20 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN SAN SEBASTIÁN

Call it San Sebastian, Donosti or Donostia no matter: the capital of Guipuzcoa is one of the essential stops for any trip to the Basque Country. And not only for its famous pintxos, the city is a true jewel and offers a few attractions. If you are looking ideas of things to see and do in San Sebastian, today we are going to give you 20:

1. Take a dip in the La Concha Beach. Or if the water is very cold for you, at least give yourself a loop for its beautiful promenade.

2. At the foot of the beach you will see the impressive La Perla Spa. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century, coinciding with the city boom for the high European aristocracy, with the idea of ​​creating the largest and most modern thermal center in the world.

3. Another example of the golden age that San Sebastian lived is theMaria Cristina Hotel, which was inaugurated in 1912. Although it already has more than a century of life, it still continues to house the most important stars of the socialite. For the moment we stay in a nice hostel.

4. Dedicated to the same queen, who used to spend seasons in San Sebastian, is theMaria Cristina Bridge. It opened in 1905 and four huge obelisks stand out with (two at each end).

5. The Miramar Palace It is one of the most famous buildings in the city. Just tell you that it is the place where the Spanish monarchy spent its summer in the past. You cannot enter, but you can visit its gardens. The views are great from there.

6. Visit the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, in neo-Gothic style, was inaugurated in 1897 by Manuel Echave, a Gipuzkoan architect. Your entry is free.

7. Although, if we talk about religious temples, we have fallen in love with the Basilica of Santa Maria del Coro, with its mixed style (it was built on a Romanesque church and has baroque, gothic and neoclassical elements) and its facade full of details.

8. Tour the historic center of San Sebastián, or at least the Main Street (Kale Nagusia), from where you can take a photo of the Basilica of Santa Maria del Coro in the background. But here the whole atmosphere of the city is concentrated: it is full of shops and taverns for all tastes.

9. The San Sebastian City Hall It is also worth a visit. Although this building was not initially built with town hall functions, it was once a casino! The town hall moved here in 1945.

10. One of the symbols of San Sebastian is the Wind Comb, a set of sculptures by Eduardo Chillida that is at the end of the Concha Bay, on Ondarreta Beach. When you are there, keep silent and pay attention to the sound that comes out of pipes placed on the floor. Curious, right?

11. Another urban beach in San Sebastián is the Zurriola Beach. If you want to start in the world of surfing it is the perfect place! It is also cool to simply shoot some photos and enjoy the pirouettes of those who know.

12. Approach the Constitution Plaza And marvel at how beautiful she is. Look at the balconies, do you know why they are numbered? Formerly in the square bullfights took place ... and the balconies were used as boxes! And we who thought they were hotel rooms, haha!

13. If you are fond of theater, in San Sebastian you will find one of the most important artistic centers in Spain. Its aboutVictoria Eugenia Theater. You can visit it from outside, or attend one of its shows, here is the calendar.

14. One of the most curious places in San Sebastián is the Mount urgull, where you can see the Statue of the Sacred Heart, with some resemblance to the Christ Redeemer of Rio de Janeiro. Needless to say, from up there the views take the hiccups off!

15. And right on the other side of the city there is a new and great panoramic opportunity: you will only have to climb to the Monte Igeldo viewpoint and you will have Donosti and its bay at your feet. To climb it is best to use the funicular, which costs about € 3.15 (i / v).

16. If your visit coincides near August 15, you can enjoy the Donosti Big Week (from Saturday to Saturday). The best, in addition to having fun, of course, is to contemplate the pyrotechnic show with which the party ends. Seeing the fires from Playa de la Concha has to be magical (although we imagine it will be full).

17. Make one pintxos route: in San Sebastián you eat great and pintxos bars are one of the best in the whole region. You can opt for downtown bars, although if you have the possibility, go to the Gros neighborhood, on the other side of the Urumea River, which is fashionable. We recommend you to be guided by this post by Gonzalo, who knows a lot about Donosti (and pintxos) 😉 Another option is to sign up for a pintxo-tour like this.

18. Although if you are more than eating sitting, with your little tablecloth, your napkin and your cutlery, in San Sebastián and its surroundings are neither more nor less than 10 Michelin Star restaurants. They are: Martín Berasategui, Akelarre, Arzak, Mugaritz, Mirador de Ulía, Kokotxa, Zuberoa, Arbelaitz Miramón, Alameda and ElKano.

19. Neither pintxos route nor restaurants with prizes, you have the picorsito in the body and you hit an afternoon and night to achieve. Then leave cider house route! There are several quite popular in San Sebastián like Beharri or Txirrita Sagardotegia. But the good area is Astigarraga, we have been told wonders of the Astarbe Cider House.

20. And already set to make getaways, here we leave you 5 excursion ideas from San Sebastián If you have more time available:

Visit the other great capital of the Basque Country (with permission from Vitoria): Bilbao.

An incredible landscape is formed by the flysch cliffs in Zumaya.

Very close to Donosti is Pasajes de San Juan, a small town that we loved.

And if you continue in the direction of France, reach Hondarribia, if not the most, of the most beautiful in the entire Basque Country.

And since we are, how about a mini excursion to France? The French Basque Country is a pasote ... if you don't have a car to explore it at your leisure, you can sign up for this tour that takes you to Biarritz and San Juan de Luz.

So far our recommendations of things to see and do in San Sebastián although surely there are many other things. If you think we have forgotten something essential, leave us a comment and we will fix it 😉

* Photocredit: Shutterstock