Where to Stay in San Sebastian

The elegant nineteenth-century quarter laid out between the old town and the river, with wide streets, stone apartment blocks and the Buen Pastor cathedral at its centre. La Concha is a few minutes one way, the pintxos bars a few minutes the other, and the Maria Cristina bridge crosses to the station.

Good to know: The best all-round base in the city and priced accordingly, though it is still cheaper than an equivalent room in Barcelona. Quiet at night because it is residential, which is exactly the point. Rooms with a bay view carry a real premium and are worth it only if you will actually sit and look at it.

The tight grid of old streets between Monte Urgull and the river, holding the densest concentration of pintxos bars anywhere in Spain. Plaza de la Constitucion sits in the middle with its numbered balconies, and the fishing harbour is at the far end.

Good to know: Wonderful and genuinely loud. The bars spill into the street and the noise runs to one or two most nights, later at weekends and in August. Buildings are old and lifts are rare, so ask about both. Book here on purpose, and ask for an interior room if you intend to sleep.

Across the river from the old town, built behind Zurriola beach, which gets the Atlantic swell and is where the city surfs. The bars here are younger and less crowded than the Parte Vieja, the pintxos are as good and cost less, and the Kursaal cubes sit on the seafront.

Good to know: The best value in San Sebastian and only a five-minute walk over the bridge to the old town. Zurriola is a proper surf beach rather than a swimming one, with currents and no shelter, so it is not the beach for small children. Gets busy and loud in its own right on summer weekends.

The old fishing village at the western end, now a settled residential district behind Ondarreta beach, with the funicular up Monte Igueldo at the far end. Ordinary neighbourhood bars, local prices and a long flat seafront walk into the centre.

Good to know: About twenty-five minutes on foot to the old town along the bay, or a short bus. Ondarreta is the calmer, shallower beach and the better one with children. Very little happens here at night, which is the appeal or the problem depending on the trip.

The curve of grand buildings following the promenade around the bay, with the white railings, the tamarisk trees and Santa Clara island offshore. The best-known hotels in the city sit along here, and the walk to the old town is flat and about ten minutes.

Good to know: The most expensive rooms in San Sebastian and the view is real, but you are paying for it every night including the ones you spend out. The promenade is busy from early morning. A room one street back in the Centro costs considerably less and adds two minutes to your walk.

The newer district up the river past the Anoeta stadium, laid out in the twentieth century with wide streets and apartment blocks. It has the bus station, the regional rail links and everyday prices in the shops and bars.

Good to know: The cheapest place to sleep in the city and it shows: there is no charm here and nothing a visitor would seek out. About twenty-five to thirty minutes' walk to the old town or a short bus. Sensible if you are on a tight budget in high season, when everywhere else doubles.

The slopes above Ondarreta rising to Monte Igueldo, reached by a hundred-year-old funicular, with a handful of hotels looking straight down the length of La Concha. The view over the bay at sunset is the one on every postcard of the city.

Good to know: You need the funicular, a bus or a car to get anywhere, and the last funicular is earlier than you would like. Beautiful for a couple of nights and impractical as a base for a week. Not a sensible choice if pintxos bars are the reason you came.