Top things to do in San Sebastian – explore the best of the city
San Sebastian located in Spain’s Basque Country is one of the most unique and beautiful areas to discovery in Northern Spain, if not in the entire country. There are so many fantastic things to do in San Sebastian and we share it in this quick guide to all the amazing attractions, cool beaches, amazing local cuisine and unique places of interest that are a must to visit.
I truly love visiting this city and region and will share all of my favorite things to do here so you can decide and plan your own visit with interests in mind.
A little primer about the Basque region of Spain
The Basque Country is the region in Northeastern Spain comprises of three autonomous communities around the Basque region, Navarre and also the Basque Country in France.
The Basque region of Spain is called Euskai Herria and in Spanish is called Pais Vasco, in English we call it the Basque Country. The main city here is called San Sebastian but in the Basque language it is called Donostia. On many official tourist brochures, it is called both Donostia- San Sebastian.
There are two official languages spoken in Basque Country
Basque or Euskara
Spanish or Castellano.
The Basque Country is Autonomous with a self-governing government with its own language called Euskara
People working in the tourism sector will typically speak Spanish, English and some French
Official currency – Euro
What to do in San Sebastian – top things to do
We share the top attractions and best places to visit in and around the city of San Sebastian including:
Visiting the Old historic district
Beaches, coastlines and nature discoveries
The local food scene
Outdoor and adventure experiences around town
Check out the popular activities, attractions and must visit places we recommend to visit below:
Explore the Old Historic District
The Old Historic District of San Sebastian sits to the left side of the Urumea river which divides the city into two sections. The historic district is called Parte Vieja and is considered the most beautiful part of the city with a rich history and culture, beautiful architecture and delicious culinary presences in the abundance of Michelin star restaurants and the Pintxos (tapa) bar scene that’s prevalent in the area.
Walking through the narrow streets of the old town, exploring the stunning churches, city hall and sampling the many famous pintxos offers a unique and unforgettable experience visiting. i really enjoyed how authentic the experience here especially the effort and care to present food that is elevated and special even for everyday meals.
Some of the main attractions and landmarks you’ll find in the historic district includes:
- The Cathedral of San Sebastian – A large baroque style church from the 18th century located off Calle Mayor. The Baroque facade has a large sculpture of Saint Sebastian the martyr of the city along with various sculpture pieces located around the cathedral and chapels.
- The basilica of Saint Mary of the Chorus – Santa Maria del Coro – Visit this gorgeous basilica with impressive architecture, details and interior art and details
- San Vicente Church – This gothic styled church is the oldest church in the city with a Romanesque altarpiece with an impressive organ and beautiful stain glass windows. There is a Pieta sculpture by local artist Jorge Oteinza.
- Plaza de la Consitution – The central square with a unique history, once the site of public executions, bull fights and now a lively gathering place with many restaurants surrounding the square.
- Mercado de la Bretxa – The main market is a great place to try and buy local produce, seafood, deli and try some pintxos (Basque tapas).
- Elkano Street -The main pedestrian street is a great shopping venue to explore the old town, shops and Pinxtos bars and retaurants
- San Telmo Museum – Showcases local Basque maritime history, fishing and culture.
- Aquarium – the city museum with marine life, history of the region and sea and wonderful views of San Sebastian
. - City Hall (Donostiako Udaaletxea) – This amazing building is right on the sea front with a nice fountain and makes an easy photo op moment
- Palacio de Miramar (Miramar Palace) – located in the middle of La Concha beach with gorgeous viewpoints and garden and outdoor photo ops of the palace.
- Tabakalera – Fantastic views on the rooftop deck area in this converted tobacco factory and now an exhibition space and events with art gallery and a restaurant/cafe
Exploring Palacio de Miramar (Miramar Palace)
Tours of Old Town
If you want to learn more details about the area and other inside stories and historic, I would definitely recommend taking a walking tour to really learn and enjoy what you can see with a guided expert to the area. Here are some of my recommended tours below:
San Sebastian Walking small group tour
San Sebastian cultural walking tour
Must see San Sebastian walking tour
Enjoy a stroll at La Concha Beach
Fronting the old historic district is the large crescent shaped beach and boardwalk around called La Concha Beach. This iconic urban beach is very popular and busy in the summer months and also a pleasant area to hang out in out of season and visiting anytime year round.
It’s fun and easy to walk along the boardwalk promenade and enjoy all the views of the harbor, bay and hill areas surrounding the city and if the weather is just right enjoy some beach time on this long stretch of sandy beach. My favorite time to explore the area is in the morning before the crowds come to hang out or later in the afternoon around sunset when the views of the beach area changes dramatically with the sunset skies.
You can follow the beach from the crescent area start by the harbor area to the mid section where the castelo or castle slightly above the city with excellent views of the area. You can continue on and go to the end where you can actually catch a funicular going to the top of an amusement park and another popular hang out spot for the day to evening.
Tip – the best times to visit the promenade and beach area in my opinion is in the morning or late afternoon to evening to avoid all the tourist crowds that visit in the later morning to early afternoon timeframe and pack the beaches.
Visit Monte Urgull
Just above the Old Town of San Sebastian is a hill called Monte Urgull and climbing up the short walkway offers amazing views from the top back down to the bay, town and surrounding area. You’ll come across the Castillo de la Mota with its large statue of Christ and the castle which dates back to the 12th century offering more stunning vies of the Bay of Biscay. The castillo played a major role in defending the city through its historic past from various marauders and invaders to the area.
The impressive Christ statue is about 12 meters high and is called Sagrado Corazon or Sacred Heart and is seen from all over the city and adds to the hilltop sites impressive site.
Tip – This is definitely a workout to reach the top, but if you take your time and enjoy the views along the way, you’ll enjoy exploring around Monte Urgull
Plaza de la Constitución
The heart of the city lies in the Plaza de la Constitution which is the central square of the old town. Beautiful ornate buildings surround the square with numbered balconies that reflects its past as a former bullring to the city. Now the square is a major gathering for social events and a hub for the myriad of restaurants that surround the square offering popular menu del dia on their daily specials or try any of the local specialties to include: Bacalao a la Pil Pil, Kokotxas, Txangurro a la Donastiarra or a slew of delicious pintxos or Tapas style small bites that you can choose by seeing what’s good and appealing.
Tip – check out all the restaurants and the menu del dia which typically is a three course meal with drinks (special lunch promotion) at cheaper prices and you get to see what’s the specialty of the day.
The Food Scene in San Sebastian
One of my favorite things to experience in San Sebastian is eating either fine dining or just the Pintxos bar crawl scene – it’s truly an amazing experience.
Definitely eating out is one of the most popular things to do in San Sebastian, a foodie inspired city. With an abundance of fresh seafood, poultry and meat products, regional wines and agricultural foods that are grown in the area, this region is a haven for Michelin star restaurants and the popularity of Pintxos bars (pronounced Pinchos) which tend to be more elevated Basque tapas.
There are four Michelin star restaurants and a host of amazing restaurants offering a variety of food specialty dishes from the region. If you are into more of the Pintxos scene, then the place to walk around is Fermin Calbeton, where you will find a very lively pintxos vibe.
Most Pintxos are small plate dishes with typically a slice of bread with various delicacies from the area. Pintxos bars are popular all day long but busiest later in the afternoon to night scene with drinking local cava, wines or even regional ciders that are very popular in the region.
I would definitely recommend taking a Pintxos food tour so you can get a better overview and sampling of the best types of Pintxos to try in the most popular places.
Check out the popular Pintxos you’ll find in the city or even experience a foodie Pintxos guided tour to really enjoy the cuisine here.
Traditional Pintxos favorite plates
If you are looking to try of regional pintxos from the city and region, consider these from the many bars in town that you will recognize.
Bar Sport – a popular bar where they serve Morcilla (black pudding) with grilled pipper on top. Also sardines with fresh cheese on a slice baquette
Arari Gasatroleku – Local Anchovies and beef cheek specialty of the house
Casa Verara – try cheese wrapped in finely sliced eggplant, delicious scallops or fresh grilled artichokes
Other specialties on different menus to look out for
The Cochinillo a Leiza Asado (Roast Suckling Pig) is a must try. Layers of succulent roast pig underneath a perfectly crispy pork skin drizzled with Quince jelly
Vieira a la plancha – Grilled Scallops – typically served on a sliced baquette
Foie Gras a la plancha – huge fried Foie Gras
Hoguera de Bacalao – a charcoal smoked cod served on a tiny grill.
Basque Burnt Cheese Cake – a local regional dessert favorite
Here are some of the tours I recommend
If walking into a bar might be a little overwhelming and not knowing what to order or drink consider taking a Pintxos and drink tour to get a knowledgeable guide to show you around and what to try.
Local evening Pintxos and drinks tour
Local markets, Pintxos and wine tour
Authentic Basque cooking class
What to drink with your pintxos
I enjoy trying local drinks with the foods that compliment that experience. If you’re looking to experience the local drinks in the area to down your pintxos with something delicious, try any of the following below
Txakoli – This is a local white wine that is fizzy and quite refreshing especially when you are eating a lot of savory and salty pintxos. This local favorite drink matches up easily with pintxos
Another popular favorite is cider which is very popular in the region or even visiting a local cider house to see how it is actually made.
Local beer is also a popular drink with pintxos. You can order either a caña or a zurito glass. A caña is the typical small glass of beer and a zurito is even smaller.
Beaches, nature and adventure
The beach scene here in San Sebastian is gorgeous with three city beaches to enjoy and rugged nature and coastline to inspire you to visit outside of the city.
The 3 city beaches are:
Playa de la Concha – the main beach fronting San Sebastian beach and the most iconic and popular urban beach in the city
Ondarreta Beach – The other side of La Concha after the Palacio de Miramar
Zurriola Beach -Located across from the Euromea river, this beach is the city’s ‘cool beach’ and hangout neighbourhood in the Gros district, Rougher surf make this more of a surfing and hang out beach with surf shops and cafes lining the boardwalk area
Monte Igueldo is located by Playa Odarret – you can take the red funicular to get to the top and visit this old fashioned amusement park and fantastic views of the area
There’s fantastic kiddie rides, street food and other amusement games to play at the amusement park above. Bigger kids can do the Canopy Donostia tree top adventure
Visiting the amusement park area of Monte Igueldo
Water sports options
Unsurprisingly, in a city with beaches, there’s some great water sports and recreation activities to enjoy on the bay and beach areas. Here are some options for you to choose from
Surfing
Playa de la Zurriola is the surfing beach so over that side of the city you’ll find surf shops, surf rental stores and surf schools. All along the boardwalk area, you’ll be able to spot surfing schools and shops to book a surfing experience.
Kayak/SUP
You can rent kayaks and paddle boards from Alokayak. They also offer tours you can do below
Kayak and snorkel experience in San Sebastian area
Tours to Isla de la Santa Clara
In the city marina you’ll find options for touring the bay and/or visiting the Isla de la Santa Clara, you can check out the harbor tours and stop at Santa Clara below
San Sebastian boat tour and stop at Santa Clara
Catamarin tour around San Sebastian
Adventure experiences around San Sebastian
There are plenty of outdoor and recreation experience you can do solo or take a group tour experience, we share some of the best experiendes below:
Walks around the city
The Urumea RIver – walking along the river is a popular local activity and also fantastic for visitors to enjoy the views and river walkway all the way to the ocean front with fantastic walking/biking/jogging opportunities along the river area
Pasealeku Berria / Promenade walk – a popular walking promenade you can do all day but more popular during sunrise and sunset over the Bay of Biscay
The Donostia-San Sebastián promenade – this takes you from Sagüés to the Kursaal Convention Centre and the entire length of Playa Zurriola, you can continue through old town to Monte Urgull, and all the way along Concha Bay (made up of Playa de la Concha and Playa de la Ondaretta) to the end point at Peine del Viento. This is approximately a 6km walk and is absolutely worth doing. Once you’ve seen the Peine del Viento you could then head up the Monte Igueldo and take a funicular to the top
Peine del Viento (Comb of the Wind) – piece of steel sticking out of a rock in the ocean (peine del viento sculpture). you can do the 6km promenade or start at any point until you reach the sculpture piece.
There are many more walking/running venues to choose from in the city, these are just a few of the most popular walking routes around the city.
More adventure experiences from San Sebastian
There’s plenty of options to do day trips from San Sebastian to many scenic areas around the San Sebastian and Basque region. Using San Sebastian as your base, you can participate in these fantastic guided day tours.
Gaztelugatxe and Gernika Tour From San Sebastian
San Juan de Gaztelugatxe with its iconic view over rocky outcrop, made famous by the Game of Thrones, this section of the Basque Coast is wildly gorgeous and will take the breath away from anyone who lays eyes upon it. This is an outcrop of land between two bays that can be reached by descending a fairly steep path and then climbing a large set of 241 stone steps up to the top of the outcrop and the church perched there.
Day bike trip through many areas around San Sebastian
Join our Basque, English-speaking guide for a leisurely bike ride through the city, covering its most intriguing spots. The adventure concludes with a delightful picnic in paradise.
Day trip visiting Bayonne to Biarritz
Experience the contrasts of the Basque Country on this bus tour. After crossing the Bidasoa river, you’ll explore Bayonne, Grand Bayonne, and Biarritz. Your bilingual guides will provide commentary.
Other cool tours you might want to consider
What else to consider to have a unique experience in San Sebastian, you’ll enjoy these unique experiences that will really add more to exploring the Basque region.
Sunset boat cruise drinking cava
Traditional Cider House tour with lunch
Visit to Bilbao and Gaztelgatxe Day trip
Check out these other posts on visiting the Donostia/San Sebastian
: Is San Sebastian worth visiting?
Bilbao to Santander – Visit Spain and Mediterranean
Views from above Tabakalera to the Old town
Conclusion on exploring the best things to do in San Sebastian
I love visiting San Sebastian, there’s so much to see and do with two days to explore the entire city.
San Sebastián is a city that beautifully combines natural splendor and gorgeous beaches, historical monuments and architecture and culinary excellence. From its stunning beaches and scenic hills to its vibrant old town and modern cultural centers, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Hope that you enjoyed this one full day tour of San Sebastian and hope you can spend a lovely day here soon!
Thanks for checking out Visit Spain and Mediterranean and this post. We hope you check out all the other posts to explore all around the country for inspiration.
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