Exploring San Sebastian: What to Do and Where to Eat
San Sebastian is known as one of the ultimate foodie destinations, and for good reason. With the world’s second most Michelin stars per capita (Kyoto is number one) and a reputation for the best pintxo bars, you won’t go hungry in this coastal city. But don’t limit yourself to the media-hyped restaurants. With pintxo bars, historical architecture, and outdoor adventures, San Sebastian is the perfect destination for food and fun!
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Table of Contents:
- Where is San Sebastian?
- How to Get to San Sebastian
- Where to Stay in San Sebastian
- History of San Sebastian
- What to See and Do in San Sebastian
- East side of the city
- Playa de la Concha
- West side of the city
- Where to Eat in San Sebastian
- San Sebastian Michelin Star Restaurants
- Other Fantastic Restaurants in San Sebastian
- Other Michelin Star Restaurants in Basque Country
- Pintxo Bars in San Sebastian
- Types of Pintxos
- What to Drink With a Pintxo
- San Sebastial Festivals
- Day Trips from San Sebastian
Don’t have time to read the whole post?
Best Food Tour: San Sebastian Pintxos Tour for Gourmets in Old Town
Best Boat Tour: Biarritz and French Coast Small Grop Tour from San Sebastian
Find awesome hotels in San Sebastian!
Where Is San Sebastian?
Located in Northern Spain just 30 minutes from the French border, San Sebastian has been a coastal retreat for Renaissance royalty and modern-day celebrities. San Sebastian is the capital of the Gipuzkoa province in the Basque region and is officially known as Donostia by locals.
How to Get to San Sebastian
You can get to San Sebastian by any means of transportation. San Sebastian has an airport (EAS) that connects to many cities in Spain, and an international connection to London City (LCY). Most travelers will fly into Madrid (MAD) or Barcelona (BCN) and connect to San Sebastian.
The ALVIA trains run from Madrid (5.5 hours) or other cities like Bilbao or Pamplona.
If you drive to San Sebastian, the highway AP- 8 goes through the southern part of the city.
Where to Stay in San Sebastian
San Sebastian is an expensive city. The price range of most hotels and apartments in Sebastian is $200-500 USD.
If you really want to splurge, stay at Hotel Maria Cristina, a Marriott luxury property. We stayed here a few years ago and it is absolutely stunning. Completely renovated with modern touches, it retains several architectural features of the early 20th century. Their price is over $1000/night (this is a great place to use your Marriott points).
This year, we decided to stay on the west side of the bay at Hotel Avenida next to the restaurant, Rekondo. With free parking, an elevated view of San Sebastian, and a short distance to the beach and other attractions, Hotel Avenida gave us a different perspective of San Sebastian away from the major tourist area of San Sebastian.
You can also find apartment options near the beach. Check out our map below for more recommendations.
History of San Sebastian
Historical records date the city of San Sebastian back to 1014, but the Basques have been around for centuries. Early Roman and Viking records detail the Basques’ fishing and whaling expertise. The Basques have their own unique language. Researchers are still puzzled today about the origins of the Basque language as there is no correlation with any other language.
Many cultures and countries have tried to conquer the Basque region over the past centuries. During the Peninsula Wars in 1813, the British laid siege on San Sebastian and drove the French out. Most of the city was burned to the ground, but one street remained intact and was renamed Calle 31 de Agosto to remember that fateful day. San Sebastian was rebuilt in the Haussmann-style of grand boulevards, spacious parks, and diagonal street designs similar to Paris.
In the mid-1800s, Maria-Christina, widow of Alfonso XII, and her daughter Isabell II spent every summer in San Sebastian which put it on the radar of other royals. With mild temperatures and its scallop-shaped beach protected from rough waves and currents by Isla Santa Clara, it was the perfect holiday getaway then, and even more so today.
What to See and Do in San Sebastian
East Side of the City
The majority of sights and restaurants are within a two kilometer area on the east side of the bay.
Bordering the bay on the east side is Monte Urgull. Winding paths lead up the small mountain to where a statue of Jesus Christ watches over the bay. Old cannons still stand guard. On the way back down, stop at Urgulleko Polboriña, a bar with fantastic views of San Sebastian. Check their Instagram for live band events.
At the foot of Monte Urgull lies a picturesque marina with colorful fishing and tour boats. Take a boat ride out to Isla Santa Clara and visit the lighthouse on the other side, or just enjoy a nice lunch at the restaurant by the pier. A local boat tour company can take you to the island, or travel up the coastline towards France on an all day sailing trip.
Also by the marina is the San Sebastian Aquarium. With over 200 species on display, an impressive North Atlantic right whale skeleton, and two floors dedicated to the Basque’s fishing and whaling history, it’s a worthwhile attraction to visit.
Parte Vieja (Old Town)
But what really attracts people to San Sebastian is the food. The Parte Vieja, or the old part of town, begins at the base of the marina and is the epicenter of the best pintxo bars in San Sebastian. The colonial streets and ancient churches add to the ambiance. San Sebastian has more pintxo bars per square kilometer than any other city in the world.
City Hall unites the Parte Vieja with the newer part of San Sebastian. A beautiful ornate carousel revolves in front of City Hall in Parque Alderdi Eder, a green space with statues and fountains. To the east of City Hall is the upscale shopping district leading to the Neo-Gothic Catedral del Buen Pastor. Built in 1897, this is the largest church in San Sebastian.
Overlooking the Uramea River are the historical buildings of Hotel Maria Cristina and the Victoria Eugenia Antzokia Theater, both built in 1912.
On the other side of the Uramea river are more beaches, pintxo bars, and the Kursaal where the San Sebastian Film Festival takes place at the end of September.
La Playa de la Concha
The centerpiece of San Sebastian is its beautiful concave beach known as La Concha (the shell). In the summer, this beach is filled with sunbathers. A whitewashed, 2-mile long promenade stretches from one side of the beach to the other. Get out early in the morning for a walk, run, or bike ride along the promenade or beach to have the view almost completely to yourself.
West Side of the City
On the west side of San Sebastian, you’ll find Ondaretta Beach. It’s a smaller beach separated from La Concha by the Parque del Palacio Miramar. Refreshment stands and bathrooms are available here.
Up on the hillside is Parque de Atracciones Monte Igueldo, an amusement park for all ages. You can reach it by riding the Funicular Monte Igueldo. On the far west side of the beach is a somber iron sculpture welded to the rocks by Eduardo Chillida, El Peine de Viento (Combs of the wind).
Where to Eat in San Sebastian
With the second most Michelin stars per capita in the world (Kyoto holds the #1 position), this is a premiere foodie destination. San Sebastian has been at the forefront of the molecular gastronomy movement for decades. This culinary artistry extends beyond the fine dining establishments to the smallest pintxo bar.
Travel Tip:
If you plan on dining at any of the top rated restaurants, make reservations well in advance.
San Sebastian Michelin Star Restaurants
Save room in your stomach and wallet for at least one fine dining experience in San Sebastian. Our most memorable dining experience is Martin Berasategui, and still one of our favorites. Other notable restaurants are Kokotxa, Amelia by Paulo Airaudo, Arzak, Akelaŕe, and Mugaritz. These restaurants are known for their modern cuisine and molecular gastronomy.
Akelare- 3 stars
Receiving its first Michelin star in 1978, Akelarre has been a favorite among locals and foodies for decades. Perched on a clifftop 15 minutes from San Sebastian, this is the ultimate romantic destination restaurant. They also recently opened a hotel so you can enjoy the sunset and sunrise without leaving the property.
Arzak- 3 stars
Arzak is run by the father-daughter duo Juan Mari and Elena Arzak. It’s been featured on several travel and food shows, most notably Anthony Bourdain’s episode of San Sebastian. They have maintained a 3-star Michelin rating since 1989.
Restaurante Martin Berasategui- LaSarte 3 stars
Restaurant Martin Berasategui was on the World’s Best List for many years and is still one of our favorites. The attention to detail from his staff and in his dishes is unparalleled. This is a place where you will feel at home and marvel at creativity. If you ask us about our top 10 restaurant experiences, Martin Berasategui is easily in the top spot. Read about our Most Memorable Dining Experience- Martin Berasategui.
Mugaritz- San Sebastian 2 stars
Chef Andoni Luis Aduriz’s creative mind bends reality as we know it. His dishes feature molecular gastronomy at its finest. Changing the form of what we know and letting our taste buds explore, his tasting menus are worth the discovery.
Other Fantastic Restaurants in San Sebastian
Rekondo
This iconic restaurant has been around for decades serving traditional Basque cuisine. It also has one of the largest wine collections in the country. We had dinner here specifically for the baked crab. Rekondo may not have Michelin stars, but it is recommended by the Michelin guide.
Luka’s Wine Bar and Restaurant
On the west side of San Sebastian (away from the touristy area) is Luka’s, a gourmet store, wine shop, and restaurant. We spent a few hours here sipping on wine in the basement wine bar and shopping before eating upstairs at their restaurant. It was a nice respite from the tourist crowds. If you have an apartment with a kitchen, this is a good spot to shop for local and international ingredients.
Other Michelin Restaurants in the Basque Country
If you are staying in San Sebastian or Bilbao, these Michelin star restaurants are roughly an hour from each city.
Asador Etxebarri- Atxondo
Victor Arguinzoniz, the self-taught head chef of Asador Etxebarri, restored an old 18th-century restaurant in 1989 with his wife, Patricia. Victor learned the art of grilling at an early age and experimented with different wood charcoals on meats and seafood imparting different aromas and flavors. He uses seasonal ingredients, fresh seafood, and free-roaming livestock to create simple, elegant dishes with robust flavor.
There’s no grand driveway up to a mansion with bellboys and servers in tuxedos. Just a simple two-story stone building surrounded by green mountains and farmhouses serving heavenly grilled cuisine.
Azurmendi- Larrabetzu
Chef Eneko Atxa has won the Sustainability Award twice, and it’s easy to see why. The restaurant grows much of its own produce on the land and in greenhouses. The dining experience at Azurmendi is a journey through several rooms of the restaurant with select courses. Go hungry. Their 16-course menu is worth every bite.
Elkano- Getaria
Getaria is just a 30-minute drive away from San Sebastian. This restaurant specializes in grilled fish. Before lunch, take a stroll through town or visit a Txakoli vineyard. Here’s our guide to Getaria.
Alameda- Hondarribia
Set in the picturesque fishing town of Hondarribia, Alameda is a beautiful restaurant with a creative menu. The Txapartegi brothers source most of their ingredients from farmers and fisherman in the Basque region (Spain and France). We took a day trip to Hondarribia (30 minutes away) just to dine at this fabulous this one star Michelin restaurant.
Pintxo Bars in San Sebastian
It seems every other doorway leads to a pintxo bar in San Sebastian. Music and laughter fill the street, and the smell of fried seafood permeates the air. In a town of over 200 pintxo bars, the choices are endless.
The most concentrated streets for pintxo bars are Arrandegi Kalea and Fermin Calbeton Kalea, but you will find pintxo bars all over the Parte Vieja. Some of the more famous pintxo bars are Bar Sport, Bar Txepetxa, Borda Berri, Bar Tamboril, Ganbara, Bodega Donostiarra, La Viña, and Bar Nestor for tortillas (just to name a few).
If the list seems overwhelming, don’t worry about it. Take a San Sebastian Pintxos Tour for Gourmets in Old Town to sample the best pintxos paired with wine or cider. As Andres Zimmern says, “If it looks good, eat it!”
Types of Pintxos
Not just your usual fried croquette or ham on toast, pintxo (pronounced peen-cho) owners go above and beyond with their creativity to create something special. Foie gras, sea urchin, and sardines are just some of the savory ingredients you’ll find at these establishments. Chefs and owners pack a lot of flavor and vision into their small plate wonders using seafood, meats, cheeses, and vegetables, raw, fried, roasted, and toasted.
The most famous pintxo in San Sebastian is the Gilda, a piece of bread topped with a Guindilla pepper, anchovy and olive. Iberico ham, tortilla, and sardines are also favorites and can be found just about anywhere. The choice of pintxos is endless.
In the picture below, we had mussels, a pequillo pepper stuffed with a seafood spread, and Ibrico ham with blue cheese just to give you an idea.
Did You Know?
The Campeonato de Pintxos is an annual competition held in October to see who has the best, most creative pintxos in the region. You can see a list of past winners here.
Txikitea
One night we hit the streets of the Parte Vieja (old part) of San Sebastian for our pintxo bar crawl called a txikitea (pronounced chick-e-tay-oh). There’s no systematic approach to a pintxo crawl. You stand in most bars, order a glass of wine or beer, talk about the day, and choose what you want from the assortment displayed across the counter. Some pintxo bars will also have a menu of what they serve hot (or just ask).
When you are finished, the bartender counts your toothpicks or just knows how much you consumed (honor system), adds your drink, and you pay and head out to the next pintxo bar.
What to Drink With A Pintxo
Wine, cider, and beer are the typical beverages to drink with pintxos.
- Red wine is usually from the Rioja region.
- Txakoli, a low-alcoholic high-acidity white wine produced in the Getaria region (an hour away), is light and refreshing with the right acidity to cut through salty and fatty meats.
- Cider is also produced in the Basque region. Visit a traditional Basque cider house less than an hour outside San Sebastian.
- Beer comes in two sizes: Caña (large), and the smaller zurito (the perfect amount for pintxos).
San Sebastian Festivals
San Sebastian seems to be celebrating something all the time. Jazzaldia, the San Sebastian Jazz Festival in July, is the longest continually running jazz festival in Europe. In September, the San Sebastian International Film Festival hosts top celebrities. Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Mel Gibson, and Woody Allen are just a few who have graced the red carpet at the film festival. And for foodies, the Campeonato de Pintxos is held in October.
San Sebastian Day in January is San Sebastian’s own holiday where the entire town dresses in military uniforms or bakers garb banging drums for 24 hours. These are but a few of the celebrations the Basque enjoy throughout the year.
Day Trips from San Sebastian
Bilbao
The drive from San Sebastian towards Bilbao rivals the Big Sur Highway with its bridges and expansive views of the ocean on one side and green rolling mountain hills on the other.
Bilbao is famous for the Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Gehry. Explore the Casco Viejo (Old Town) where you can see the Cathedral de Santiago de Bilbao. Visit the Plaza Nueva in the center of Caso Viejo, home to many bars, cafes, and restaurants, or La Ribera market, the largest indoor covered market in Europe for fresh produce or music events.
If you have time, dine at one of the six Michelin-star restaurants in Bilbao. For a unique angle of the city, cruise down the Ria Bilbao on a boat or ride the Teleferico up to the top of Mount Artxanda for a panoramic view of the city and the Bay of Biscay.
Getaria
Along the Northern St. James coastal pilgrimage route, Getaria is a fishing village surrounded by sheep farms and txakoli vineyards. Getaria has been put on the map for its Michelin-star restaurant Elkano and fashion icon Cristobol Balenciaga’s museum showcasing his many designs. Spend the day drinking Txokoli and eating monkfish caught that morning.
Hondarribia
Hondarribia is one of the most picturesque villages in Spain. The walled Casco Antiguo (old city) with its Baroque architecture on narrow cobbled streets and colorful fisherman houses in La Marina is a photographer’s delight. Have lunch at the one-star Michelin restaurant Alameda and feast on the plethora of pintxo bars at night. Where should you stay? Parador de Hondarribia was once the castle of Charles V and was located right in the heart of Casco Antiguo.
San Sebastián offers a distinctive blend of history, natural beauty, and exceptional cuisine, making it a must-visit destination in Spain. Make reservations early for those the Michelin star restaurants, enjoy the pintxos into the wee hours of the night, and soak up the vibe of one of the most vibrant cities in Spain.
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