Basque Country · Spain
Where to stay in San Sebastián
San Sebastián is a city in Basque Country, Spain, home to about 190,000 people. This guide covers 3 hotels and 2 aparthotels in San Sebastián, with about 202 rooms between them.
- Places to stay in this guide
- 5
- Best months
- June to August
- Nearest airport
- EAS16 km · San Sebastián Airport
- Currency
- EUReuro
- Time zone
- Europe/Madrid
- Language
- Basque, Catalan, Galician
About
About San Sebastián
San Sebastián or Donostia, officially known by the bilingual name Donostia / San Sebastián, is a city and municipality located in the Basque Autonomous Community in Spain. It lies on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, 20 km (12 miles) from the Spain–France border.
This city of 187,000 people (2018) is quite small and cozy, featuring many seafood restaurants, several beaches, tons of pintxos bars and a choice of designer clothes shops. Orientation: The city is divided into Old Town (Parte Zaharra/Parte Vieja), Gros and Erdialdea/Centro.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in San Sebastián
See
- Iglesia San Vicente
- Artzain Onaren Katedrala
- Santa María del Coro
- Castillo de la Mota
- Palacio de Congresos y Auditorio Kursaal
- Casa consistorial de San Sebastián
- Old town hall
- Victoria Eugenia Theater
- San Telmo Museum
- Plaza de la Constitución
- Faro de la plata
- Mount Ulia
Do
- Funicular (cable-car)
- Mount Igueldo Amusement Park
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Places to stay in San Sebastián
5 places to stay from the chains this guide covers, each linked to its own website.
| Place to stay | Rooms |
|---|---|
| Barceló Costa Vasca hotel | |
| Hotel Distrito Oeste By Limehome aparthotel | 30 |
| Leonardo Boutique Hotel San Sebastián hotel | 27 |
| Leonardo Hotel San Sebastián hotel | 115 |
| San Sebastián Zubieta Kalea aparthotel | 30 |
Schematic: the city centre in orange, each place to stay as a dot, distance rings in kilometres.
Where to stay
More hotels in San Sebastián
40 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel María Cristina | 1912 | 0.2 km |
| Hotel Arocena | 24.1 km | |
| Hotel Continental | 1884 | 0.5 km |
| Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra | 1865 | 0.5 km |
| Biarritz hotela | 1906 | 0.2 km |
| Gran Hotel Amaya | 22.4 km | |
| Gran Hotel Central | 1923 | 0.5 km |
| Gran Hotel Europa | 1915 | 0.2 km |
| Hispano-Americano hotela | 1913 | 0.2 km |
| Hotel-Restaurante Karlos Arguiñano | 1979 | 15.2 km |
| La Galería hotela | 2.0 km | |
| Niza Hotela | 1908 | 0.8 km |
| Parador Real Hotela | 1825 | 0.5 km |
| Paris Hotela | 1902 | 0.3 km |
| Abba San Sebastián Hotel | 0.3 km | |
| Akelarre - Relais & Châteaux | 5.2 km | |
| Axel Hotel SAN SEBASTIÁN- Adults Only | 0.8 km | |
| Belle Époque | 0.5 km | |
| Bidaia Boutique Hotel | 1.3 km | |
| Catalonia Donosti | 0.8 km | |
| Hotel Arbaso | 0.3 km | |
| Hotel Arrizul Congress | 0.3 km | |
| Hotel ILUNION San Sebastian | 2.1 km | |
| Hotel Iturregi | 20.0 km | |
| Hotel Maria Cristina, a Luxury Collection Hotel | 0.2 km | |
| Hotel Palacio de Aiete | 2.0 km | |
| Hotel Silken Amara Plaza | 1.4 km | |
| Hotel Tres Reyes San Sebastián | 2021 | 3.4 km |
| Hotel Villa Favorita | 0.6 km | |
| Lasala Plaza Hotel | 0.6 km | |
| Mercure Monte Igueldo | 2.4 km | |
| Off Beat Guesthouse | 0.6 km | |
| One Shot Tabakalera House | 0.5 km | |
| Pension Aia | 0.8 km | |
| Pensión Bretxa | 0.5 km | |
| Pension Txingurri | 5.0 km | |
| Room Mate Gorka | 0.2 km | |
| Villa Birdie | 2.3 km | |
| Villa Eugenia Boutique Hotel | 1.0 km | |
| Zenit San Sebastián | 1.3 km |
All 45 hotels in San Sebastián, with their history and operators
When to go
The best time to visit San Sebastián
The most comfortable months for a city stay in San Sebastián are June to August. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 25 °C; November is the wettest, with about 143 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to San Sebastián: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is San Sebastián Airport (EAS), about 16 km from the city centre in a straight line; Biarritz Pays Basque airport (BIQ, 40 km) and Pamplona Airport (PNA, 67 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
Trains from France arrive at Hendaye (in France), from where it is possible to take a local train Euskotren to Donostia/San Sebastian. Take care when booking from France, as a town named Saint Sébastien exists there as well. In 2026 no mainline trains cross the border, use Euskotren. Donostia/San Sebastian has two main train stations: the RENFE station for national and local Cercanías trains and Amara Donostia Station for Euskotren services. They are 800 metres (15 minute walk) apart on opposite sides of the Urumea river.
Getting around
You can see Donostia on foot and by taxi. Taxis only pick up passengers at designated taxi stops or when booked by phone. They aren't permitted to take passengers who hail them on the street. Bicycle lanes are all around the downtown, and in the summer bicycles can be hired (at certain times they are free) from strategically placed locations around the city. Apart from private hiring companies, the town hall has a bike-service all over the city, which is also open to tourists.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
EAS · San Sebastián Airport
BIQ · Biarritz Pays Basque airport
PNA · Pamplona Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in San Sebastián
Eat
The Basque cuisine is famous within Spain and many believe it is 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. Tapas are generally enjoyed together with a glass of wine or a small beer, and the Spanish tradition suggests to have one tapa and a wine in one bar and move on to the next bar.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Good to know
Accessibility, parking and families in San Sebastián
How many places to stay in this guide offer each, in their operators' own words.
of 5 places
of 5 places
of 5 places
of 5 places
of 5 places
of 5 places
Questions
San Sebastián: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit San Sebastián?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in San Sebastián are June to August. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 25 °C; November is the wettest, with about 143 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to San Sebastián?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is San Sebastián Airport (EAS), about 16 km from the city centre in a straight line; Biarritz Pays Basque airport (BIQ, 40 km) and Pamplona Airport (PNA, 67 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in San Sebastián?
euro (EUR).
Nearby
Destinations near San Sebastián
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.