International Lodging Corporation

Where Amazing Travel Experiences Begin

  • Home
  • Spain Hotels
  • Portugal Hotels
  • Spain Private Tours
  • Portugal Private Tours
  • Travel Info
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Sites to See…What to See in San Sebastián (Spain)

April 21, 2021 By International Lodging Corporation

San Sebastián (Donostia) is a vibrant cosmopolitan city located on the north coast of Spain overlooking the Bay of Biscay. Visitors are attracted by the sandy beaches, beautiful seaside promenade, and historic Old Town. It is also recognized as a food lover’s paradise, with one of the highest concentrations of Michelin star restaurants in the world. San Sebastián is also well known for the International Film Festival that has been hosted annually since 1953. Every year at the end of September filmmakers, producers and famous actors from all over the world descend upon this charming city to celebrate the films that have been selected for inclusion in the festival.

The city’s most prominent feature is the picture-perfect La Concha Beach, named after its seashell shape. But there’s more to San Sebastián than just a beach. Visitors can stroll through the pedestrian-friendly Parte Vieja (Old Town), lined with restaurants, bars and shops. Food lovers can enjoy the wide range of pintxos bars that offer traditional Basque food and wine. Pintxos are the Basque version of tapas, and both locals and visitors can be found going from bar to bar sampling the amazing dishes offered as a type of culinary “pintxos crawl” in the Old Town in the evenings.

Located on either end of La Concha are two mountains that anchor the beach like bookends.  On the western side of town is Monte Igueldo. It can be accessed via a funicular and offers panoramic views of the bay from its hilltop. Visitors will also find an old fashioned amusement park and a 16th C. tower (El Torreón) at the peak. On the opposite eastern side of town, close to the Old Town, is Monte Urgull, home to the 12th C. Mota Castle that hosts the History House Museum.

The following is a list of some of the things to see in San Sebastián:

  • La Concha Beach – the centerpiece of the city is considered one of Europe’s most beautiful urban shorelines
  • Ondarreta Beach (a favorite of families) and Zurriola Beach (popular surfer’s beach)
  • Parte Vieja (Old Town) – pedestrian-friendly area filled with historic buildings, restaurants, pintxos bars and shops
  • Miramar Royal Palace – built as a vacation home for the Spanish royal family; overlooks the bay next to Ondaretta Beach
  • Monte Igueldo – mountain on the western side of La Concha, accessed via funicular, with old fashioned amusement park and a 16th C. tower (El Torreón)
  • Monte Urgull – mountain on the eastern side of La Concha, near the Old Town, with 12th C. Mota Castle and History House Museum
  • Ayuntamiento de San Sebastián – beautiful City Hall building
  • Museo de San Telmo – museum for Basque history from prehistoric times to modernity
  • Catedral del Buen Pastor – influenced by the style of medieval German and French churches, inaugurated in 1897
  • Basílica de Santa Maria del Coro – 18th C. Baroque church in the Center of the Old Town
  • Santa Clara Island – located in the bay; accessed via ferry from May to August
  • Aquarium – located at the foot of Monte Urgull

Photo credit: Generalpoteito / Photo of Miramar Royal Palace

For assistance with your travel plans, including hotel and private tour reservations, click here.

Filed Under: Sites to See, Spain Tagged With: San Sebastián, Sites to See - Spain, Spain

Next Stop…San Sebastián (Spain)

April 7, 2021 By International Lodging Corporation

Located on the north coast overlooking the Bay of Biscay, San Sebastián – or Donostia, as it’s known in the local Basque (Euskara) language – is a cosmopolitan city that has long been a favorite vacation spot for Spaniards and Europeans who flock here to enjoy the sandy beaches and beautiful seaside promenade. Besides being known for its beauty, San Sebastián is also considered a mecca for foodies. Its Basque cuisine is heralded the world over, and only Kyoto, Japan has a higher concentration of Michelin star restaurants per square kilometer. The 25 km. radius that surrounds the City Hall can be considered a food lover’s paradise.

San Sebastián is also well known for the International Film Festival that has been hosted annually since 1953. Every year at the end of September filmmakers, producers and famous actors from all over the world descend upon this charming city to celebrate the films that have been selected for inclusion in the festival.

The city’s most prominent feature is the picture-perfect La Concha Beach, named after its seashell shape. But there’s more to San Sebastián than just a beach. Visitors can stroll through the pedestrian-friendly Parte Vieja (Old Town), lined with restaurants, bars and shops. Food lovers can enjoy the wide range of pintxos bars that offer traditional Basque food and wine. Pintxos are the Basque version of tapas, and both locals and visitors can be found going from bar to bar sampling the amazing dishes offered as a type of culinary “pintxos crawl” in the Old Town in the evenings.

Located on either end of La Concha are two mountains that anchor the beach like bookends.  On the western side of town is Monte Igueldo. It can be accessed via a funicular and offers panoramic views of the bay from its hilltop. Visitors will also find an old fashioned amusement park and a 16th C. tower (El Torreón) at the peak. On the opposite eastern side of town, close to the Old Town, is Monte Urgull, home to the 12th C. Mota Castle that hosts the History House Museum.

Photo credit: Tom Page

For assistance with your travel plans, including hotel and private tour reservations, click here.

Filed Under: Places to See, Spain Tagged With: San Sebastián, Spain, Spain - Next Stop

26th Horror & Fantasy Film Festival, San Sebastián (Spain)

October 30, 2015 By International Lodging Corporation

ILC-blog-San-Sebastian-Film-Festival-2015-SpainThe 26th Horror & Fantasy Film Festival will be taking place from October 31 – November 6, 2015 in San Sebastián, Spain.

This annual festival includes international offering of short films, children’s films, exhibitions, courses on comics, concerts, and awards. Films compete for the Audience Award, International Jury Prize, Youth Jury Award, and Nomination to the Golden Méliès for the Best European Short Fantasy Film of the year.

Spanish films compete for the Best Spanish Short Film Award.

For more information, including news, submission information, and a history of the festival, click here.

Photo credit: European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation

For assistance with your travel plans, including hotel and private tour reservations, click here.

Filed Under: Events, Film, Music and the Arts, Spain Tagged With: Film, San Sebastián, Spain

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

Follow & Like Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Quick Links

  • What our Clients are Saying…
  • Newsletters
  • Travel Agents
  • Search Tips
  • Terms and Conditions

Trending Topics

Alcobaça Alentejo Algarve Algarve Apartments and Villas Algarve Hotels Alvor Alvor Hotels Andalucía Announcements Apartments and Villas Arcos de la Frontera Art Avila Barcelona Barcelona (Day Trips) Barcelona (Private Tours) Bicycle Barcelona (Private Tours) City Center Barcelona Apartments Barcelona Hotels Barcelona Restaurants Batalha Bilbao Braga Bullfighting Cabo da Roca Cádiz Carvoeiro Cascais Cataluña Checking In Cheers - Portugal Cheers - Spain Christmas Coimbra Coimbra (Private Tours) City Center Córdoba Córdoba (Day Trips) Córdoba Restaurants Costa del Azahar Costa del Sol Covid Cuenca Douro Drinks El Escorial Estoril Evora Fátima Film Food Related Friends and Family Travel Galicia Golf Granada Granada Hotels Guimarães Hot Deals Hotels Hotel Special Offers Jerez Lagos Leon Lisbon Lisbon (Day Trips) Lisbon (Private Tours) City Center Lisbon (Private Tours) Day Trips Lisbon (Private Tours) Day Trips Wine Lisbon (Private Tours) Kid Tours Lisbon Hotels Lisbon Restaurants Madrid Madrid (Day Trips) Madrid (Private Tours) City Center Madrid (Private Tours) Day Trips Madrid Hotels Madrid Restaurants Málaga Málaga (Day Trips) Mallorca Marbella Montserrat Museums Music New Year Óbidos On the Menu Palmela Paradors of Spain Parks Porto Porto (Day Trips) Porto (Private Tours) Day Trips Porto Hotels Porto Restaurants Portugal Portugal - Next Stop Portugal Hotels Portugal Itinerary Suggestions Pousadas of Portugal Priorat Private Tours (Spain) Queluz Recipes Ronda Salamanca Salamanca Hotels San Sebastián Santiago de Compostela Segovia Setúbal Seville Seville (Day Trips) Seville (Private Tours) Day Trips Seville Hotels Seville Restaurants Sintra Sites to See - Algarve Sites to See - Portugal Sites to See - Spain Spain Spain - Next Stop Spain Hotels Spain Itinerary Suggestions Sports Time To Save Toledo Tomar Transportation UNESCO World Heritage Sites Valencia Valencia Private Tours Viana do Castelo Videos Wine Related - Portugal Wine Related - Spain
Return to top of page

Copyright © 2008–2022 · International Lodging Corporation · All rights reserved.