Parador Hondarribia
The Parador in Hondarribia occupies a beautiful castle built by the king of Navarre, Sancho Abarca, in the 10th century. The building still retains the appearance and atmosphere of an original medieval fortress and provides a magnificent backdrop to the costal location. The thick-walled exterior of the fortress belies its beautifully renovated interior. 
Do not miss the immense, natural beauty of the stonework in the courtyard or the stunning sea views from the terrace and some of the bedrooms, along the French coast. Allow yourself to be drawn into the beautiful atmosphere of the castle as you explore its hidden nooks and crannies, wandering through its arches and admiring the wrought-iron work and coffering that adorn the walls and ceilings. Spears, cannons, and suits of armour bring an air of elegance to the comfortable surroundings.
Information and reservations at Parador of Hondarribia
It was very exciting to stay in a piece of Spanish history. Our room overlooking the coast of France was spectacular. The service was great and breakfast was delightful. This was our first parador but hopefully not our last.
In the opinion of my wife and me, Hondarribia belongs to the top of the Spanish Paradores. Situated on a very nice place, shopping streets going in several directions, beautifull view over the ocean. We had a very good room, viewing on one side over the sea, on the other site over the place. Spacy room with perfect beds. The reception appeared to be very helpfull, the breakfast was excellent.
In one word: we were and we are extremely positive about the Parador of Hondarribia.
A few words more: we surely will come back!
Perhaps not the best parador, but wonderful anyway. I had an impressive suite viewing the sea. You feel to stay in a museum, quiet and cool. If you go in the Euskadi, don’t miss it.
this was our second stay at hondarribia. the building itself is magnificent, the breakfast buffet worth several trips back to taste all the wonderful foods. i was, however, somewhat taken aback by our room which was tiny in comparison to our last stay. not only did we have no water view (which i learned had to be requested) but the size of the room was very small. whereas our last room had a small sitting area and enough room to swing a cat, this time we kept bumping into each other and the furniture.
was this so disappointing to prevent our return. no! we will just have to be more specific in what we want.
My husband, my mother-in-law, and I stayed here at the end of July and enjoyed our stay immensely. We had no difficulty finding the parador—signs on the way into the city lead directly to it. My mother-in-law’s room had a lovely view of the harbor. My husband’s and my room had a nice view of the courtyard. It’s a wonderful place to stay. The accommodations were super and the staff was very kind and helpful. We enjoyed the breakfast provided and drinks on the terrace in the afternoon. The town is beautiful. It’s a very walkable town and one we’d like to visit again. The Parador Hondarribia was our favorite of the 4 paradores in which we stayed during our trip.
Another lovely parador, a little hard to find the way in by car and we were unable to get our golden days discount but we loved the view and the building. The town was wonderful and there are many restaurants nearby, however my husband is a vegetarian and this was a problem in a fishing village. Normally all the paradors have their own veggie menu but there is no restaurant here which was a shame for us.
Excellent in every way! Very reasonably priced, very clean and comfortable. Magnificent views from our window and the terrace. Could not have been more perfect for our engagement!
Every single thing was magnificent. Excellent on every point on the list. Hondarribia was the fifth paradore in which we have stayed. We look forward to our next stay. Thank you very much.
My husband and I stayed at Parador Hondarribia for 4 days in June 2011. The room was lovely, looking out onto the courtyard (with daily concerts given by a local music school – beautiful!) and the bathroom very well appointed. Excellent breakfast with local speciality foods. Staff was pleasant and helpful when needed. A wonderful town to explore on its own (terrific tapas and seafood restaurants) and to use as a base for day-trips to Pamplona, San Sebastian, and Bilbao. Shoemaker down the street sells espadrilles (excellent gifts for the 20-somethings back home). Driving in Europe is often a challenge, and the carpark doesn’t disappoint, but that’s part of the fun. We would definitely return and will recommend to friends.
Hopping Paradores is fun and this one is in a spectacular location. A few pointers to not be disappointed with the burden of traveling, is to go inside the old medieval town with your car and deliver your luggage to the entrance. Its easier then doing it from the parking lot.
The views are super and depending on the time of the year you can leave windows opened and it will be so quiet. Rooms are standard for Paradores, but the comun areas are very attractive using the old building to blend. Cute town to walk and relax. One night or 2 is enough. I suppose its a little more expensive the the rest because of location and demand. The parking is difficult if you are the last one in, otherwise its like any other difficult parking space in a big city in Spain.
A good 2nd stop and highly recomended is Bielsa.
Hondarribia was our first stop on a 7-day visit. Access to the hotel was not easy, nor was the climb up to the entrance. Those points aside, the reception was excellent, efficient and friendly and the room well up to the standard we hoped for. The situation is ideal; access to the town easy and views from our room wonderful. The comfort is first-class and the breakfast a gourment’s and a gourmand’s delight! The town itself offers everything you could wish for. The hotel staff were even kind enough to point out how to avoid the parking charge! Thoroughly commendable and enjoyable.
Reception on arrival – exellent
The bedroom – Very nice but very noisy (from the room of the higher
level… Stairs in wood with children…)
The view from the room – Wonderful
The public rooms – Very nice
The restaurant – None
Any noise – Too much when room above on the wood staircase -
impossible to sleep
The location of the hotel – ideal
Proximity to a town – good
Any places visited near the hotel – lovely restaurants all around or in the historical center
We loved staying there for two nights. Thank you
Wonderful hotel, rooms are spacious and beautifully decorated. We loved the town and it beautiful ocean views. This was our favorite destination in Spain. We absolutely fell in love with it….Had a fantastic time..Bernadette from California
We stayed here in October. The dual aspect views from our room were superb. The breakfast was good but not outstanding. We found an excellent restaurant in town, this made up for lack of a restaurant in the hotel. Considering the price of the Parador I thought it mean to charge for parking.
Parador at San Sebastian most enjoyable in 1993 when first opened. Even more wonderful October 2010. Not only the parador but Basque country – Axpe Extebarri’s gastronomic cuisine and Barritz tapas.
Clara
Hawaii
We visited with friends in September 2010. It is a beautiful hotel with lots of character. Our rooms were excellent with lovely views towards the sea and marina. The breakfast was ample and well prepared. The staff were pleasant and engaging and all in all we had a wonderful stay. I would recommend this hotel to anyone wanting something different and a little bit special
A stunning hotel living up to its description entirely.
We did book an up-market room but it was worth every penny.
Good breakfast in a lovely location. Delightful views from the terrace.
Attentive staff.
Five Star
My husband and I and our our son stayed at the parador in early September whilst en route ot the South of France. We had 2 ground floor rooms overlooking the Bay and whilst the view was somewhat restricted it was still excellent and when the Terrace closed we had it all to ourselves. The bathroom was huge and beautifully appointed. I agree with the comments on the small car park but at least it was secure. With no restaurant we ate in the town and had a peasant stroll to a decent restaurant. Breakfast was excellent. and the inner courtyard was quiet and restful. It was over priced I feel – but still an impressive building.
we had a great stay at the paradore.The building and old town is why we went..Therefore we did not expect Sofitel…our room was nice, simple with a nice view of the inner courtyard and medieval wall across the way.I found the help at the desk quite pleasant. the parking could be a challenge but you can get help and who does not appreciate the fact that we have parking available. All in all , it is a bit too expensive but special…Certainly would go again.
We stayed at this parador twice in July 2010. My husband and I shared a fabulous room with a view of the harbor on our first visit. We retuned 2 weeks later with our teenage son, and had 2 rooms. One had a fabulous view and the other a pretty view. Our son even thought the place was amazing! This parador is absolutely gorgeous. The old building is lovely and interesting. If you want to know how the old prices of Spain lived, you will love this parador. The town is charming. The parking lot is treacherous, so you should not bring a big car because the lot is small and cramped. Plus access to the hotel from the parking lot requires climbing stairs, so if you have a huge suitcase and are not hearty, drop your bags at the square above the lot, near the entrance to the hotel. We found the staff to be very polite. Someone at the front desk always spoke English. We loved this place, would send our friends, and would return again if we are lucky enough to revisit the Basque country.
We LOVED our stay at the parador hondarribia.
thank you for such a splendid time.
here is something for your guest book…. the view from our wonderful room.
what could say more about your fabulous hospitality.
Hondarribia was supposed to be our ‘grand finale’ after two weeks touring the Noth of Spain, staying in various hotels (three to five star ratings; all very good.) This was by far the worst hotel we stayed in and by far the most expensive!
From the moment you enter the gray carpark, climb the gray concrete stairs, to the gray heavy metal gate, you get a sinking feeling. Then you enter a very functional reception area, where a cafe and plush sofas set inside the old castle walls is open to the public. Being shown through to the ‘guests only’ area and our room our spirits lifted, only to be dropped when entering our very dull, ‘no frills’, small bedroom, looking nothing like the room featured on this website! (I would have given it a two star rating). We asked to be moved as we vere so disappointed, and because the ceiling fan was broken. We were told all rooms were the same, but at least were given a room with a working fan.
Breakfast the following morning was good, as were the views from the rooftop terrace. The comfortably furnished internal courtyard was spoilt by constant piped music (panflutes etc.), making a quiet read of the papers or a good book frustrating….
All in all, very disappointing.
We have stayed at this Parador several times, despite the rudeness of the front desk staff. Mostly because of the great building that it is comprised of and for the views. However, this last stay, was terrible. Not only have they gotten rid of the restaurant, but the room we were in felt like a 2-star hotel. It was really unacceptable for the price we paid. Either they need to renovate or lower their prices. It is the LAST time we will stay there. Also, I have a Paradors card and I did not have it with me so I did not get our free welcome drink. There should be a way for the front desk clerks to look that up on their system.
Amazing old world meets new. Right in the centre and when we were there, there was a local craft festival in the town so right in the heart of things. Pity they dont do Dinner (but there are lots of local seafood restaurants down the hill). Good service and well maintained.
Our 5th and last parador in our trip in July 2010. We stayed 2 nights and could have stayed longer. The reception at the hotel was perfect, polite, friendly and helpful. We did have trouble finding the hotel and to anyone with a BMW satnav I suggest you ignore it and follow the signs. Our room was lovely, very comfortable with great voews. the building itself was awesome. The car park to hotel issue would be difficult for some people as there is no lift but we found the reception staff only too happy to help with the bags, just ask nicely. Breakfast was good but it was busy and food and drink ran out but was replenished very quickly. The local restaurant recommended by the hotel for dinner was just superb as was the other one we ate at the second night in the town. It is a lovely place and well worth a visit.
quite sensational location, wonderful, helpful and smiling staff, what more can you ask.
easy parking, suggestion to upgrade to beautiful room overlooking Hendaye, cold beers on the terrace, a walk round the town, dinner at “Sebastian” nearby (fantastic)…wish we had stayed longer.
The building has ambient, great view, very beautiful and well located in the village. Breakfast was great, room and bathroom standard size and overall a good hotel.
Valeu for monney… Even with some discounts I believe it’s over priced. All things above were great but four ~140-150 euro per night and a four star rating I expect more. The building has no airco, the beds are ok but not great, the staff not overwelmingly friendly. The bar suddenly closed without notification while there we a lot of people present.
Conclusion: great hotel with a special medieval ambient but for this price there are other hotels which offer better facilities.
Avoid this Parador. Horribly and unjustifably expensive for a glorified b&b; no restaurant!!!!! – a main, if not only, attraction of chosing a Parador. The local restaurants are universally expernsive and publish their menus in Basques and not Spanish – two very different languages. Parking limited and access therefrom to to reception up a long steep flight of steps [think of your luggage!]. Reception invaded by tourists to view the castle interior. Rooms remote access via an impressive but long stone staircase, lit dangerously, only by uplighter-lamps that tend to blind the decendants. Rooms small-to-adequate; no UK language chanels on the room TV.
We were visiting before easter in March, 2010. It couldnt have been a more wonderful experience. It was interesting, in that the inner portion of the Parador, the best part is limited to the guests. We were in Spain for a month, the most memorable parts were our stays at the Parador.s
We stayed for one night in early February 2010 at this fantastic Paradore and thoroughly enjoyed the experience (although next time we will book a non-smoking room well in advance). We had to change rooms from the one initially allocated to us but were given another with a fantastic view over the harbour. The staff, from the check-in clerk, to the bar staff and breakfast waiter were invariably friendly and helpful.
If arriving by car be warned most SatNav systems will try to take you through the old town which is being dug up at present. Best to follow the Paradore road signs – although you need to keep your wits about you on the last part of the journey.
The hotel does not serve an evening meal but there are plenty of good restaurants close by. Breakfast is available in the hotel and it is excellent, we were particularly pleased to find a ‘gluten free’ section in the bakery. A great way to start, or end, a vacation in Spain.
We love this Parador. Nice staff, great rooms and good breakfast. We will be back
My family and I stayed 2 nights in November 2009. As a 40th birthday treat for my wife we reserved the Maria Christina suite and were recevied with a 1st class service. There was more than enough room for the 4 of us (we have 2 yound children). The room has a beautiful view overlooking the sea. We even had cots provided for our kids. Secure car parking. The weather was terrible, but that did not bother us in the slightest as we spent most of our time in the parador. The bar and restaurant are well situated and the service is impeccable. Needless to say I specifically chose this parador because I adore its architecture – I speak for both the exterior and interior. The town of Hondarribia is very charming, if it’s good food and drink you want you will not be dissapointed.
A very pleasant, unforgettable stay.
Lovely views, charming common rooms and terraces, great breakfast, comfortable bedrooms, perfect location — what more could you want? I only wish we could have stayed longer!
I stayed here with my partner for one night in September 2009. We loved it and wished we had stayed longer – maybe 4 days would be the right time to do justice to the town and environs. We found the staff personable, the room (looking out toward the old wall of the building) nice, and the breakfast great. The walk to town is about ten minutes and very pleasant. One downside – there was a huge party in the patio right below our room which lasted until late at night. Verry noisy, plus we couldn’t use the terrace or go to the bar…
If you are coming in September, try to make your visit coincide with the hisotrical and religious festivals that happen in the about the second week of the month – we missed them and were sorry about that.
La experiencia en este parador fue buena solamente, no entiendo por qué no hay restaurante abierto para la cena y no se avisa a los huéspedes de esta circunstancia.
Es el primer Parador que visito en el que no he podido disfrutar de una buena cocina.
El edificio es magnífico.
We stayed one night in August 2009 and had an excellent experience. Friendly and helpful staff. Fabulous view across estuary from bedroom window. Room was large and well adapted to clients’ needs. Castle beautifully and sympathetically restored for hotel use. Public rooms all tastefully and appropriately appointed. Breakfast was superb which suggests availability of evening meal would be welcome addition. Location in heart of old town is ideal, with cafes and sight-seeing on the doorstep. Better directions on web-site to Parador car-park would be appreciated. Thoroughly recommend.
Stayed overnight at the Parador at the end of our holiday. Stunning building, beautifully renovated. Lovely room and breakfast. Not a very warm welcome unfortunately, no smiles, great shame. But we will remember it.
What a fabulous Old World hotel with modern and charming touches including a spectacular view from the terrace overlooking the harbor, a breakfast buffet to rival any 5 star hotel and a decor worthy of a great museum. Didi I forget to mention the pleasant and very helpful staff and a very comfortable large room. A great souvenir of this wonderful medieval town and a truly relaxing and comfortable hostelry. The Spanish Government and Tourist Authority have a flagship in Hondarribia!
We stayed at the parador at the beginning of July. Although the building and setting were magnificent, the service, welcome and general standard of service was poor – there was no help with luggage etc. It was all rather impersonal and the room we had didn’t live up to the standard of the rest of the building and looked out over the carpark. We loved the town and had a great meal at Sebastians.
Myself and my boyfriend stayed here at the begining of July 2009, and I have to say we found it to be one of the most beautiful places anyone could ever stay in. The ancient building is breath taking, staff friendly and accomodating.
We had a view across the sea over over to France.
There is a small cafe opposite that sells delicious snack type food.The location really is fab, set in a peacful, sleepy old world style place perched ontop of a hill, with amazing views. Would stay here again in a heart beat.
Every thing were satisfied very much, except hotel localtion guide. How to reach the parador by car is not indicted details, one way road ,parking place and reception access. It sholud be make more precise map and open in the web site.
Hotel services were also very good and view from the room was fantastic.
We had a great time at this Parador. Fantastic location–water view, central to walking to the main part of town, and gorgeous castle with 4 great seating areas–1 near the bar, another one inside with tapestries and antiques, the exterior covered courtyard, and then the outdoor patio with water and France views. Rooms were nice too, service was good.
It was about eight years ago that we visited this parador for the first time and we were expecting the same hospitality. That became a disappointment. No help with the luggage, nor a friendly welcome. Our arrival was a pure administrative affair. The rooms are nice. We remembered the beautiful patio.
My wife and I stayed at the Parador Hondarribia for 4 days in late May 2009.
Lovely building of character in the medieval quarter of the town.
Facilities are excellent and the staff are very good.
The town is beautiful to stroll around.
Suited to couples mainly, I would say. The area makes for a great cultural holiday.
Ger Hussey
Dublin, Ireland