Our top things to do in San Sebastián

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The Concha Bay San Sebastián’s beaches are a must-see and the Concha Bay is the most popular spot to visit. Named after its shell shape, Concha Bay consists of two beaches, La Concha and Ondarreta.

La Concha Beach is San Sebastián’s best-known postcard image and has been named the best beach in Europe and Spain. With shallow waters, fine sands, and amazing views, it’ll undoubtedly be one of the best beaches you’ll ever visit.

Ondarreta is a smaller, quieter beach that is connected to La Concha via a path called Pico del Loro, it’s a perfect spot for families who want to bring children along. It features volleyball, canoeing, and its own playground, providing you with a number of fun activities to do, besides sunbathing and swimming of course!

Holidays to San Sebastián

Discover San Sebastián, a beautiful coastal gem in Spain's Basque Country.

From La Concha Bay, you can see the amazing Mount Igeldo and Mount Urgull, which are spectacular views to behold from ground level. However, for the adventurous among us, you can reach the top of these mountains to enjoy even more jaw-dropping views of the city below.

Mount Igeldo

To reach the summit of Mount Igeldo, you take the hundred-year-old wooden railway, it’s the oldest railway in the Basque Country! At the top, you’ll discover the Mount Igeldo fairground, a historical fairground that features 20 vintage attractions, perfect for a bit of fun at the top of a mountain!

This mountain also features an epic lookout point, providing panoramic views of San Sebastián below. Mount Igeldo even has a restaurant and a hotel, so you can prolong your stay if you fall in love with the views (which you will).

Mount Urgull

Accessible via four different ground-level paths, Mount Urgull provides great views of the city, but also comes with a unique insight into San Sebastián’s military history, as it was converted into a fortress in the 12th Century.

When exploring Mount Urgull, you can’t miss the Sagrado Corazón statue at the highest point, a symbol of the city that has stood since 1950. The statue stands tall upon the Castillo de la Mota, a historic defensive bastion that played its role in defending the city. The bastion now features a museum, where you can learn about the city’s 800-year history.

Whilst enjoying the scenery and history atop Mount Urgull, you can also visit Urgulleko Polboriña, a wonderful family-friendly bar serving snacks and drinks, with live music too! This is a great place to relax, be entertained and take in the views after your time exploring the mountain.

City Hall by Concha Bay is another wonderful historical detour during your trip. San Sebastián’s City Hall was home to a Grand Casino when it opened in 1887 but became home to the City Council in 1947 - quite the switch up!

This landmark building is just south of the Old Town and is an architectural spectacle, particularly at night, when recently installed LED bulbs light up the building in various colours.

The hall also sits opposite the beautiful Alderdi Eder Gardens, which translates from Basque to ‘a beautiful place’. One of the most photographed places in San Sebastián, this colourful destination certainly earns its name.

These beautiful gardens were originally used for army exercises until 1875, before they were turned into an area enjoyed by royalty, political figures and even the circus.

The gardens are filled with flowers, tamarisks and palm trees, which create a relaxing, colourful environment, perfect for spending time with friends and family.

Just nearby La Concha Bay and the City Hall is San Sebastián’s famous Old Town, named Parte Vieja in Spanish. Full of shops, restaurants, bars and architecture, the Old Town is an area bustling with things to enjoy.

Pintxos

This area is a must-visit , its narrow streets are filled with tapas and pintxos bars, where amazing food is available for great prices. San Sebastián is Spain’s food capital for a reason; pintxos is a unique part of the culture here, allowing customers to enjoy a unique small dish, similar to tapas, before moving on to the next bar and trying their signature small dishes too.

By doing this, you can enjoy many different plates without getting too full, so you can indulge your way through the Old Town, enjoying the hundreds of delights on offer. It truly is foodie heaven!

Plaza de la Constitución

As well as the food, the cobbled streets of the Old Town are filled with beautiful, historic architecture, with the centrepiece being the Plaza de la Constitución.

Here, city celebrations and festivities take place, such as San Sebastián Day, the Tamborrada Drum Festival and the Santo Tomas Fair. Surrounded by colourful buildings with balconies, this is a hard-to-miss destination that is definitely worth a visit.

As well as pintxos, San Sebastián is also famous for its Michelin-starred restaurants. There are a total of 16 Michelin stars across 11 restaurants in the area, earning it second place for the highest number of Michelin stars per square surface area in the world, after Kyoto in Japan.

The Michelin stars and pintxos combine to make San Sebastián heaven for food-lovers, as you are quite literally spoiled for choice when it comes to great food. There is some serious pedigree here, as two of the restaurants in Mugaritz and Arzak have been included in the top ten restaurants in the world since 2006.

For football fans, San Sebastián is home to La Liga side Real Sociedad - their home ground the Anoeta Stadium is located just south of the city, easily accessible by the metro, or walking if you fancy going for a stroll.

If you are unable to get tickets for a game, the stadium is home to the Real Sociedad Museum, where football fans can learn about the side’s history, highlighting their legendary players, managers, and top footballing moments.

With beaches, restaurants, wonderful sights, architecture and more, there is so much to enjoy in San Sebastián. We hope to help you enjoy this wonderful family-friendly destination with our ferries to Spain!

We have plenty of information available for this great city, see more things to do with our guides to San Sebastián.