Things to do · San Sebastián · Spain
17 best things to do in San Sebastián
17 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Gonzalomauleon, CC BY-SA 3.0 es
Quick answer
The essential sights in San Sebastián are La Concha beach and promenade, Parte Vieja pintxo bars and Monte Igueldo funicular and viewpoint. Of the 17 picks below, 10 are free, 5 work on a rainy day and 7 suit children. Allow about 4 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- La Concha beach and promenade
- Free sights
- 10
- Good on a rainy day
- San Telmo Museoa
- Time to see the highlights
- 4 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Concha beach and promenade | Centro | Half a day | Free |
| Parte Vieja pintxo bars | Parte Vieja | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Monte Igueldo funicular and viewpoint | Igeldo | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| Monte Urgull and Mota Castle | Parte Vieja | 1.5 hours | Free |
| Peine del Viento | Ondarreta | 30–45 minutes | Free |
| San Telmo Museoa | Parte Vieja | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| Basilica of Santa María del Coro | Parte Vieja | 30 minutes | Low cost |
| Plaza de la Constitución | Parte Vieja | 20–30 minutes | Free |
| San Sebastián Aquarium | Parte Vieja | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Zurriola beach | Gros | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Paseo Nuevo | Parte Vieja | 30–45 minutes | Free |
| Santa Clara island | Bay of La Concha | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Miramar Palace and gardens | Antiguo | 30–45 minutes | Free |
| Tabakalera | Egia | 1 hour | Free |
| Coastal walk over Monte Ulía to Pasaia | Gros | Half a day | Free |
| Cristina Enea park | Egia | 1 hour | Free |
| Eureka! Zientzia Museoa | Miramón | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
The 17 best things to do
Beach · Centro
1.La Concha beach and promenade
The curved, sheltered beach of the Bay of La Concha runs for about 1.3 km in front of the city, framed by the white railings and lamp posts of the Paseo de la Concha. The water is calm compared with the open Atlantic, Santa Clara island blocks the swell, and at low tide the sand is wide enough for long walks from the town hall to Ondarreta.
Walk the promenade at sunset towards Ondarreta, then return along the beach at low tide.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Kids
- Couples
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Neighbourhood · Parte Vieja
2.Parte Vieja pintxo bars
The old town's bars line their counters with pintxos — small bites on bread or skewers — and cook hot ones to order from a blackboard. Calle 31 de Agosto, Calle Fermín Calbetón, Calle Portu and Calle San Jerónimo are the core streets, with long-established names such as La Viña, famous for its baked cheesecake, along the way. The custom is one or two pintxos and a drink per bar, then move on.
Start around 7:30pm before the crowds and order the cooked-to-order pintxos from the board rather than only the ones on the counter.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Food
- After dark
Viewpoint · Igeldo
3.Monte Igueldo funicular and viewpoint
A wooden funicular dating from 1912 climbs from the end of Ondarreta beach to the summit of Monte Igueldo, the postcard view over the bay, Santa Clara island and Monte Urgull. At the top an old-fashioned amusement park has a small 1920s roller coaster that runs along the cliff edge, boat rides and a lighthouse-like tower.
Go up in the late afternoon for the light on the bay, and walk back down the road if you want to save the return fare.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
- Photo spot
Park · Parte Vieja
4.Monte Urgull and Mota Castle
The wooded hill behind the old town was a fortress for centuries; footpaths climb past cannon batteries and the English Cemetery, where British soldiers of the 1813 siege are buried, to the Mota Castle and the giant statue of the Sacred Heart on the summit. The views over La Concha, Zurriola and the port are free.
Climb from the Paseo Nuevo or the port side and come down through the Parte Vieja for an evening pintxo.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- History
- Outdoors
Landmark · Ondarreta
5.Peine del Viento
Eduardo Chillida's three rusted steel sculptures, installed in 1977, grip the rocks at the far western end of the bay, with a granite plaza by Luis Peña Ganchegui. In rough seas, holes in the plaza blow spray and air up from the waves below. It is the end point of the classic walk along La Concha and Ondarreta.
Visit at high tide on a day with some swell, when the waves crash around the sculptures and the blowholes are active.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Couples
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
Museum · Parte Vieja
6.San Telmo Museoa
The museum of Basque society and citizenship occupies a 16th-century Dominican convent at the foot of Urgull, joined to a modern wing clad in perforated metal. Collections run from Basque funerary stones and fishing history to 19th- and 20th-century painting, and the former church is lined with Josep Maria Sert's large gold-and-sepia murals of Basque life.
Leave time for the Renaissance cloister and the Sert murals in the church, which many visitors miss.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Religious site · Parte Vieja
7.Basilica of Santa María del Coro
This 18th-century baroque basilica closes the end of Calle Mayor, its ornate portal framed by the street and aligned with the Buen Pastor Cathedral at the other end of the city. Inside, the statue of the Virgen del Coro is the patron of the city, and a statue of Saint Sebastian stands over the entrance.
Look back down Calle Mayor from the basilica steps to see the cathedral spire lined up at the far end.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
Historic site · Parte Vieja
8.Plaza de la Constitución
The arcaded main square of the old town once served as a bullring, and the balconies of the surrounding houses still carry the numbers used when spectators rented them. Bars fill the arcades, and the square is the focus of the Tamborrada drumming on 20 January.
Look up at the numbered balconies, then take a terrace seat for a txakoli before dinner.
- Time needed
- 20–30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Food
Aquarium · Parte Vieja
1.San Sebastián Aquarium
At the end of the fishing port beneath Urgull, the aquarium combines a maritime museum on the city's whaling and seafaring history with tanks of Bay of Biscay species and a walk-through tunnel under a large oceanarium with sharks and rays.
Pair it with a walk round the Paseo Nuevo, which starts at the aquarium's door and circles Urgull to the river mouth.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Beach · Gros
2.Zurriola beach
Gros's open Atlantic beach is the city's surf spot, with consistent waves and several surf schools renting boards and wetsuits along the promenade. It is popular with a younger crowd and gets more wind and swell than La Concha, so swimmers should stay between the flags.
Book a beginner surf lesson in the morning, when the wind is usually lighter, then eat pintxos in Gros.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Active
- Outdoors
Waterfront · Parte Vieja
3.Paseo Nuevo
This seafront promenade loops around the base of Monte Urgull from the port to the mouth of the Urumea, facing the open sea. On stormy days, waves break over the sea wall, and Jorge Oteiza's sculpture Construcción Vacía stands at the port end looking across the bay.
Stay well back from the edge on rough days; waves regularly sweep the promenade and it is sometimes closed.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Island · Bay of La Concha
4.Santa Clara island
The small wooded island in the middle of the bay has a lighthouse, picnic tables, footpaths and a tiny beach that appears at low tide. In summer, small passenger boats cross from the fishing port in about 10 minutes.
Take a picnic from the Bretxa market and catch an early boat to have the island's beach to yourself.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Couples
- Outdoors
- Views
- Off the beaten path
Garden · Antiguo
5.Miramar Palace and gardens
Built in the 1890s as the summer residence of Queen Maria Christina, the English-style palace stands on the low headland between La Concha and Ondarreta. The palace itself is used for courses and events, but its sloping lawns are a public park with some of the best low-level views across the bay.
Cut through the gardens on the walk between La Concha and Ondarreta instead of using the tunnel road.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Outdoors
- Kids
Architecture · Egia
6.Tabakalera
The huge former tobacco factory beside the train station is now an international centre for contemporary culture, with exhibitions, a film programme, a library of creative arts and cafés. The roof terrace gives a free panorama over the Urumea, the Buen Pastor spire and the hills around the city.
Go up to the free rooftop viewpoint even if you skip the exhibitions.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Views
- Rainy day
Nature · Gros
7.Coastal walk over Monte Ulía to Pasaia
From the eastern end of Zurriola, a waymarked stretch of the coastal path climbs through Monte Ulía's woods and cliffs to the fishing village of Pasai Donibane, a walk of roughly 7–8 km. A small passenger boat crosses the harbour mouth to Pasai San Pedro, from where buses return to the city.
Wear proper shoes, as the path is muddy after rain, and have lunch in Pasai Donibane before taking the boat and bus back.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Active
- Nature
- Views
- Outdoors
Park · Egia
8.Cristina Enea park
Laid out as the private estate of the Duke of Mandas in the late 19th century, this hillside park has exotic trees, ponds with ducks and swans, peacocks wandering freely and paths up to small viewpoints over the river. It is a quiet green escape between the station and Amara.
Combine it with Tabakalera next door for a quieter morning away from the beaches.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Miramón
9.Eureka! Zientzia Museoa
The city's science museum in the Miramón technology park has hands-on exhibits on physics, the human body and nature, a planetarium and simulators. It is a good rainy-day option for families and is a short bus ride from the centre.
Check the planetarium session times when you arrive, as they are scheduled through the day.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Peine del Viento, San Telmo Museoa, Tabakalera and Eureka! Zientzia Museoa |
| History | Monte Urgull and Mota Castle, San Telmo Museoa, Basilica of Santa María del Coro and Plaza de la Constitución |
| Views | Monte Igueldo funicular and viewpoint, Monte Urgull and Mota Castle, Paseo Nuevo and Santa Clara island |
| Outdoors and nature | La Concha beach and promenade, Monte Urgull and Mota Castle, Peine del Viento and San Sebastián Aquarium |
| Food and markets | Parte Vieja pintxo bars and Plaza de la Constitución |
| After dark | Parte Vieja pintxo bars |
| With children | La Concha beach and promenade, Monte Igueldo funicular and viewpoint, San Sebastián Aquarium and Santa Clara island |
| On a rainy day | San Telmo Museoa, Basilica of Santa María del Coro, San Sebastián Aquarium and Tabakalera |
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in San Sebastián?
La Concha beach and promenade. The curved, sheltered beach of the Bay of La Concha runs for about 1.3 km in front of the city, framed by the white railings and lamp posts of the Paseo de la Concha.
+What can you do for free in San Sebastián?
La Concha beach and promenade, Monte Urgull and Mota Castle, Peine del Viento, Plaza de la Constitución and Zurriola beach. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in San Sebastián when it rains?
Head indoors to San Telmo Museoa, Basilica of Santa María del Coro, San Sebastián Aquarium and Tabakalera.
+What is there to do in San Sebastián at night?
Parte Vieja pintxo bars are best after dark.