San Sebastian.

The beautiful Colonial town of San Sebastian is now accessible from Las Palmas in just under an hour! The new highway is a marvel and we took a spin this past Sunday to check it out. There are some spectacular views and everything went along swimmingly until we got to a detour. It appears the most dangerous and difficult part of the highway is not complete and we were forced to drive on a narrow, super steep road through a river and then ascend the other side up an even steeper mountain with a few hair-pin turns thrown in just for fun. Of course we had to meet a bus on our way back and were forced to go into reverse on one of the curves. Not exactly my idea of a relaxing Sunday drive! Apparently there are plans underway to build a huge bridge to span this hair-raising gap, so until that project is finished, I won't be making that trip again!

Once in town however, the cool mountain air, the yummy food at "Comedor Lupita" and the quaint Colonial atmosphere makes you want to stay and spend the night. We stayed at the Parador facing the plaza where huge rooms with Kingsize beds go for about $35 US a night and it gets so quiet, you can only hear the chirp of crickets and that's right in the center of town!

In the morning, stop at the Coffee finca on the way out of town and pick up your free brew and a bag of beans to go. It's a worthwhile visit and you'll have a tasty souvi that'll serve to remind you of your visit to this picturesque mountain town.