed assignments and our creative project ideas by the water.

For the creative project, everybody can choose whatever format they want as long as it represents their experience here in an authentic way. Some ideas included essays, cooking your favorite meal, music videos, photography collections, podcasts, or artwork. It was cool hearing everyone’s ideas because everybody has taken something different away from this trip.

Besides the discussion, we also had time to relax and cool off in the water. We all jumped in, which felt really nice because it was such a hot day. The island also looked like a really good hiking spot, and honestly, I wish I explored more of it before we left it.

After we took the ferry back, I went back to Hotel Olarain and rested for a little before heading back out later to play basketball and get food afterward. We ended up going to Parte Vieja again, which has probably become my favorite area in San Sebastián. The bars there are amazing, and the food is always so good. I had some pintxos before finally calling it a night.

Going to Santa Klara Island with the group was such a fun experience and definitely one of my favorite days here so far. As our time in San Sebastián is starting to come to an end, I’m realizing how much I’ve enjoyed being here. It honestly feels weird knowing the trip is ending soon because this experience has been amazing. I already know I’d love to come back here someday in the future.