With kids · San Sebastián · Spain
San Sebastián with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Gonzalomauleon, CC BY-SA 3.0 es
Quick answer
San Sebastián is very easy with children: a calm city beach, the funfair on Monte Igueldo, the aquarium, flat promenades for scooters and buggies, and a culture where children stay out with their parents in the evenings. Top picks: La Concha beach and promenade, Monte Igueldo funicular and viewpoint and San Sebastián Aquarium. Families usually base themselves in Antiguo and Ondarreta.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 7
- Best area for families
- Antiguo and Ondarreta
- Rainy-day options
- 2
- Busiest months
- July–August
Best things to do with kids
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
Viewpoint · Igeldo
2.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
Aquarium · Parte Vieja
3.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
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
Museum · Miramón
5.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
Park · Egia
6.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
Garden · Antiguo
7.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
Rainy-day ideas
- San Sebastián Aquarium — Pair it with a walk round the Paseo Nuevo, which starts at the aquarium's door and circles Urgull to the river mouth.
- Eureka! Zientzia Museoa — Check the planetarium session times when you arrive, as they are scheduled through the day.
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for families, quiet stays, couples and beach
Antiguo and Ondarreta
At the western end of the bay, Antiguo sits behind Ondarreta beach, the Miramar Palace gardens and the lower station of the Monte Igueldo funicular. It is calmer and more residential than the centre, with family-friendly beach days and a flat seafront walk to Chillida's Peine del Viento sculptures at the end of the bay.
- Good
- Calm, family-oriented beach; Near Igueldo and the Peine del Viento; Quiet at night
- Watch out
- About 30 minutes' walk to the Parte Vieja; Fewer bars and restaurants
- Nearby
- Ondarreta beach, Miramar Palace, Peine del Viento, Monte Igueldo funicular
Family travel tips
- La Concha and Ondarreta are the calmest beaches for small children; Zurriola has stronger waves.
- Children are welcome in most pintxo bars in the early evening, but the busiest Parte Vieja bars get crowded and hot after about 9pm.
- The Monte Igueldo amusement park rides are charged individually on top of the funicular ticket.
- Bring rain gear in any month and keep the aquarium or Eureka! as rainy-day back-ups.
- Families with a car can reach the Zumaia cliffs and Getaria's beaches easily for a day.
Day trips for families
- Zumaia flysch cliffs (About 45 minutes–1 hour by bus or train) — Around Itzurun beach and the chapel of San Telmo, the cliffs of the Basque Coast Geopark expose millions of years of tilted rock layers known as flysch.
When to go with children
The best months overall are June and September. July–August are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is San Sebastián good for kids?
San Sebastián is very easy with children: a calm city beach, the funfair on Monte Igueldo, the aquarium, flat promenades for scooters and buggies, and a culture where children stay out with their parents in the evenings.
+What can kids do in San Sebastián?
La Concha beach and promenade, Monte Igueldo funicular and viewpoint, San Sebastián Aquarium, Santa Clara island and Eureka! Zientzia Museoa.
+Where should families stay in San Sebastián?
Antiguo and Ondarreta: Quiet residential streets beside Ondarreta beach and the Igueldo funicular.