San Sebastian Mini Guide
In San Sebastian you can combine a ski trip and a beach holiday while experiencing one of Spain's unique cultures. Nestled in the Bay of Biscay and surrounded by mountains, this resort is truly one of the country's most brilliant gems and cultural capital of the Basque country.
San Sebastian has managed to maintain much of the charm which made it such a popular holiday destination over the years and it remains the summertime capital of northern Spain. The city is divided into various quarters while the old part of the city retains its fishing harbour and recreational port.
The locals, who refer to themselves at Donostiarras, number around 200,000 including about 17,000 university students. Tourists are drawn to San Sebastian's easily accessible beaches which allow you to soak up the sun next to some of the city's best monuments. Many surfers visit them as well.
The main beaches are the pretty Playa de la Concha which is sheltered and dotted with small fishing boats. Separated from Playa de la Concha is Ondarreta beach, a good place to sunbathe where you can rent umbrellas and deck chairs, while La Zurriola is the beach to which the surfers gravitate and has boards and wet suits for rent.
You can get to see as much of the Basque country as you want with our unlimited mileage offers whilst within San Sebastian you can pick up car hire San Sebastian airport for a fraction of the cost charged by other rental companies.
At meal times try the Basque country's own special take on tapas food which is great with a small beer or a glass of wine and economical as you only pay for what you eat. Pintxos, as the tapas are known, come hot or cold. You select the cold ones yourself from the bar while the hot ones have to be ordered. If you want something more substantial try the Avenida XXI in the Avenida de la Libertad which does a three course meal with wine for around 12 Euros.
The best place for nightlife is the glamorous Bataplan which doesn't even open until 2am, though you would be advised to get your drinks in beforehand as they are quite pricey. The club has a great terrace and is full of beautiful people.
Trains run to San Sebastian from
Portugal,
France and other parts of Spain, and the city has its own small airport as well. The Biarritz,
Bilbao and
Vitoria-Gasteiz airports can be accessed by car, though the latter two are quite a distance away.
If you do hire a car make sure to get a good map as it can be tricky to navigate and get to the parking places.
