The article about my first stay in San Sebastián in August can be found here.
San Sebastián was love at first sight for me. The city immediately makes you feel at home. To help you get to know and love this wonderful place, here are my tips at a glance.
Basics for a weekend in San Sebastián
- As the flight route to Bilbao usually goes over the mainland, be sure to reserve a window seat on the right-hand side in the direction of flight. Then, weather permitting, you can enjoy this fabulous view.
- It is best to book a flight to Bilbao and take the PESA bus from there to San Sebastián/Donostia. The ticket is available at the ticket machine in the airport building near the departure point (beware, at the counter next to it you can only get tickets for Lurraldebus, Bilbao’s city bus). If you don’t have enough time before the bus leaves, you can also buy the ticket directly on the bus. The journey costs about €17 and takes about an hour.
- I can highly recommend the Pensión Garibai (Garibai Kalea 22) as accommodation. It doesn’t have a 24-hour reception, but a very nice team that is there for you during the day. The Pensión is located in a residential building in the centre of town, only 2 street corners away from the beach promenade. From there, you can be in the middle of the old town in 10 minutes, in front of the cathedral in 5 minutes and you will also find the shopping heart of San Sebastian just a few street corners away. The rooms are new and modern. They don’t have much space for very large suitcases, but they are equipped with a large, incredibly comfortable and cosy bed. The bathroom of the rooms is relatively large, very bright and, like the rooms, very clean. Some rooms have a large terrace facing the building’s inner courtyard.
Activities for a long weekend in San Sebastián
- Monte Urgull
As one of the most popular activities besides the trip to Monte Igueldo, on a weekend in San Sebastián, Monte Urgull is like a short trip to the countryside. From the top, the view provides an overview of the hustle and bustle of the city on one side and the vast Atlantic Ocean on the other. The best view is over the bay of La Concha with its island of Santa Clara and the city centre with the cathedral, town hall and old town, but also a view towards Gros, Zurriola and Monte Ulía.
The San Telmo Museum of Archaeology and History at the top of Monte Urgull offers a brief insight into the history of the capital of the Guipúzcoa region. From the statue of Jesus, which can be climbed via the museum with an admittedly rather short time window, the view can wander a little further.
For a break and a wonderful view with a cold beer, visit the Polboriña bar (opening hours depend on the weather). If the short climb is too much for you, you can also take the comfortable bus to Monte Urgull.
- Monte Igueldo – Beautiful view for a weekend in San Sebastián
No one should miss the typical view of the bay from Monte Igueldo. The funicular ride (€3.75 / €2.30 one-way) is part of the experience. My tip: Buy only the one-way ticket and make sure you walk back to the city. This offers beautiful views that you would otherwise miss and, even in the height of summer, enormous peace and quiet, interrupted only by the sound of waves and wind, until the sounds of the city slowly take over again at the foot of Monte Igueldo.
- Old Town of San Sebastián
The picturesque old town with its many small streets and especially pintxo bars is the ideal place to just drift and stroll through the streets. Cornerstones are the harbour, the basilica, the Buen Pastor Cathedral and the Plaza de la Constitución. In the evening, make your way from one pintxobar to the next until you find your personal favourite. Sometimes a little luck or patience is needed, as these are usually full, especially in high season.
- Palacio Miramar
The former royal summer residence is the point, so to speak, between Playa de la Concha and Playa Ondarreta, which only merge into one long beach at low tide. From the park of the palace, built in 1893, there is a dreamlike view of the bay in front of you. For the famous photo motif with Santa Clara Island framed by Monte Igueldo on the left and Monte Urgull on the right, however, a few streets behind the palace have to be climbed for the right perspective.
The Palacio Miramar park offers sunny and shady spots and benches for a break or a picnic. The palace itself is unfortunately only open on individual occasions and with guided tours.
- Gros & Zurriola
the trendy district of San Sebastián and a hotspot for surfers. Since Zurriola beach is not protected from waves by a bay and island like Playa de la Concha, it is a great place to surf. There is a surf school right at the beginning of the beach near the Kursaal, the city’s congress and cultural centre.
But Gros is not only the surfing district, it also has a lot of pintxo bars (Bar Zabaleta, Bodega Donostiarra, La Guinda) and a cheerful bustle in the streets. The Way of Saint James also briefly crosses Gros.
Monte Igueldo and Monte Urgull are the two well-known viewpoints, but the most beautiful view of the city and the Atlantic Ocean is to be had by climbing Monte Ulía.
If that wasn’t convincing enough, the setting sun on Zurriola beach in Gros provides the most beautiful sunsets. With a cool beer or a picnic, this can also be enjoyed on the beach walls towards Sagües as an excellent end to the day. What could be better for a relaxing weekend in San Sebastián?
- Shopping in the centre of San Sebastián
If you are in the mood for shopping on a weekend in San Sebastián, you will find most of the shops besides in Gros and in the old town in the centre of the city between Alameda del Boulevar, Catedral del Buen Pastor and Avenida de la Libertad. Besides the big brands like Stradivarius, Bershka or Zara, you will find many smaller brands and individual shops, such as Miintoday (San Martzial Kalea 18) , which will make your shopping heart beat faster. For surf lovers, we recommend the Puka Surf Store (Calle Mayor 5 oder in Zarautz).
- Peine del Viento
Inseparably linked to San Sebastián are the sculptures of the Peine del Viento by Eduardo Chillida at the foot of Monte Igueldo. In wild weather, mostly in the cooler months, and raging Atlantic, the latter is combed, so to speak, by the sculptures as soon as it strikes the rocks on the paseo. Hence the name “wind comb”. In addition, when the waves are high, the water shoots back up to the surface like fountains in the middle of the path in some places. But it is also a beautiful place to listen to the sound of the water on sunny or calm days.
- Weekend beach time in San Sebastián
You should definitely make time for at least half a day at the beach to enjoy the atmosphere of the city and the Atlantic Ocean. On sunny summer days, this probably amounts to a day of lounging, sunbathing or surfing; on rainy or cool days, at least a long walk on the beach. Between Playa de la Concha, Playa Ondarreta and Playa de la Zurriola, there are enough kilometres of sand for every taste.
- Stroll along Paseo Maritimo
Instead of a stroll along the beach, you can of course take a walk along the Paseo Maritimo. With its Art Nouveau railings and candelabras, it forms a fantastic backdrop. Especially during summer sunsets, you could think it was transforming into theatre seats in front of the sea as a stage.
- Even more time left on a weekend in San Sebastián?
If there is still time left on a long weekend in San Sebastián, or for culture lovers, a detour to the Buen Pastor Cathedral or a performance at the Teatro Victoria Eugenia is a good idea.
Not to be missed – and located on the way from the city centre to Gros to Playa Zurriola, so to speak – is the Puente del Kursaal. The bridge of the Kursaal is probably the best known in the city.
Pintxos and cafés for a perfect weekend in San Sebastián
- Borda Berri, Fermin Calbeton Kalea 12
Small, always full pintxos bar that is definitely worth a visit. The culinary selection can be found on a board at the bar. You should definitely try the risotto and the cheese with apricot jam for dessert. Add a caña and the evening is perfect.
- Bideluze, Garibai Kalea 24 / Gipuzkoa Plaza 14
Breakfast, almuerzo or dinner – you’ll always find what you’re looking for at Bideluze. Depending on the time of day, there is a huge selection of sandwiches, pintxos, burgers or the – let’s say typical – bravas and calamares.
There are two restaurants, but the one at 24 Garibai Street is more cosy for my taste. Beautiful wood panelling and small alcoves. You can’t beat the playlist that runs all day – probably the best I’ve ever heard in a café or bar. All my days started with croissant, café con leche and orange juice at Bideluze, as it’s practically next door to Pensión Garibai.
Under the arcades at Plaza Guipúzcoa, it’s great to people-watch over a coffee.
- The Loaf, Zurriola Hiribidea 18
A wide selection of bread, coffee and cakes is available at The Loaf. With minimalist décor, a great atmosphere and a bit of a sea view, it’s my first port of call on Zurriola beach.
- Atari Gastroleku, Calle Mayor 18
Always busy, always very crowded, lots of tourists in addition to the locals, depending on the season, and slightly unfriendly service, depending on the day. May not sound like a recommendation at first glance, but the pintxos are stunningly good and justify every visit. One of the best pintxos in town and a terrace with a view directly onto the Basílica de Santa María.
- Bodega Donostiarra, Peña y Goñi Kalea 13
Tested only on my second visit to San Sebastián, Bodega Donostiarra should nevertheless not be missing from this first list. Lively Spanish atmosphere, extremely friendly waiters and insanely delicious food with local products. The choice may be difficult for everyone: besides good pintxos, there are a lot of complete dishes, fresh fish and grilled dishes. How about a big spit of squid, prawns and other sea food, for example?
Less touristy than in the old town, more the “bar next door” with excellent design and definitely at the top of my personal list.
Excursions near San Sebastián on a long weekend
If you have a few more days at your disposal, you should definitely make at least one excursion into the surrounding countryside. Zarautz, Getaria and Zumaia are easily reached by Lurraldebus (UK10 / UK09/ UK 11). If you take a look at the departure times, you can easily visit all three surfing and fishing villages in one day. The Zarautz – Getaria route, can also serve well as a 5 km walk between the Atlantic Ocean and the coastal road. This stretch is popular with the locals as a route for jogging and daily sporting walks.
Located 20km from San Sebastián, Zarautz is best known for its surf beach, which is over 2.5km long. On the eastern side of the beach, a path leads up the hill, from where you have a wonderful view and which leads to the old Cargadero de Hierro de Malla Harria.
Absolute harbour and fishing town with narrow streets and some ascents and descents due to its location on the hillside. From afar, you can already see the green rocky hill of Getaria that juts out at the end of a narrow promontory on which the old town is built, and the angular church tower of the village. From the pier of the harbour, the view then goes back to the beach of Zarautz. Getaria is also famous for its Balenciaga fashion museum. he fashion designer was born in Getaria in 1895.
You should definitely stop off in Getaria at lunchtime to enjoy fresh fish in one of the many fish restaurants, ideally right on the harbour.
Thanks to its nature, Zumaia is probably the most impressive of the three villages. Besides its two beaches, Zumaia is home to a lot of flysh. These peculiar rock formations look like slabs of shale layered next to each other and feel quite soft to the touch. Although the coastline is stunning even at high tide, it becomes particularly imposing and impressive at low tide. Then countless flysh formations rise out of the exposed beach and water. Also indescribable is the moment when the tide comes back in and washes over large parts of the flysh again.
Every Spaniard is familiar with the small church of San Telmo, at least from many films, which is also enthroned in gleaming white on a rocky outcrop in front of green slopes. It looks particularly stately from the sea, as the rocks below it are already quite washed out by the weather. You can get this view from the small path past it towards Flysh.
The flysh formations on Itzurun beach, like San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, were filming locations for scenes from Game of Thrones. Those familiar with the film “Ocho apellidos vascos” will also recognise Zumaia and the church of San Telmo.
Zumaia is also the starting point for great long-distance hiking trails along the coast.
Completely overrun thanks to Game of Thrones, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe is nevertheless worth a visit. Formerly a monastery, today’s church is a breathtaking sight on the lonely rock in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on the Basque coast. The downright magical rocky island between Bakio and Bermeo is connected to the mainland by a stone bridge with over 200 steps. Here, too, other unreal rock formations jut out of the Atlantic to the right and left. It is hardly surprising that so many legends have grown up around this place.
Since the place has become so well known and literally overrun, a free entrance ticket is required.
The easiest way to reach San Juan de Gaztelugatxe is, of course, by car. But it can also be done by bus. First, take the PESA or ALSA from San Sebastián to Bilbao for about €15. In the summer months, the A3517/A3527 bus departs a 20-30 minute walk away from Plaza San Jose towards Bermeo, stopping at San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. The A3518 bus also goes towards Bakio, from where it is still a walk uphill along the road.
For a trip to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, be sure to take enough food and water! There are no food options in the vicinity and, especially on hot days, the sun burns relentlessly without any prospect of shade.
