International Lodging Corporation

Where Amazing Travel Experiences Begin

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

By

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.

Sites to See…Centre Pompidou Museum, Málaga (Spain)

By

Opened in 2015 as the first “pop up” of the famous Parisian Centre Pompidou to open outside of France, the Málaga Centre Pompidou was set up as a pilot for a 5 year time period. The pilot in Málaga proved to be so successful that it has been renewed until 2025. The experiment also spawned other outposts, with a Centre Pompidou x West Bund Museum Project inaugurated in Shanghai in 2019, and another one scheduled to open with a full collection in Brussels in 2023.

The museum is housed in a large, multi-color glass cube on the waterfront on Muelle Uno (dock one) next to the Port of Málaga. Its permanent collection includes over 80 works by major artists such as Picasso, Miró, Bacon, Magritte, Frida Khalo and Giacometti. The museum will also feature 2-3 temporary exhibitions that will be on display from 3 to 6 months or longer. The exhibitions will be curated by the Musée National d’Art Moderne and draw from various segments of the collection, such as photography, design, architecture, video and more.

On March 12, 2020 the museum launched the exhibition “From Miró to Barceló: A Century of Spanish Art” that will be on display until November 1, 2021.

  • Pasaje Doctor Carrillo Casaux, s/n
  • Muelle Uno, Puerto de Málaga
  • Málaga, Spain
  • Phone: (951) 92 62 00
  • Website: Centre Pompidou Málaga

Book a private tour! You may want to consider booking a private tour with an English-speaking guide. Your personal guide can provide you with information on the city and its historic sites. For more information, click here.

Photo credit: Adrian Scottow (CC BY-SA 2.0)

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

Sites to See…What to See in Alicante (Spain)

By

Alicante is the capital of the popular vacation area of the Costa Blanca located on the eastern coast of Spain. Many visitors come to Alicante to enjoy the white sandy beaches and the historic city center. The centerpiece of the city is the Castle of Santa Barbara, a medieval fortress with Arab origins that is perched on a hilltop. From the castle you can enjoy panoramic views of this charming city, the Mediterranean and the surrounding mountains.

Here is a list of some of the things to see during your stay in Valencia:

  • Castle of Santa Barbara – medieval castle last renovated in the 1500s
  • Museum of the City of Alicante (MUSA) – museum inside of the castle that offers a journey through the history of the city, with archaeological remains, photographs and audiovisual displays
  • Explanada de España – stroll the marble-laid promenade that starts in the old town and continues along the city’s seafront next to the marina
  • Casco Antiguo – explore the whitewashed walls and cobblestone streets of the Old Town
  • Provincial Arcaeological Museum (MARQ) – features exhibits that trace the history of Alicante from Palaeolithic through to Contemporary Modern Culture
  • Postiguet Beach – popular beach next to the Old Town
  • Basilica of Santa María – oldest church in the city, dating from the 14th C.
  • Contemporary Art Museum (MACA) – located in Alicante’s oldest building, the Casa La Asegurada, dating from 1685

Photo credit: Dormidon

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