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Sep14

San Sebastian

Published by in Cultural, Europe, Events, Fishing, Photos, Resorts, Spain, Surfing, Swimming, Urban Tourism

San Sebastian

San Sebastian is situated on the Cantabrican coast 20 km from the border with France. Set between the mountains and the sea it is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Spain. It has been a popular tourist destination for many years. Famous for its contrast – crystal-blue sea’ waters and green mountains, San Sebastian is the undisputed queen of Basque resorts. There are almost 90 km of coast consisting of steep cliffs, beautiful beaches and fishing ports.

The city spreads around three beaches - La Concha, Playa de Ondarreta and Playa de la Zurriola. La Concha and Ondarretta are the best for swimming and spending a day at the seaside while the Zurriola beach attract a lot of surfers looking to ride the Atlantic waves who can be seen there throughout the year.

The main tourist attractions: “Palacio del Mar” - a major aquarium complex, featuring many tanks of colorful fish and an underwater tunnel; “Monte Igeldo Amusement Park” - with a number of roller coasters and fast rides; “Plaza de la Constitucion” - an important public square, surrounded by historical buildings; “Funicular Railway” - a short and inexpensive ride up a particularly steep cliff, offering superb views La Concha Bay; “El Puerto”- a bustling port with many waterfront tourist attractions and restaurants, etc.

The biggest annual event is Aste Nagusia which is a full week of partying in mid-August which includes traditional Basque music and dance as well as gastronomic and sporting events. September is another popular time for tourists when the San Sebastian International Film Festival takes place and the second half of July is the annual International Jazz Festival.


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  • Pete Anderson

    My biggest worry about visiting Spain and this area of Spain is the fact that I can only speak English. Obviously I would try to learn Spanish but at nearly 60 years of age my memories ability is much diminished…

    Do many people in this area speak English?

  • Pete Anderson

    My biggest worry about visiting Spain and this area of Spain is the fact that I can only speak English. Obviously I would try to learn Spanish but at nearly 60 years of age my memories ability is much diminished…

    Do many people in this area speak English?

  • Iñaki

    Not actually. Nevertheless, more and more people are learning English and I don’t think that you would have problems to find some young people who know English. Forget older people, because there are not many of them who know English, maybe some of them French. I have a English friend that was in San Sebastian (I’m from there) and he didn’t have major problems. But carrying a Spanish-English dictionary with you would be a brilliant idea. And because San Sebastian is in the Basque Country, I recommend to learn few words in Basque like “thanks”, “bye”, etc. If you do that, you are going to receive a big smile from the person you are talking to.

  • Ommie4422

    I was here for a few days in the summer of 2010. Two girlfriends (American) and I were studying in France and decided to take an impromptu trip to Espana!! It helped a lot that one of my friends was fluent in Spanish, even though it is Basque country and they want NOTHING to do with Spain. I remember when Spain beat Portugal(?) in futbol, nobody celebrated, like I’d expected. But when I was in Toulouse (Southern France) and Spain won a match, the streets were CHAOTIC with people celebrating. So, there is an interesting history in San Sebastian. We stayed at a nice hostel not too far from las playas where our host was more than hospitable. We met all types of people from all around the world; it’s perfect for surfing. Most importantly (for me) was the absolutely B R E A T H T A K I N G scenery. The beaches were unimaginably beautiful from every view- we hiked up a mountain and looked out onto the horizon; religiously beautiful//highly recommended.



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