Spanish region dubbed ‘cider capital’ with shell-shaped beaches and cheap drinks

“ESKERRIK asko!” My friend had been thanking our barman more confidently with each drink, practising the tongue-twister Basque phrases I’d taught her.

Meanwhile, I was enjoying the views from the open-air bar on San Sebastian’s Monte Urgull hill.

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On one side is the wild Bay of Biscay, on the other, a panoramic view of the city and its shell-shaped beach.

I squinted at the mountains that I once called home, trying to pinpoint Astigarraga among them.

After all, the tiny town was the reason I’d returned to northern Spain.

San Sebastian has long been a place for foodies looking to enjoy the Basque country’s cuisine with a beach break thrown in.

But tourists who flock here often miss out on one of its best-kept secrets — cider season.

The region’s ancient cider-making tradition is celebrated in a unique ritual, running roughly from January to May, called “txotx” (pronounced “choch”), where the drink that has been brewed since autumn is released and drunk straight from the barrels.

And no place is better to experience txotx than Astigarraga.

Known as the cider capital of the Basque Country, the town lies 15 minutes outside San Sebastian by taxi.

It’s home to more than 20 cider houses, many of which can trace their history back to the 16th century, when sailors would drink the beverage at sea to stave off scurvy.

One of the oldest is Petritegi Cider House and it offers special txotx experiences.

Upon entering the old farmhouse, we were handed a cider by guide Aiende before touring the brewery (there’s natural apple juice for anyone wishing to go alcohol-free).

Petritegi has been run by the same family for six generations, and while they have had to modernise their presses to make the one million litres of cider they now produce each year, very little has changed since its establishment in 1526.

Aiende demonstrated how the apples are collected manually using a traditional, spiked tool, before letting us have a go ourselves.

When it was time for the txotx, we were seated at communal wooden tables with 500 other people.

A txotx is an informal affair — with cider at its heart, but food as its backbone.

Guests are served traditional Basque staples — think salt cod omelette, fried chorizo, T-bone steak, cheese with quince jelly — while taking regular breaks to meander into the adjoining barrel room for unlimited cider top-ups.

And here, by the gigantic barrels, was where the magic happened.

Celebratory cries of “txotx!” were our cue to stand clear before a stopper was released and the liquid began streaming.

We hurriedly queued up to catch the cider in our glasses (eventually mastering the art of letting it hit the side of the cup to spray and form a froth).

Five courses, and countless ciders, later we were grateful for a siesta in our plush hotel room back in the city.

The NH Collection Aranzazu’s impeccable bedrooms, kitted out with queen-sized beds and luxurious bathrooms, seemed as if they were designed for guests in a food coma — an important factor considering the hotel’s incredible restaurant.

If you want to get out and about, there is so much to keep you entertained in San Sebastian, from surfing on Zurriola beach to enjoying the viewpoints at Monte Urgull and Monte Igueldo.

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A charming funicular railway comes in handy if you don’t fancy hiking up the latter.

But the best activity is devouring yet more food in the Old Town, savouring the city’s famous “pintxos” scene.

Pronounced “pinchos”, and most easily described as the Basque version of tapas, these elaborate, bite-sized treats are around €2.50 a pop and found in every bar.

Sadly, it’s impossible to try them all, but if growing up in a family of Basque restaurateurs has taught me anything, it’s how to pick a good pintxo.

Get a Gilda, the area’s most iconic snack — made of olives, anchovies and guindilla peppers — at Bar Sport.

Order the crispy octopus at La Cuchara de San Telmo and try the grilled pig’s ear at Borda Berri.

And regardless of how full you get, no visit to the Old Town is complete without stopping by La Vina, the restaurant where the now-viral Basque burnt cheesecake originated.

You can tell me “eskerrik asko” later.