Spain Guide
Euskal Herria: the País Vasco & Navarra
Beaches
San Sebastián boasts four beaches: Playa de la Concha, Playa de Ondarreta, Playa de la Zurriola and Playa de Gros. La Concha, the most central, is deservedly the most celebrated; indeed, it ranks among the very finest city beaches in the world. A wide crescent of yellow sand, stretching around the bay from the old quarter, it's filled with an almost impenetrable mass of flesh during much of the summer, enlivened by sellers of peeled prawns and cold drinks, and offering great swimming out to the diving platforms moored in the Bahía La Concha.
The small island out in the bay, Isla de Santa Clara, makes a good spot for picnics; a boat leaves from the port at the edge of the old town every half-hour in the summer (daily 10am–8pm; €2 round-trip).
La Concha and Ondarreta are the best beaches for swimming – the latter is a continuation of the same strand beyond the rocky outcrop that supports the Palacio de Miramar (daily 8am–9pm; free), once the summer home of Spain's royal family. You can walk around the pleasant gardens, but the house itself – now a posh conservatori – is off limits.
Far less crowded, and popular with surfers, are Playa de la Zurriola and the adjacent Playa de Gros, across the river. The giant translucent glass blocks of Rafael Moneo's Kursaal appeared on the elegant promenade at the turn of the millennium.