Best Things to do in San Sebastian

85. San Sebastian SPAIN 🇪🇸 Score: 179.70

by Keta (cropped) / [CC BY-SA 2.5

One of the Most Charming and Atmospheric Cities in Spain

Table of Contents

A. About San Sebastian
B. Best Things to Do in San Sebastian in 2024 (Detailed List with Photos and Information)
C. Other Notable Sights and Attractions in San Sebastian
D. Best Day Trips and Excursions from San Sebastian
E. Top 10 List of the Best Things to Do in San Sebastian (including close-by excursions)

A. About San Sebastian

The beautiful Basque seaside resort San Sebastian (Donostia in the local Basque language called Euskara) is easily one of the most charming and atmospheric cities in Spain.

The city possesses without a doubt one of the finest city beaches in Europe.

Relax at these stunning beaches, visit its several scenic viewpoints, and try the authentic pintxos, the famous Basque version of tapas in the quaint Old Town.

The Good:

With its iconic crescent-shaped Bay of Concha with a cute little island in the center, elegant San Sebastian offers, first of all, an extremely scenic location.

Furthermore, the city is a very safe place with clean streets.

One of the highlights is of course the incredible tasty Basque food (the pintxos!).

Finally, in its picturesque center, San Sebastian possesses numerous pedestrian zones.

The Not-So-Good:

San Sebastian is relatively small when it comes to size. So after one or two days in the city, you may have seen almost everything.

B. Best Things to Do in San Sebastian in 2024 (Detailed List with Photos and Information)

In total, we count more than fifteen sights in San Sebastian. The following sights and attractions contribute to a rather low score of 5.65/10 in this most important category:

# Panorama of Mount Igueldo 7

Take the funicular to the top of Mount Igueldo 184 meters above the sea to enjoy stunning panoramic views over San Sebastián’s coastlines and mountains from the 16th-century El Torreón tower.

Viewpoint

# La Concha Beach 6

This iconic crescent-shaped stretch of white sand is one of the best city beaches in Europe.

Beach Water Temperature: 19-21° C, Jun-Sep, Sand

# Panorama of Mount Urgull 6

Crowned by the Fort de la Mota, Mount Urgull offers spectacular 360-degree views of San Sebastian.

Viewpoint

# Old Town (Casque Vieja) 5.5

Cobblestoned traffic-free lanes oozing with excellent pintxo bars, historic churches, and centuries-old buildings characterize the atmospheric Casque Vieja (Old Town) of San Sebastian.

City District

# Miramar Palace and Aiete Cultural Park 5.5

This English Tudor-style palace with an octagonal tower was built in 1893 as a vacation home for the Spanish royal family. While the palace itself isn’t open to the public you can visit its beautifully manicured surrounding gardens.

Palace and Park

# Museo de San Telmo 5

This museum devoted to the cultural heritage of the Basque country houses an exceptional collection of fine arts, history, archaeology, and ethnology.

Museum

by Zarateman / CC 0

# Plaza de la Constitución 5

Constructed in 1817 and once a bullring, this beautiful new-Neoclassical square is located at the very heart of San Sebastian's old town.

Square

# Peine del Viento 5

Located at the western end of La Concha Bay, this collection of three sculptures by Eduardo Chillida was arranged as an architectural work by the Basque architect Luis Peña Ganchegui.

Seaside Walk with Sculptures

by Reinhold Möller / CC BY-SA 4.0

# Aquarium Donostia 4.5

The Palacio del Mar houses an oceanography museum and a small aquarium.

The aquarium features a 360-degree underwater tunnel, thirty-one different exhibits broken up by region housing more than two hundred species.

Aquarium Biggest Tank: 1.5 million liters | Tunnel: small one | Species: 200 | Established: 1928, renovated 1998 | Rank in Our List of the Best 30 Aquariums in the World: None