Spanish version 

Donostia-San Sebastian

Gipuzkoa - Basque Country

Situation

Donostia-San Sebastian is a coastal city in the Vizcaya Gulf (Cantabric Sea, Atlantic Ocean) situated in the Basque Country. There are 20 km to the Frech border.

See Situation figure of Donostia-San Sebastian in Europe 

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How to come

• By plain: From Madrid there are two daily flights to San Sebastian. From Barcelona there is one daily. The airport is situated in Hondarribia/Fuenterrabia. From the airport you can take a bus or taxi to reach Donostia. Airport phone number: 943668500.
• By train: From Madrid RENFE (Spanish train company) goes to San Sebastian, or even to Irun/French border. There are also trains from Barcelona. I would recommend you, if you take a train from Madrid or Barcelona, to take a night one (about 6 hours from Madrid, and 7 from Barcelona). From Paris you can take TGV (Great Speed Train, belongs to SNCF, French train company) upto Hendaia/Hendaye and combine it, in its last 20 km, with Eusko Trenbideak company's train that link Hendaia with Donostia (both train stations are one in front of the other in Hendaye).From Bilbao or Pamplona is much recommended to take a bus to reach San Sebastian. RENFE www.renfe.es - SNCF www.sncf.fr
  

   

  Renfe	EuskoTren (Hendaia, Bilbao)
  Norte Station- Pº de Francia Tel.: 943.28.30.89 / 943.28.35.99	Amara's Station- Pl. Easo, 9 Tel.: 943.45.01.31

   

• By bus: Well linked to Spanish major cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Pamplona, Valencia, Alicante, Salamanca, etc. Take Continental Company to go from Madrid, La Roncalesa from Pamplona, Pesa from Bilbao. It is also linked with London (Euro Lines company, 22 hours including the time for the Dover-Calais ferry), an inexpensive way to go to San Sebastian.

• Company	Destination	Telephone
  La Guipuzcoana	Zestoa, Azpeitia, Azkoitia	943.851159
  Pesa	Donibane Lohitzune (Saint Jean de Luz, San Juan de Luz, French Basque Country) Baiona (Bayonee, French Basque Country), Lekeitio (Bizkaia), Eibar, Bergara, Arrasate-Mondregón, Vitoria-Gasteiz	902.101210
  La Baztanesa	Elizondo (Navarra)	948.580129
  La Bidasotarra	Lesaka (Navarra)	943.616763
  La Estellesa	Lizarra-Estella (Navarra), Logroño (Rioja)	943.470115
  La Roncalesa	Iruñea-Pamplona, Zaragoza	943.461064
  Continental Auto	Vitoria-Gasteiz, Burgos, Madrid (and extensions to Andalucía: Sevilla, Granada, etc)	943.469074
  La Burundesa	Vitoria-Gasteiz	943.462360
  Eusko Tren	Usurbil, Orio, Zarautz, Getaria, Zumaia, Aia	943.450131
  Turytrans	Santander, Oviedo, Gijón Santiago de Compostela, Tuy	943.462360
  Vibasa	Barcelona Orense, Pontevedra, Vigo	943.457500
  Enatcar	León Salamanca/Badajoz Valladolid, Salamanca, Cáceres, Mérida, Sevilla Zamora	943.468087
  Bilman Bus	Valencia, Benidorm, Alicante, Murcia, La Manga	943.457500
  Euro Lines	Paris, London	?

   

• By car: From Madrid take N-I (National One) road, via Burgos and Vitoria-Gasteiz; alternatives to this road: take toll road between Burgos and Mirand de Ebro, and take another toll road from Vitoria upto to Durango (direction Bilbo/Bilbao). About 5 hours.
  From Barcelona take N-II upto Zaragoza, then go to Pamplona. Even it is a good road, the alternative is to take toll road. About 6 hours.
  From Bilbao take A-8 toll road (expensive, about 1800 pesetas) to reach San Sebastian in one hour, or take the national road (2 or 3 hours, depending on the traffic). If you are not in a hurry I can suggest you to take the national road to visit different towns and villages in the Basque coast (Orio, Zarautz, Zumaia, Getaria, Mutriku, Ondarroa, Lekeitio, Gernika, etc).
  From Pamplona take A-15 and N-I to reach San Sebastian. It is just 45 minutes-1 hour.
  From Paris take A-10 toll road till the border (via Orleans, Tours, Poitiers, Bordeaux) and A-8 toll road from the border to San Sebastian. Not paying alternatives are N-10 in France and N-I once crossing the border.
  Excellent information about Spanish roads is in the web by DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico, Spanish Traffic Deparment) at www.dgt.es

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San Sebastian

• Distances: 20 km to the French border (Hendaia/Hendaye in Lapurdi province), 75 km to Pamplona, 100 km to Bilbao, 465 km to Madrid, 780 km to Paris.
• Names: It is called officially Donostia-San Sebastián, in Basque is called Donostia, and in Spanish San Sebastián. Although many people called it just Donosti, even using Spanish.
• Weather: Temperature is moderate the twelve months of the year, but rainny during the winter, maintaining an average of 22 ºC. The climate is oceanic humid. You can know weather prevision and todays weather by clicking HERE
• Tourist Information center: at Reina Regente, s/n, close to the Donostia's Boulevard, in the Victoria Eugenia building (phone 943481166).

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Basque Country

• The Basques are the oldest ethnic group in Europe. Their language (Euskara or Euskera) is a prelatin language. The Basque Country, called Euskal Herria or Euskadi in Basque language or País Vasco in Spanish, that belongs to Spain refers uniquely to three provinces (Gipuzkoa or Guipúzcoa, Bizkaia or Vizcaya and Araba or Álava), but there is also forth province: Nafarroa or Navarra, that specially in the north, has a very strong Basque fealing. There is also another Basque Country, that formed in the French area, formed by three provinces: Lapurdi, the most important one (Biarritz and Baiona are the most important towns), Behenafarroa and Zuberoa
• The capital of the seven provinces are: Araba/Álava (Vitoria-Gasteiz), Bizkaia/Vizcaya (Bilbo/Bilbao), Gipuzkoa/Guipúzcoa (Donostia-San Sebastián), Nafarroa/Navarra (Iruñea/Pamplona), Lapurdi (Baiona/Bayonne), Behenafarroa (Donibane Garazi/Sant Jean Pied de Port) and Zuberoa (Maule/Mauleon).
• In the three provinces belonging to the Autonomous Comunity the Basque is co-official (with the Spanish). Navarre is divided into three areas: the Basque area, where Basque is co-official, the mixte area, where it has not some many strenght, and the Non-Basque area where the unique official language is Spanish.

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Beaches

• Donostia has three beaches: Concha, the most famous one; Ondarreta and Zurriola (also called Gros). Concha and Ondarreta are into a bay adorned with Santa Clara Island. Zurriola beach is at open sea. Concha beach live webcam

• The temperature of the water during the summer is very good, from 19 C to 22 C. But during the January and February months it goes down to 9 or 10 C.

• Security: all the beaches has guards, and there is a flag code informing about the danger of the bath: Green flag - Free bath, no danger at all; Yellow flag - Bath but precaution; Red flag - Bath not allowed, dangerous sea.

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Visits and excursions

• The visit though the city is relaxed, with beautiful natural views. You can found beautiful mountain places, out from the traffic of the city, in very few minutes walking from the city, like the case of Urgull, or Igeldo (excellent views to the bay, where you can take a XIX century's funicular to go up), or the less known Ulia.

• Concha's Bay: one of the most known and carismatic areas of the city. Its walk is worldwide famous and must-do for visitors, and its beach, the most aristocratic of the three that the city has. The bay goes from the Igeldo mountain, until the Real Club Nautico (Royal Nautic Club) to Urgull mountain. The Santa Clara island is situated in the center of the bay. Concha beach live webcam

• San Telmo museum, Plaza Zuloaga, 1 (Tel: 943424970). Colection of Basque ancient utilities. It is situated in a monastery of the XVI century. Fundated, like a church of the Dominicos between the 1530-1550 years.

• Aquarium, Muelle, 34 (Tel: 943440099). Renewed recently, so it has become in a modern museum. The Palace of the Sea has into its instalations the aquarium, the oceanographic museum and the naval historic museum.

• Miramar Palace, between the Concha and Ondarreta beaches. Inagurated in 1883.

• Igeldo Mountain. To have a panoramic view of the bay. During the summer an old funicular goes up from its base. There is a little atraction park in the top (Tel: 943210211).

• Buen Pastor Cathedral. In the center of a large square. Inagurated in 1897, by the architec Manuel de Etxabe. It is the largest church in the city.

• Santa Clara Island. This little island, situated in the middle of the bay, becomes in the summer in the fourth beach of Donostia-San Sebastian although it is full of rocks. It is linked by a boat service with the docks (only in summer time).

• Aiete's Palace, in the Aiete neighborhood. Take bus to reach there. Situated in one of the hills that surrond the city center, built in 1876.

• Town Hall Building (Casino). Inagurated in 1897 like a casino but after the probition of the play in 1924 the casino was closed. In 1947 the Town Hall moved to the Casino and now it continued beint the Town Hall of the city.

• Victoria Eugenia Teather. Inagurated in 1912. Now, in this teather are celebrated the Quincena Musical and the International Cinema Festival.

• Luxury hotel in San Sebastian . Villa Soro is a charming 25 bedroom hotel located in a renovated 19th century villa which has been declared a Historical Heritage Building of San Sebastian.

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Gastronomy

• Donostia-San Sebastian is very famous by its gastronomy. It is a city where visitors can eat fenomenal. But this doesn't mean that we have to have a large quantity of money. For little money we can eat in the pintxos bars (pintxos are called tapas in a lot of place of Spain) or cideries (sagardotegi, sidreria). Here is a very complet list of all ciderhouses of the basque country

• Anyway, if what you want is to go to a good restaurant, here you have the list of the most known restaurants of San Sebastian.

• Complete restaurants guide here

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Popular parties and festivals

• In mid-August (the week of the August 15th, from sunday to sunday), is the Aste Nagusia (Semana Grande, Great Week) with international fireworks competitions every night at 23:00, all kind of music at streets, usually free of charge, sport events like San Sebastian-San Sebastian International cycle competition, bull flights, etc.
• In the second half of September there is the International Film Festival.
• In the second half of July there is the Jazz Festival, known by the name Jazzaldia.
• The most important events for local is in the 20th of January, the Danborrada.
• In the 21th of December is Santo Tomas, party with very rural influence.

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Service guide

• Shops: for the international fashion go to the Centro (Center) neighborhood, where you can easily found what you are looking for in one of numerous specialized shops. For accesories, souvenirs, hand-made, etc go to Parte Vieja (Old Town). For food, there are three main hipermarkets outside of the city (Garbera, Alcampo and Carrefour, Garbera is the closest), but you need a car to go there. Inside of the city you can find a lot of supermarkets, the biggest are: Arcco Comercial Center, in Amara neighborhood and Bretxa, in Parte Vieja, now converted to a modern comercial center.
• Sights:
• • San Telmo Museum, Plaza Zuloaga, 1 (943424970). Collection of Basque artefacts housed in a 16th century monastery.
  • Aquarium, Muelle, 34 (943440099). Renewed recently.
  • Miramar Palace, between the Concha and Ondarreta beaches.
  • Aiete Palace, in Aiete neighbourhood. Take bus to reach there.
  • Igeldo mountain. To have a panoramic view to the bay. During summer time an antique funicular reach the top from its base. It is also a fun area in the top.
• Shopping: For international fashion and clothes go to the Centro (Center), you can easily find what you are looking for. For handcrafts, accesories, souvenirs, Basque items, etc try Parte Vieja (Old Town). For food there are three hipermarkets outside the city (Garbera, Alcampo and Pryca, Garbera is the closest), but you need a car to reach them. Inside the city you can found lots of supermarkets, and also a hipermarket inside the city: Arcco, in Amara neighborhood, inside a commercial center. In Parte Vieja you can found Bretxa, now renewed into a commercial center.
• Restaurants: Arzak (Alto de Miracruz, 21 / 943278465), Akelarre (Paseo Padre Orkolaga, 56 / 943212052) and Martin Berasategi (Loidi, 4 - Lasarte / 943366471) are the top three restaurants in Donostia (although Martin Berasategi is outside San Sebastian, but very close). All of them serve Basque Cousine. Prices are expensive. Complete restaurants guide
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  Anyway you can find easily any other restaurant, especially in the Parte Vieja, where you can eat good without spending much money.
• Entertaiment:
  • In San Sebastian pintxos (they are called tapas in a lot of places in Spain), small portion of food, are very famous. Try to go to the Parte Vieja and spend an evening tasting them. Pintxos are usually be made by seafood, meat or different tortillas (omelettes).
  • Bars: During nighttime lot of people goes to bars to enjoy themselves talking, dancing, etc. You have bars of any kind. The most important area is Parte Vieja. Complete bar and disco guide
  • Discos: Once bars are closed you have two alternatives: go to bed or go to a disco. If you choose second you can find several in the city. Kabutzia (close to the port), La Perla and Bataplan (in Concha), Ku (in Igeldo, you will need a car or a taxi to go).
  • Casino: Casino de San Sebastian (in the Londres y de Inglaterra Hotel, Zubieta street, in front of Concha beach). Also you have a bingo in front of the casino.

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(Thanks to Aitor Uranga)