San Sebastián

Donostia-San Sebastián (Basque: Donostia; Spanish: San Sebastián) is a major city in the Basque Country, an Autonomous Community of Spain. Donostia/San Sebastian boasts one of the best in-city beaches in Europe. It is quite unusual feeling that you can sunbathe and swim right next to major historical buildings and churches. Surfers are in abundance here.



Understand
This city of 187,000 people (2018) is quite small and cozy, featuring many seafood restaurants, several beaches, tons of pintxos bars and a choice of designer clothes shops.

Orientation: The city is divided into Old Town (Parte Zaharra/Parte Vieja), Gros and Erdialdea/Centro.



By train
International trains from France mainly arrive at Hendaye and Irun stations, whence it is possible to take a local train to Donostia/San Sebastian. Take care when booking from France, as a town named Saint Sébastien exists there as well.

Donostia/San Sebastian has two main train stations: the RENFE station for national and local Cercanías trains (at the east end of Puente de Maria Cristina), and the Euskotren Amara station for its local network (at the Plaza Easo).

From France, there is a multitude of TGV and TER (regional trains) to Hendaye. To reach San Sebastian, change here onto an Euskotren train. Connections are frequent, and continue until late. The last train towards San Sebastian departs Hendaye at 22:33. A few trains from France do not end in Hendaye, and go across the border to Irun. At Irun station, the best option to reach San Sebastian is to change there to a RENFE Cercanías train. Direct TGVs from Paris Montparnasse depart at 10:28, 12:28 (to Irun), and 14:28. In addition, there exists a number of possible connections with a change in Bordeaux.

From Portugal, there is a daily Trenhotel overnight train, leaving Lisbon Sta. Appolonia station at 21:18, and arriving San Sebastian at 10:53.

From the major cities of Spain (outside the Basque Country), the train is much quicker than a bus, and if booked in advance often the cheapest option too. Twice- or thrice-daily direct intercity connections (Alvia) are maintained by state operator RENFE from Vitoria-Gasteiz, Burgos, Valladolid and Madrid, and from Iruña/Pamplona, Zaragoza, Tarragona and Barcelona. Both lines utilize semi-high speed train sets that travel on the high-speed tracks where they can. Madrid-San Sebastian journey time is between 4 hr 51 min and 5 hr 21min. Barcelona-San Sebastian journey time is 5 hr 39min. RENFE also operates a daily service with conventional coaches (Arco) towards Santiago de Compostela and A Coruña, which is ideal for pilgrims looking to skip a portion of the road.

From within the Basque Country (except for Hendaye and Irun), the bus is usually quicker. There are however some scenic train routes operated by Euskotren from the surrounding area, and from Bilbao, with onwards connections by FEVE from Santander (Cantabria), and León (Castilla y Leon). The routes offer a leisurely alternative to travellers who have time to spare.

By plane
San Sebastian is well served by airports:
 * San Sebastian, a small airport 20 km from the town centre, next to Hondarribia.
 * Bus to the airport: i2 (€2.65) departs from Plaza Gipuzkoa nearly once an hour takes 30min, making a maximum of 4 stops (typically less).
 * Cafes in the departures area are limited to a single cafe on the ground floor, plus posh restaurant on the 2nd floor.
 * Shopping in departures area is limited to a single souvenir small shop; no duty free shops available.
 * Electronic check-in is available only for Iberia and Spanair. It doesn't work for Iberia e-tickets printed from an e-mail, however.
 * Wi-Fi network is not available.


 * Biarritz (in Continental Basque Country, France), 50 km away with bus and train connections to San Sebastian. Take a French SNCF train to Hendaye, change to the nearby Euskotren station (located just outside the SNCF station) and take a Euskotren to San Sebastian. Each train ride is between 30–40 minutes, with the total train trip cost less than €10. A coach service also exists between Biarritz airport and the Hendaye train station, via Saint-Jean-De-Luz (change buses there). The coach ride is less than one hour and costs about €4. For an airport transfer, taxi, bus or coach from Biarritz Airport to San Sebastian check Biarritz Airport Transfers or Sea-Lifts Airport Transfer.
 * Bilbao airport is 100 km away with good bus connections, about one an hour during the day. The trip takes about 70 min, and costs around €15. The bus company is called PESA. Tickets for the journey from Bilbao to San Sebastian can be purchased on board the bus, however for the trip from San Sebastian to Bilbao, tickets must be purchased from the PESA office around the corner from the bus station.
 * Vitoria-Gasteiz airport 114 km from San Sebastian with good bus connections. A bus from the airport will take you to the central bus station, from where you can take a bus (companies Pesa or La Burundesa) to San Sebastian for around €7.50.

By bus
The Basque Country is generally easier to get around by bus than by train. Buses arrive and depart at the San Sebastian bus station, at Plaza de Pio XII in Amara Nuevo. A number of bus companies operate services to San Sebastian, including:
 * Pesa
 * La Burundesa
 * Continental Autos
 * ATCRB
 * Roncalesa (for connection with Pamplona).

Buses are the only way to get to some areas of the Basque region, and often run more often (and cheaper!) than trains. Vitoria-Gasteiz, capital of the Basque Country, is a 2-hour ride away. Bilbao, the travel hub and biggest city in the region (1-hour ride), and Pamplona (1-hour ride) are other popular destinations, but longer-range buses do overnights to Madrid, Barcelona and even Milan.

Bilbao's bus station is accessibly via the San Mamés metro station. Buy a ticket for the next bus to San Sebastian at the Pesa window for. They leave from stop 2, 3, or 4 every 30 minutes or hour.

By car
In the downtown, parking is costly (roughly €20/day); most parking spots are underground, and finding a way to get there can be nerve-wracking. Left turns are more rare than rights (and are unpredictable). Having a driving map is essential. The biggest underground parking lots are in the city center, so the easiest way to find a place without wasting time is to go through the road that goes by the river and follow the signs.

There are some free parking lots in the west of the city: on the tourist maps by SanSebastianTurismo available in some guesthouses, the area is marked with a blue dotted line "Controlled parking zone".

Get around
You can see Donostia on foot and by taxi. Taxis only pick up passengers at designated taxi stops or when booked by phone. They aren't permitted to take passengers who hail them on the street.

Bicycle lanes are all around the downtown, and in the summer bicycles can be hired (at certain times they are free) from strategically placed locations around the city. Apart from private hiring companies, the town hall has a bike-service all over the city, which is also open to tourists. Tourists should get a bike-card at the Tourist Information Center in Boulevard, 8 (€20 deposit, €15 for 1 day, €20 for 4 days, €25 per week). This card should be given back the day after it is purchased so as to recover the €20 deposit. This way you can use any of the multiple bikes around the city, for a maximum of 4 hr non-stop (Leaving 30 minutes between use allows you to cycle for a further 4 hr non-stop), from 10:00 to 21:00. There are several bike-service spots around the city, and bikes can be picked up and dropped off at different points.

Bus D-Bus has a number of routes across the city. Single journeys to any destination on its network cost a flat rate of €1.85. However, for those staying for longer periods, they may wish to buy the MUGI card available from various locations throughout the area. There is also an associated App which can be used to recharge the card. if you have come from Bilbao the Barik card can also be used.

It's also possible to buy and top up a tourist card, Touch it against the electronic card reader as you get on the bus, once per passenger.

See

 * From top of Mount Igeldo at the West end of Kontxa/La Concha bay, enjoy great view of the town
 * Visit the Miramar palace and its park over Loretope/El pico del Loro; enjoy sitting on a lawn there

Do

 * Beach - there are two main beaches, one on either side of the river.
 * Kontxa/La Concha, on the west side is the larger, is protected from the sea and has an island and boats in the bay. Ondarreta is in the same bay as Kontxa/La Concha, but split by Loretope/El pico del Loro (a rocky outcropping). Kontxa/La Concha and Ondarreta has umbrellas, tents and lounge chairs for €15 per day; free WC, showers and changing rooms. A team of fully-equipped life-guards are there during the daytime.
 * Zurriola to the east of the old town and river is a surf beach, clearly better if you want waves or beach sports.
 * Surfing - surfboards and bodyboards can be rented on Zurriola beach. You'll probably want to spring for a wetsuit as well.
 * The Zurriola Surf Eskola (founded in 2012) offers surf lessons for both beginners and advanced with excellent trainers. They also rent board and wetsuits.
 * The longtime Pukas Surf Eskola offers surf lessons (around €65 per person for five one-hour lessons in a small group) and has a surf shop too.
 * Hiking
 * For a short easy hike visit the statue of Christ on top of the mountain between the beaches. It takes around an hour to walk up at a leisurely pace. There's a bar on the way up if you need to stop for refreshments or admire the view. To reach the bar: find a library; from there find directions upstairs to a Castle; follow the stairs along green hedge. The park officially closes at 21:00 in summer (in reality, gates close bit later), and the bar closes before sunset in summer time—and definitely before park is closed.
 * For a longer hike, head up the hill from Zurriola by taking Zemoria St up from the east end of the Zurriola, and following the long stairway at the end of Zemoria St up to the hiking path which is toward the left. From there, follow the trail marked by the red & white markings to Pasai San Pedro. Initially, the trail is marked by red, white, and green stripes, but the green trail diverts halfway in. The full hike from San Sebastian to Pasaia/San Pedro is approximately 5.5 miles one-way and should take around 2.5 hours. Once you get there, you can take a local bus back (for €1.35).
 * Tennis and squash: There is a single tennis court (roofed), and two open-air squash courts—both between the El pico del Loro beach and bottom of Mount Igeldo.
 * Tourist Land Train - a tourist land train leaves from the Zubieta street in front of Kontxa/La Concha Beach.
 * Aquarium - by the Kaiko pasealekua (Promenade of the Harbor), at the far right of Kontxa/La Concha Beach.
 * Kayak - kayaks can be hired on Ondarreta beach, for about €7 per hour.
 * Water skiing in the Kontxa/La Concha bay
 * Football: Real Sociedad play soccer in La Liga, Spain's top tier. They play at Anoeta Stadium (capacity 39,500) at the south edge of the city. Their women's team play in Liga F (their top tier) at Zubieta training facility 10 km southwest of city centre.
 * Football: Real Sociedad play soccer in La Liga, Spain's top tier. They play at Anoeta Stadium (capacity 39,500) at the south edge of the city. Their women's team play in Liga F (their top tier) at Zubieta training facility 10 km southwest of city centre.
 * Football: Real Sociedad play soccer in La Liga, Spain's top tier. They play at Anoeta Stadium (capacity 39,500) at the south edge of the city. Their women's team play in Liga F (their top tier) at Zubieta training facility 10 km southwest of city centre.

Clothes and shoes
Donostia/San Sebastian is known as a stylish city and an image-conscious one, so it is stuffed with high-end shops. Peruse Parte Zaharra/La Parte Vieja (the old part of town) for cool boutiques filled with quirky designer gear. There are fantastic shoe stores— there is one whose rainbow of amazing women's shoes in the window changes daily—and sources for that inimitable bold Spanish fashion. Designer clothes for men are much more difficult to find than for women.

Most shops are freestanding, but there is an enclosed shopping mall (La Brexta) that has the cineplex (as well as the city's lone McDonald's) as well as a collection of high street shops in the modern Nuevo Mercardo San Martin complex.

Some of the shops worthwhile visiting are:

Eat
The Basque cuisine is famous within Spain and many believe it is the Basque Country where you can find the best food. Much of this fame comes from San Sebastian and its bars and restaurants.

Although tapas were invented in Andalucia they became perfected in San Sebastian and a walk through the old town before lunch time with its many bars shows why. Each bar is bursting with tapas and they look very delicate. Tapas are generally enjoyed together with a glass of wine or a small beer, and the Spanish tradition suggests to have one tapa and a wine in one bar and move on to the next bar. Tapas can be used as a good substitute for a meal - you pay for each one you eat (about €2-4 each) so you can have as many as you want.

If you want 'real' food then that is where San Sebastian can be very good. You can find several different cuisines such Chinese, German, Galician, Italian and of course the obvious Basque cuisine. In and around the harbor you can have the freshest seafood and if you don’t enjoy the simple harbour taverns go and enjoy San Sebastian restaurants with Michelin stars if you have some money to spare.

San Sebastian is not a place for vegetarians or vegans, unless you are able to catch the fresh produce markets in the morning and cook for yourself. Pescetarians can get along fine with the abundance of seafood offered on menus.

Lo Mejor de la Gastronomia holds annual conference and competition in November, including nominations for pintxos bars and for restaurants.

Healthy breakfast (even omelet) is hard to find in cafes: typically sandwiches or breakfast variety of pintxos are offered.

Pintxos
The way to eat pintxos, (tapas in the Basque Country whether speaking Spanish or Basque) in San Sebastian is quite different from other cities in Spain. There are two kinds of tapas: cold and hot ones.

Don't attempt to eat pintxos if you're starving, you'll treat it like a buffet and prices will easily rack up as everything seems more appealing. Only get a couple of pintxos at a time as sometimes what looks really appealing, has been sitting on the bar the whole day and is past its use by date. Test the waters. Cold ones are displayed on the bar. Just ask the barman for your drink and pick the pintxos yourself. If you need a plate, just ask. Hot ones must be ordered from the barman and they take a short time to be cooked. There is always a hot tapas menu hanging from the wall.

When you are done eating your tapas and have finished your drink you ask the barman for the bill, and you have to tell him what you have eaten. It is very important to be honest, as it is a long tradition. Locals will be upset if they find people eating and not paying. Normally you don't eat many pintxos at one bar but move from bar to bar, drinking a beer (caña) or wine and eating one or two tapas. Then you move to another bar. Traditionally residents would have one or two pintxos in the early evening to stave off any hunger before a later sit-down meal, rather than making a meal out of a large number of pintxos.

Generally, if the barman asks you to show your plate to them before you start eating, you know the bar markets towards tourists and is sub par and more expensive that it should be. A good bar will ask you what you've eaten as you pay and you should see a chef working out the back.

Most pintxo bars are to be found in the old town, particularly on the streets running parallel to Boulevard. Generally a pintxo will cost €2-3. At some bars the pintxos are all priced the same, at others the price depends on the pintxo. Pintxos (tapas) bars are thick in the Parte Vieja (Old Town), but there are masses of other places nearby in the Gros and Centro areas. Most bars charge by the toothpick or plate from €1-5.

The Jamon Iberico (usually seen hanging from the ceiling in whole leg portions) is ubiquitous, and equally good virtually everywhere. The calamari seems to be the same at every bar, don't order it again at a different pintxo bar if you didn't like it the first time.

Cook-by-order pintxos
Some slightly pricier pintxo bars that don't have pre-cooked pintxos and only cook them on order (correspondingly, their pintxo are of higher quality).

Mid-range


Along the waterfront one can find many cafes and bakeries.



Local specialties

 * The Kalimotxo (pronounced "calimotcho") is a local drink that is made with 50% wine (normally an inexpensive red wine) and 50% Coca-Cola. You will see a very large proportion of young people drink this near the harbor at Kontxa/La Concha beach and later on, in bars or clubs. It is definitely something to try out while you are there.

Cafes
Coffee is espresso, not brewed, even in the on-the-beach cafes.



Cider and Sidreria
A purely Gipuzkoan experience, sagardotegiak/sidrerias (cider restaurant) dot the countryside and offer all you can drink sidra (a mildly alcoholic apple flavored cider) shooting straight from the barrel. Sidrerias usually offer a traditional set menu of cod omelette, cod with peppers, txuleta (really thick steak), and then for dessert: cheese, walnuts and menbrillo/membrillo (quince paste). The cider house season runs from the end of January to the end of May, but a couple of traditional sagardotegiak/sidrerias (cider restaurant) that are open all year (you'll need to get a car, bus or taxi from town) are:



Clubbing

 * Bataplán is definitely the hottest club in San Sebastian. Be careful not to arrive too early; usually there is no party before 01:00. People normally start arriving at 02:00, and the club closes around 6 or 07:00. The entry fee is normally €15 (including one drink) but you can get in for free before 03:00 if you ask for a VIP pass at a bar beforehand (Bar Tas Tas is a good place for that). This club has an amazing terrace out back to relax after you've had one drink too many (drinks cost around €8 a pop, by the way, €5 for a beer). All year round, the club is filled with local people, tourists and exchange students.

Mid-range
A great pension/hostel in the centre of San Sebastian. Close to the beaches and all the bars and restaurants.

Connect
As of June 2022, San Sebastián has 4G from MasMovil/Yoigo, and 5G from Movistar, Orange and Vodafone. Wifi is widely available in public places.

Go next

 * Bilbao - home of the famous Guggenheim Museum of Modern Art and other architectural masterpieces.
 * Hondarribia - beautiful fishing town and a place for more pintxos.
 * Vitoria-Gasteiz - capital of the Basque Autonomous Community.
 * Zarautz - summer getaway, the longest beach in Gipuzkoa, and a magnet for surfers.