País Vasco · Spain
San Sebastián
A Belle Époque resort city wrapped around a shell-shaped Atlantic bay, with a wooded hill closing each end, three beaches inside the city limits, and a five-street old town whose bar counters are the reason most people come.
Eating here is standing up and moving on. A pintxo is ordered and paid for — the free-tapa custom belongs to Granada and León and does not exist in Donostia — and the form is one or two things at a bar, then out and on to the next, which is what locals call the txikiteo. You keep your own count at the counter and tell the bar what you had at the end; nobody writes it down. The city answers to two names, San Sebastián in Spanish and Donostia in Basque, and street signs, menus and bus stops use both.
Plan your trip
San Sebastián Tour Itineraries
Timed, walkable day plans — plus the best season to go.
Where to shoot
San Sebastián Photo Spots
Medium crowdEntry Free
Mercado de la Bretxa
- Best timeMid-morning, when the outdoor tables are fully set out and the fish counters below are still full
- ColorsDenim blueCreamTomato red
High crowdEntry Around €5.50 return on the funicular, which includes entry to the park grounds; each ride inside is ticketed separately
Monte Igueldo
- Best timeThe half hour before sunset, when the sun drops into the Atlantic to your left and the whole bay below turns gold
- ColorsRustCreamDeep blue
Low crowdEntry Free, including the Casa de la Historia museum inside the Castillo de la Mota
Monte Urgull
- Best timeEarly morning from the batteries on the seaward side, before the old town below is awake and while the light is still coming across the bay
- ColorsOliveCreamBurnt orange
Low crowdEntry Gardens free; the palace itself is a conference and teaching venue and is not generally open to visitors
Palacio de Miramar
- Best timeMid-afternoon from the lawn below the house, when the sun is round onto the bay side and the grass is lit
- ColorsPale blueCreamBottle green
High crowdEntry Free
Parte Vieja
- Best timeAfter dark from about nine, when every bar is full and the light spills out of the doorways onto the wet stone of the lanes
- ColorsBlackDeep redIvory
Medium crowdEntry Free
Peine del Viento
- Best timeSunset at high tide with a swell running, when the blowholes are firing and the sun goes down directly behind the combs
- ColorsRustCharcoalIvory
For the feed
Trending Wear in San Sebastián
Modern, Instagram-friendly looks
Rooted in the city
San Sebastián Traditional Wear
Local, cultural, handcrafted outfits
Taste the city
Food to Eat in San Sebastián
Trusted tables
Where to Eat in San Sebastián
Bar Néstor
Parte Vieja (Calle Pescadería)
Casa Urola
Parte Vieja (Fermín Calbetón)
Casa Vallés
Centro (Calle Reyes Católicos)
Ganbara
Parte Vieja (Calle San Jerónimo)
La Viña
Parte Vieja (Calle 31 de Agosto)
Questions
San Sebastián — FAQ
What is San Sebastián famous for?
A Belle Époque resort city wrapped around a shell-shaped Atlantic bay — La Concha with its white balustrade, Monte Igueldo's funicular of wooden carriages, and a food scene running from pintxo bars to txuleta and tarta de queso.
How many days are enough for San Sebastián?
Two: the beaches and the Parte Vieja one day; Monte Urgull and Monte Igueldo — the view every photograph of San Sebastián is taken from — the next.
What is the best time to visit San Sebastián?
June to September — the mildest, driest stretch of a year that rains in every month.
How do I get around San Sebastián?
Compact — a core wrapped around the bay with a wooded hill closing each end. The funicular takes you up Monte Igueldo; everything else is walked.
Which beach should I choose in San Sebastián?
La Concha for the classic — the shell bay, the balustrade, the calm. Zurriola, across the river in Gros, faces straight into the Atlantic: surfers, rougher water, fewer parasols.