San Sebastián · ES
San Sebastián: Old Town & La Concha Highlights
Around the golden shell of La Concha bay and through the pintxo-packed old town of the Basque coast's most elegant city.
What's the walk about?
Welcome to San Sebastián, known in the Basque language as Donostia, surely one of the most beautiful and elegant cities in all of Spain. Cradled around the perfect golden shell of La Concha bay, framed by green hills and the blue Cantabrian Sea, it is a city of Belle Époque grandeur, world-famous beaches and, above all, extraordinary food, for this is the capital of the pintxo, the Basque tapa. On this gentle loop we stroll the famous bay, wander the lively old town with its grand square and historic churches, visit the colourful fishing port, and circle the foot of the hill that guards the city. Come hungry, and let the Basque coast work its magic.
What you'll see
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1
Playa de la Concha
Beach
The golden, shell-shaped beach that is the symbol of San Sebastián, lined by an elegant white Belle Époque railing and sheltered within one of the most beautiful city bays in the world.
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2
Ayuntamiento de San Sebastián
City Hall
The elegant city hall standing in seaside gardens between the beach and the old town, built in 1897 as a grand casino, until gambling was banned and it became the seat of the city government.
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3
Plaza de la Constitución
Square
The grand arcaded main square of the old town, ringed by balconied houses whose windows are curiously numbered, a relic of the days when the whole square served as a bullring.
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4
Mercado de la Bretxa
Market
The old town's food market, whose name, meaning the breach, recalls the exact spot where besieging troops broke through the city walls in 1813 before burning San Sebastián to the ground.
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5
Iglesia de San Vicente
Church
The oldest church in San Sebastián, a robust early-sixteenth-century Gothic building that survived the great fire of 1813, with a fine carved altarpiece and a dramatic modern sculpture outside.
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6
Basílica de Santa María del Coro
Basilica
The grandest church of the old town, a Baroque basilica at the foot of Monte Urgull, with an exuberant carved portal crowned by Saint Sebastian and an interior aligned with the modern cathedral across the city.
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7
Puerto de San Sebastián
Harbour
The city's picturesque working fishing harbour, tucked beneath Monte Urgull, where colourful boats bob beside a huddle of old fishermen's houses now filled with seafood restaurants and bars.
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8
Aquarium de San Sebastián
Aquarium
A historic aquarium and maritime museum at the end of the harbour, opened in 1928, famous for its walk-through oceanarium tunnel and its displays on the Basque relationship with the sea.
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9
Paseo Nuevo
Promenade
A dramatic seaside promenade encircling the base of Monte Urgull, open to the full force of the Cantabrian Sea, where on stormy days giant waves crash spectacularly over the railings.
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10
Monte Urgull
Hill
The wooded hill rising over the old town, crowned by an old fortress and a towering statue of Christ, with winding paths, historic batteries and the finest panoramic views over the city and bay.
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