The city is quite small and has a comfortable feeling to it, featuring many fish restaurants, several beaches, lots of bars and a choice of designer clothes shops.
Beaches
There are two main beaches, one on either side of the river.
La Concha, on the west side is the larger, is protected from the sea and has an island and boats in the bay. Ondarreta is in the same bay as La Concha, but split by a rocky outcrop.
La Zurriola beach is to the east of the old town and river is very much a surf beach, definitely better for waves or beach sports.
There are plenty of activities to be found here in San Sebastian. Surfing, hiking, tennis and squash, kayaking and water skiing, plus other attractions such as a tourist land train, an aquarium and an amusement park.
San Sebastian is known as a stylish city and a very image-conscious one, so it is packed with high-end shops. Peruse La Parte Vieja (the old part of town) for cool boutiques filled with quirky designer gear.
The Basque cuisine is famous within Spain and it is thought that the Basque Country where you can find the best food. Much of this fame comes from San Sebastian and its bars and restaurants. Although tapas were invented in Andalucia they became perfected in San Sebastian and a walk through the old town before lunch time with its many bars shows why. Each bar is bursting with tapas and they look very delicate. If you want 'real' food then that is where San Sebastian can be very good. You can find many different cuisines such Chinese, German, Galician, Italian and of course the obvious Basque cuisine. In and around the harbour you can have the freshest seafood in the simple harbour taverns.
Places to see include -
Bilbao - the home of the famous Guggenheim Museum of Modern Art and other architectural masterpieces.
Hondarribia - a beautiful fishing town.
Vitoria-Gasteiz - the capital of the Basque country.
Zarauz - the summer getaway for rich Basques, with the longest beach in Guipuzcoa, and a magnet for surfers.
