San Sebastian, known as Donostia in Basque, sits in a bay between two green hills, 20 kilometres from the French border. The city has just under 190,000 residents, three sandy beaches right in town and 18 Michelin stars, but most visitors come to hop between bars eating pintxos, the Basque version of tapas.
Distances are short, and you can walk between most neighbourhoods in 15 to 30 minutes. Even so, staying above the bars in the Old Town feels very different from staying by the surfing beach in Gros or on a hillside with a view. Parking is expensive, and the streets can be noisy at night. Here are my recommendations for six good areas in San Sebastian and places to stay at different price points.
Contents
The Best Areas in San Sebastian
- Parte Vieja (Old Town) - best area for first-time visitors and pintxos
- Centro - best area for shopping and getting around on foot
- Gros - best area for surfers and younger travellers
- La Concha and Antiguo - best area for beach holidays and families
- Amara - best area for drivers and budget-conscious travellers
- Monte Igueldo - best area for views and peace and quiet
I’ll go through each area, covering its advantages, drawbacks and three places to stay in different price brackets. The prices are those I found for two people on a weekend in June. San Sebastian is expensive in summer, so even the budget options generally start at around €170 per night.
1. Parte Vieja (Old Town) - best area for first-time visitors and pintxos 🍢
- 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re right in the Old Town, a few hundred metres from La Concha beach and the harbour.
- 🚌 Transport: You can get everywhere on foot. Night buses run on Friday and Saturday nights from the boulevard on the edge of the Old Town.
- ✈️ Getting from the airport: A bus runs hourly from Bilbao Airport to San Sebastian’s bus station, roughly a 15-minute walk from the Old Town. The small local airport is 20 kilometres away.
- 💰 Price range: €€ to €€€. Guesthouses were around €140 to €230 per night, hotels around €300 to €335 and the top hotel just under €535.
- 👮 Safety: Safe, but noisy. Guests report street noise until 2am at weekends.
Parte Vieja is squeezed between the harbour, the river and Monte Urgull hill. The city’s official tourism website calls it the birthplace of the pintxo. Bars stand side by side along the narrow streets, and the custom is to have one or two pintxos and a small drink in each before moving on. One classic is the gilda, a skewer of olives, anchovy and pickled chilli.
At the heart of the neighbourhood is Plaza de la Constitución. Its balconies still carry numbers from when the square was used for bullfighting and the balconies served as spectator boxes. San Telmo, the Basque Country’s oldest museum, occupies a 16th-century convent. Behind it, paths lead up Monte Urgull, where entry is free and the fortress at the top looks out over the entire bay. In summer, boats leave the harbour for Santa Clara island for €8.
See places to stay in Parte Vieja here.
Stay here on your first visit or when food is the main reason for your trip. The bars, harbour and La Concha are all on your doorstep, and you won’t need a bus or a car.
The Old Town does stay up late, though. Outdoor tables in the narrowest streets don’t have to be cleared until 11.30pm, or midnight at weekends, and the noise carries on long afterwards. Accommodation consists almost entirely of guesthouses on the upper floors of old buildings, several without lifts and none with their own parking. Ask for a courtyard-facing room, or stay five minutes away in Centro if you’re a light sleeper.
Places to Stay in Parte Vieja
Lasala Plaza Hotel - best luxury hotel by the harbour
Lasala Plaza Hotel is a four-star, adults-only hotel with a guest rating of 9.1. It sits on a small square on the harbour side of the Old Town, about 200 metres from both La Concha and Plaza de la Constitución. Guests praise the rooftop terrace, sun loungers and views, and there’s also a restaurant, bar and gym. Valet parking costs €33 per night, and one guest felt the breakfast selection was too limited.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The location was perfect. The staff were fantastic. The rooftop terrace and views were wonderful.”
See photos and book Lasala Plaza Hotel here.
Hotel Atari - best hotel in the heart of the Old Town
Hotel Atari has two stars and a guest rating of 8.8 from almost 1,200 reviews. It’s on Calle Mayor, right among the bars. The hotel has a lift, air conditioning, soundproofed rooms, a restaurant, a bar and a rooftop terrace, and La Concha is about a five-minute walk away. That location comes at a cost: several guests mention considerable street noise at night.
One guest says on Booking.com: “Everything has been thought of to make your stay comfortable!”
See photos and book Hotel Atari here.
Boulevard Roomss - best budget option in the Old Town
Boulevard Roomss is a two-star guesthouse with a guest rating of 8.8 from just under 900 reviews. It’s on the edge of the Old Town, about 200 metres from Plaza de la Constitución, and all rooms have air conditioning. There’s no lift, so you’ll need to climb the stairs to the second floor, and breakfast is served at a nearby café. Guests also mention small rooms and street noise.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Fantastic location in the middle of everything, with all the popular pintxos bars very close by.”
See photos and book Boulevard Roomss here.
2. Centro - best area for shopping and getting around on foot 🛍️
- 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re in the middle of the city. From the cathedral, it’s about 700 metres to the Old Town and 400 to 600 metres to La Concha.
- 🚌 Transport: The bus and railway stations are by the river on the eastern edge of the neighbourhood. A single city bus ticket costs €1.95.
- ✈️ Getting from the airport: The bus from Bilbao Airport runs hourly and terminates at the bus station, a five- to ten-minute walk from most hotels in Centro.
- 💰 Price range: €€ to €€€€. Guesthouses were around €175 per night, three- and four-star hotels around €270 to €395, and the city’s grandest hotel over €1,600.
- 👮 Safety: Safe and quieter at night than the Old Town.
Centro was built in the 19th century, after the city walls came down and San Sebastian became a seaside retreat for the Spanish royal family. Its streets are wide and straight, lined with elegant Belle Époque buildings. A high point came in 1912, when both the Victoria Eugenia theatre and Hotel Maria Cristina opened beside the river.
The neighbourhood’s landmark is the neo-Gothic Buen Pastor cathedral, the city’s largest church. From here, shopping streets run down to La Concha, the city beach stretching just over 1,300 metres, with its white railings dating from 1916. The town hall at the end of the beach was built as a casino in 1887.
See places to stay in Centro here.
Centro is the most practical base. You can walk to the Old Town in five to ten minutes, reach the beach just as quickly and get to the bus and railway stations in under 15 minutes. Most of the city’s full-service hotels are here too, so there’s more choice than in the Old Town and the nights are quieter.
The drawback is the cost of bringing a car. Street parking is limited to 90 minutes for visitors, and parking at the hotels I looked at cost between €20 and €51 a day. Guests at two hotels near the cathedral also mention a building site directly outside, so ask about it before booking a street-facing room.
Places to Stay in Centro
Hotel Maria Cristina, a Luxury Collection Hotel - the city’s classic luxury hotel
Hotel Maria Cristina has five stars, a guest rating of 9.3 and a riverside location it has occupied since 1912. Both the Old Town and the two nearest beaches are less than ten minutes away on foot. There’s a restaurant, bar and gym. Rates were over approximately €1,600 per night when I searched, breakfast costs €45, and guests question why a hotel in this price bracket has neither a pool nor a spa.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The location is incredible because everything is within walking distance.”
See photos and book Hotel Maria Cristina, a Luxury Collection Hotel here.
Catalonia Donosti - best hotel with a rooftop pool
Catalonia Donosti has four stars and a guest rating of 9.1 from more than 3,400 reviews. On the roof, you’ll find a terrace with a seasonal pool and bar. The hotel also has a gym, restaurant and a spa available for an additional charge. It’s about 400 metres from La Concha and a kilometre from the Old Town. Hotel parking costs €20 a day. Some guests find the rooms dark, and there has been building work in front of the hotel.
One guest says on Booking.com: “Beautiful room with a fantastic view. The rooftop pool and bar are lovely.”
See photos and book Catalonia Donosti here.
Pensión Régil - best budget option in Centro
Pensión Régil is a two-star, adults-only guesthouse with a guest rating of 8.8 from over 1,000 reviews. It’s about 200 metres from the cathedral and a few minutes’ walk from La Concha, with both a lift and air conditioning. Breakfast is served at a nearby café. The rooms are very small, and one guest describes the bathroom as the smallest they’ve ever encountered.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Perfect location, lovely quiet room and a good night’s sleep. Just what we needed!”
See photos and book Pensión Régil here.
3. Gros - best area for surfers and younger travellers 🏄
- 📍 Distance to the centre: Just east of the river. From western Gros, it’s about 650 metres to the Old Town across the bridge beside the Kursaal.
- 🚌 Transport: Most places are walkable. The bus and railway stations are 450 to 650 metres away, and city buses cost €1.95.
- ✈️ Getting from the airport: Take the bus from Bilbao Airport to the bus station, then walk the final ten minutes.
- 💰 Price range: €€ to €€€. Small hotels and the aparthotel were around €200 to €230 per night, with the top hotel a little over €415.
- 👮 Safety: Safe. Zurriola faces the open sea and has waves, so it isn’t the best beach for small children.
According to the city’s tourism website, Gros is San Sebastian’s liveliest neighbourhood. It lies across the Urumea river, facing Zurriola, an 800-metre beach that opens onto the sea rather than the sheltered bay at La Concha. This is where the surfers gather, with lessons on the beach every day.
At the river mouth stands the Kursaal, architect Rafael Moneo’s congress centre, made up of two illuminated glass cubes and home to the film and jazz festivals. The streets of Peña y Goñi and Zabaleta behind the beach are full of cafés and pintxos bars. Thursdays bring pintxo-pote, when bars offer a drink and a pintxo at a reduced price. Head to Sagüés at the eastern end of the beach for sunset.
See places to stay in Gros here.
Gros would be my choice for a return visit or for staying somewhere locals go out themselves. The Old Town is ten minutes away, but you avoid having its noise directly beneath your window.
The neighbourhood does lack large hotels. I found no three- to five-star hotels by the beach, so the choice is between small hotels, an aparthotel and villas up the hill to the east. Also be aware that several hotels listed as being in Gros on booking websites are actually another 1.5 to 2.5 kilometres east.
Places to Stay in Gros
Hotel Villa Soro - best hotel in a historic villa
Hotel Villa Soro has four stars and a guest rating of 9.6 from over 1,300 reviews, one of the highest in the city. It occupies a villa with a garden, lounges and a bar, and one guest mentions complimentary bikes. Parking costs just €10 per night. The villa is up Avenida de Ategorrieta, east of Gros itself, about a kilometre from the beach and a 20- to 25-minute walk from the Old Town. Road-facing rooms can be noisy.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Beautiful rooms, lounges and bar. Free bikes. Good location. Excellent staff.”
See photos and book Hotel Villa Soro here.
abba Apartments Playa de Gros San Sebastián - best aparthotel
abba Apartments Playa de Gros has a guest rating of 8.9 and offers apartments with kitchens, air conditioning and lift access. There’s a 24-hour reception, and on-site parking costs €20 per night and must be reserved in advance. The property is at the eastern end of Gros, about 500 metres from the beach, leaving roughly 1.5 kilometres to the Old Town. One guest reports that additional fees pushed up the price.
One guest says on Booking.com: “The staff were very friendly and helpful. The rooms had everything we needed.”
See photos and book abba Apartments Playa de Gros San Sebastián here.
Leonardo Boutique Hotel San Sebastián - best location in Gros
Leonardo Boutique Hotel San Sebastián has two stars and a guest rating of 8.8 from over 1,300 reviews. It’s on Zabaleta street, about 300 metres from Zurriola beach. There’s a lift, air conditioning, soundproofed rooms and a 24-hour reception, and you can walk across the bridge to the Old Town in under ten minutes. The rooms are sparsely equipped: one guest missed having a bin, a make-up mirror and a safe.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Good location close to both the Old Town and the beach. Very friendly and helpful staff.”
See photos and book Leonardo Boutique Hotel San Sebastián here.
4. La Concha and Antiguo - best area for beach holidays and families 🏖️
- 📍 Distance to the centre: Hotels just behind La Concha are less than a kilometre from the Old Town. From Antiguo and Ondarreta, it’s about two kilometres, or a 25- to 30-minute walk around the bay.
- 🚌 Transport: City buses 5 and 25 serve Antiguo, while route 45 connects the neighbourhood with the bus and railway stations. A ticket costs €1.95.
- ✈️ Getting from the airport: Take the bus from Bilbao Airport to the bus station, followed by city bus 45 or a taxi.
- 💰 Price range: €€ to €€€€. Three- and four-star hotels in Antiguo were around €175 to €250 per night, while hotels by La Concha ranged from approximately €275 to over €1,340.
- 👮 Safety: A quiet residential neighbourhood. Lifeguards are on duty at the beaches from June to September.
The western side of the bay is San Sebastian’s beach-holiday territory. Here, La Concha gives way to Ondarreta, which is over 500 metres long and more than 100 metres wide. It’s the least well-known of the city’s three beaches and therefore the quietest in high season, with a playground on the sand. The water inside the bay is calm, and at low tide you can walk between the two beaches without getting your feet wet.
Between the beaches stands Miramar Palace, built as a summer residence for Queen Maria Cristina in 1893. The gardens are free to enter and overlook the whole bay. At the end of Ondarreta is Eduardo Chillida’s 1977 sculpture Peine del Viento: three pieces of rust-red steel bolted to the rocks. Beside it, the funicular, dating from 1912, runs up Monte Igueldo. A return ticket costs €5.50.
See places to stay by La Concha and in Antiguo here.
Behind Ondarreta is Antiguo, described by the tourism website as the city’s oldest neighbourhood. It’s a regular residential area, with shops and restaurants around Matia street. Hotels are cheaper than in the centre, and almost all have underground parking. That makes it a good option for families and anyone arriving by car.
The drawback is the distance to the pintxos bars. From Antiguo, it’s a half-hour walk or a bus ride to the Old Town, so you can’t simply pop back to change. Hotels directly beside La Concha are closer, but their prices are among the highest in the city. The beach season runs from 1 June to 30 September, and smoking is banned on all the city’s beaches.
Places to Stay by La Concha and in Antiguo
Hotel Villa Favorita - best boutique hotel by the beach
Hotel Villa Favorita has four stars, is adults-only and has a guest rating of 9.7, the highest I found in the city. It’s behind the La Concha promenade, several rooms have sea views, and breakfast is cooked to order. There’s neither a pool nor a spa. The hotel was sold out for my June dates and cost a little over approximately €830 per night on a weekend in May, so book early. Parking costs €29 a day.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “It’s exactly my kind of hotel: charming, cosy and perfectly located.”
See photos and book Hotel Villa Favorita here.
Hotel Niza - best hotel directly beside La Concha
Hotel Niza has three stars, a guest rating of 8.5 and a location on the street just behind the seafront promenade, less than 100 metres from La Concha. Some rooms have sea views, and the hotel has a restaurant, bar, lift and air conditioning. The Old Town is about a ten-minute walk away. One guest reports walls so thin that conversations in neighbouring rooms are clearly audible.
One guest says on Booking.com: “Fantastic location. Good breakfast and a surprisingly good evening menu.”
See photos and book Hotel Niza here.
Sercotel Codina - best budget option near Ondarreta
Sercotel Codina has three stars and a guest rating of 8.5 from over 4,800 reviews. It’s in Antiguo, about 400 metres from Ondarreta beach, with a lift, air conditioning, soundproofed rooms and a bar. Hotel parking costs €16.50 a day, which is inexpensive for San Sebastian. The Old Town is around half an hour away on foot, and one guest mentions some night-time noise when refuse lorries empty the bins behind the hotel.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The location was ideal, just a few minutes from the beach, shops and bars!”
See photos and book Sercotel Codina here.
5. Amara - best area for drivers and budget-conscious travellers 🚗
- 📍 Distance to the centre: South of Centro. From Plaza Pío XII, it’s roughly a kilometre to the cathedral and La Concha, and just under two kilometres to the Old Town.
- 🚌 Transport: City buses 21, 26 and 28 run into the centre. Euskotren has stations in both Amara and Anoeta, with trains towards Zarautz and the French border.
- ✈️ Getting from the airport: The bus station, where the Bilbao Airport bus arrives, is about a kilometre from the hotels.
- 💰 Price range: €€. Hotels were around €170 to €200 per night, including the four-star options.
- 👮 Safety: A quiet residential neighbourhood with wide streets.
Amara is everyday San Sebastian. South of the centre, it has wide, quiet streets lined with shops, and in the evenings locals head out to bars here rather than in the Old Town. At its southern end is Reale Arena, Real Sociedad football club’s home ground, with room for 40,000 spectators.
You stay here for the price and the practicalities. When I searched, the four-star hotels cost only a little more than a guesthouse in the Old Town. They also have underground car parks for €18 to €22 per night, among the lowest rates in the city. In the outer part of the neighbourhood, visitors can also park on the street for up to nine hours.
See places to stay in Amara here.
That makes Amara a sensible base on a road trip through northern Spain. Remember that central San Sebastian is a low-emission zone, and foreign vehicles must always be registered before entering it. From the Euskotren station, you can catch a train to the coastal towns of Zarautz and Zumaia or to Hendaye on the French side of the border.
The drawback is the walking. It’s 15 minutes to Centro, 20 minutes to La Concha and 25 minutes to the pintxos bars, and guests cite the distance as the main downside. For a first visit of two nights, I’d pay more to stay closer to the water.
Places to Stay in Amara
Hotel Zinema7 - best hotel in Amara
Hotel Zinema7 has four stars and a guest rating of 9.0 from over 2,700 reviews, the highest in the neighbourhood. It has a café, gym, family rooms and a garage costing €22 per night, and the staff receive particular praise. It was only around €11 more per night than the neighbouring hotel. La Concha is a 20-minute walk away, and one guest notes stains on the corridor carpets.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The very best thing was the staff, who were incredibly helpful and friendly.”
See photos and book Hotel Zinema7 here.
Eurostars Amara - best mid-range hotel on Plaza Pío XII
Eurostars Amara has four stars and a guest rating of 8.3 from almost 3,900 reviews. It’s on Plaza Pío XII and has a restaurant, café, gym and its own garage, with good bus connections to the centre. Breakfast costs €20 per person. One guest measured the distance to La Concha at exactly a kilometre; another felt that €20 a day for parking was expensive.
One guest says on Booking.com: “Perfect location with good bus connections to the centre. Lovely hotel with a café and restaurant.”
See photos and book Eurostars Amara here.
The Social Hub San Sebastián - best budget option with a pool
The Social Hub San Sebastián has three stars and a guest rating of 8.7 from over 7,000 reviews. It combines a hotel, student accommodation and a coworking space, with a seasonal outdoor pool, gym, restaurant, bar, laundry facilities and table tennis. Parking costs €20 per night. The hotel is in the newer Riberas de Loiola neighbourhood beside the river, half an hour’s walk from the beach, and guests report noise from students in the corridors.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Good facilities such as the gym, pool, washing machines and table tennis tables. Large rooms and a good bed.”
See photos and book The Social Hub San Sebastián here.
6. Monte Igueldo - best area for views and peace and quiet 🌄
- 📍 Distance to the centre: On the hill at the western end of the bay. From the lower hotels, it’s about 2.5 kilometres to the Old Town; from those higher up, as much as five kilometres.
- 🚌 Transport: City bus 16 serves Igueldo, and the funicular runs from Ondarreta to the top. In practice, you’ll need a car or taxis.
- ✈️ Getting from the airport: Allow for a taxi from the bus station if you’re arriving on the Bilbao Airport bus.
- 💰 Price range: €€ to €€€€. Around €180 per night on the lower slopes, €310 to €330 higher up and just under approximately €1,070 for the five-star gourmet hotel.
- 👮 Safety: Quiet and peaceful. The roads are steep, making it a poor choice for anyone with limited mobility.
Monte Igueldo is the hill enclosing the bay to the west, and the viewpoint behind many postcards of San Sebastian. The funicular, with its wooden carriages, has operated since 1912 and is the oldest in the Basque Country. At the top, there’s a small amusement park with old-fashioned rides and a wooden roller coaster, alongside an 18th-century tower. From here, you get one of the city’s best views over La Concha.
The hotels are scattered from the foot of the hill near Ondarreta to its western side overlooking the Bay of Biscay. They share pools or spas, sea views from many rooms and free parking, a rarity elsewhere in San Sebastian. On the outer side of the hill is Akelarre, one of the area’s three restaurants with three Michelin stars.
See places to stay on Monte Igueldo here.
Igueldo suits couples wanting quiet and views, families with a car and anyone combining the city with a drive along the coast. You can park free at your hotel and drive down to the beach or take the bus into town.
Without a car, it’s awkward. Guests point out that you need to drive into town whenever you want to eat there, and the funicular’s operating hours vary by season, so you can’t rely on it late in the evening. A taxi back from the Old Town every night soon adds up. For a trip mainly spent bar-hopping, Igueldo is the wrong base.
Places to Stay on Monte Igueldo
Akelarre - Relais & Châteaux - best gourmet hotel
Akelarre has five stars and a guest rating of 9.5. With just 20 rooms, it’s attached to chef Pedro Subijana’s restaurant of the same name, which holds three stars in the Michelin Guide. There’s a spa with a sauna, steam room and hot tub, sea views and free parking. The price was just under approximately €1,070 per night, and you’re around five kilometres from town, so every trip requires a car or taxi.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The rooms and the whole design of this small, 20-room hotel are simply outstanding.”
See photos and book Akelarre - Relais & Châteaux here.
Mercure Monte Igueldo - best views in San Sebastian
Mercure Monte Igueldo has four stars, a guest rating of 8.1 and a location right at the top of the hill, beside the amusement park and the upper funicular station. The rooftop pool and many rooms overlook the entire bay. There’s also a restaurant, bar, gym and free parking. Parts of the hotel are worn, one guest reports having no air conditioning despite it being listed, and there’s noise from the amusement park.
One guest says on Booking.com: “The hilltop location gives you a fantastic view across the bay and out to sea.”
See photos and book Mercure Monte Igueldo here.
Hotel Avenida - best budget option with a pool and free parking
Hotel Avenida has three stars and a guest rating of 8.8 from over 4,100 reviews. It’s on the lower slopes, roughly a ten-minute walk from Ondarreta beach, with a seasonal outdoor pool, garden, terrace, gym and free parking. It was one of the cheapest good hotels I found anywhere in the city. The walk back is uphill, and the car park is small for the size of the hotel.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel’s location is good because the beach is within walking distance.”
See photos and book Hotel Avenida here.
Where Should You Avoid Staying in San Sebastian?
Don’t stay directly above the bars in Parte Vieja if you’re a light sleeper. Even highly rated hotels receive reviews mentioning noise until 2am at weekends. Be sceptical of cheap hotels listed under Gros or Antiguo that are actually in outlying districts. Always check the map, not just the neighbourhood name.
I wouldn’t choose Monte Igueldo without a car, or Amara for a first visit of one or two nights, as too much time would go on getting around. Hotels in the suburbs and neighbouring towns may look cheap, but street parking in the centre is limited to 90 minutes, and a car park costs €20 to €50 a day.
My recommendation is to stay in Centro if you’re unsure. You can walk to the Old Town, La Concha and Gros from there. Choose Parte Vieja if food comes first and you can sleep with earplugs, or Antiguo for a family beach holiday.
Three practical points before you go. The city is busiest and most expensive during Semana Grande in mid-August, the jazz festival in July and the film festival in late September. From 1 January 2027, San Sebastian plans to introduce a tourist tax of up to €6.50 per person per night for a maximum of six nights, with under-18s exempt. And bring a raincoat: according to Spain’s meteorological service’s climate figures, it rains roughly one day in three, even in summer.
There are no flights from Denmark to San Sebastian’s own airport. Most travellers from Denmark fly to Bilbao, where the airport says a bus runs hourly directly to San Sebastian. You’ll find city bus fares on the Dbus website. For a wider trip around Spain, read my guides to where to stay in Madrid and where to stay in Barcelona.
Travel ressources & websites I use all the time 👇
• Booking.com has the best offers on hotels and unique places to stay
• GetYourGuide is the best place to book tours & activities with free cancellation
• Welcome Pickups is the best & safest place to pre-book airport transfers
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