Plaza de Cataluña Market

The stalls stand in the open air of Plaza de Cataluña rather than under a roof, and they are packing away by early afternoon. One day a week, five hours, and the square goes back to being a square. That makes this a market to build a Saturday morning around rather than one to drop in on when something else finishes.

Six categories dominate: fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, fish and seafood, meat and poultry, cheese and dairy, and bread and bakery. That covers a full Basque shopping list in one circuit of the square, from the fish counters through to a loaf on the way out, and it puts the morning closer to a farmers market than to a covered food hall. Bring cash rather than assuming every stall has a card reader.

The Parte Vieja (Old Town) puts you within walking distance of the market squares and the pintxos bars, which suits a Saturday that starts at 9am and ends over lunch. For a room on the seafront instead, the Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra faces La Concha.

The market occupies Plaza de Cataluña, and San Sebastián is compact enough that most people reach it on foot from the centre. Listings and any changes to dates appear on the Diario Vasco events agenda. The city's municipal markets are the fallback on the other six days.