The 4 beaches of Donostia San Sebastian.

Enjoy the beaches of Donostia San Sebastian, the best urban beaches in the world.

It is not a bilbainada, it is not an opinion, it is a fact. The beaches of Donostia San Sebastian are, according to several surveys, the best urban beaches in the world. And it is not surprising, the beauty of the city, the bravura of the sea that surrounds them, the Santa Clara island and the nature of the mountains that protect them, make them unique places in the world. The most famous, the beach of La Concha, is only a small representation of what we find if we walk along the coast of the city, a sandy area, although it is the most representative of them all, the most international, need not be the best. For tastes the colors. We recommend the walk along the coast of Donostia San Sebastian to know in a pleasant, fun and educational way each of the sandy areas that we find scattered around the capital of Gipuzkoa.

In Euskal Herria we have beaches of all kinds, for all tastes. At present, beaches, together with gastronomy, culture and nature, are one of our greatest attractions in the summer season. The beaches of Donostia San Sebastian, gain even more prominence if possible due to its easy access and natural beauty. Being able to combine beach and high quality cultural visits without having to use transportation is not always possible.

From left to right facing the sea, we find the beaches of Ondarreta, La Concha and Zurriola, 3 beaches of San Sebastian, which, accompanied by the small beach / cove that we find on the island of Santa Clara delight all those who visit us in summer time, in summer. From beach to beach and I’m just shooting because it’s my turn, say many of the people who visit Donostia in good weather. And, although it may seem that they are all the same, they have nothing to do with each other. Each one has its strong points, with specific characteristics, with its own personality. We must remember that all of them comply with all the guarantees and services to enjoy the bath with total tranquility (lifeguard and rescue post, public address system, showers…). Below we leave you a small summary with the way of being of each of the beaches of Donostia and a small map, so that you can get a general idea about the situation of the beaches that we mention.

Do not be fooled by the names, as you can see, La Concha is not the only beach located in the Bay of La Concha. The beaches of Ondarreta, La Concha and Santa Clara (the one on the island), form the totality of the sandy beaches of this emblematic location in Gipuzkoa.

Ondarreta: Delimited by the Monte Igeldo and the Miramar Palace, Ondarreta represents the quietest and most familiar beach. Famous for being next to the Peine del Viento, in the neighborhood of Antiguo, under the watchful eye of the Parque de Atracciones Monte Igeldo, this beach in San Sebastian, is in times of storms and swells, space for surfers from all over Gipuzkoa.

La Concha: The beach of La Concha (Kontxako hondartza in Basque), is the most famous of all the beaches of San Sebastian, the most classic, the most international, the largest. But not for that reason the best. Many people have come to tell us that they prefer any other beach to this one, and it is that for tastes the colors. Its fine sand, offers a pleasant day at the beach with luxury views, the second best urban beach in the world according to Travel and Leisure.

• Length: 1.5 kilometers.
• Environment: Urban, traveler.

Santa Clara: The beach of the island, the beach of Santa Clara. This small beach, different from the rest of the Basque beaches, offers the traveler an extra in terms of beach experiences. And if the beach is not enough motivation, you can always enjoy its natural pool, for options will not be. To get to the island of Santa Clara, we recommend using the services of the island’s motorboat, a company that has a regular transport service from the Port of Donostia to the island. We advise you to book your tickets in advance at the best price from here.

• Length: Less than 30 meters. Depends on tides.
• Ambience: Paradisiacal, different.

The 3 beaches mentioned above correspond to the beaches located in the Bay of La Concha, 3 beaches, which, together with the one we find in the neighborhood of Gros, the one we mention below, the one located next to the slopes of Mount Ulia, form the 4 beaches of Donostia San Sebastian.

Zurriola: Located in the neighborhood of Gros, its natural limitations are marked by the Kursaal and Mount Ulia. From here you can take a walk along the coast to Pasaia, passing by the Faro de la Plata lighthouse. The Zurriola, has become since its transformation in the 90’s in the beach of the surfers, in the young beach of Donostia. Just a few meters from this beach, we can find many stores that offer rental service of all kinds of material, courses and everything related to the world of surfing. We recommend you to ask, be encouraged!

Awnings on the beaches of Donostia: The awnings found on the beaches of Donostia (Ondarreta: 424, La Concha: 440 and Zurriola: 240), are awarded by lottery. Unfortunately, only people living in Donostia can have access to it, so any traveler is out of the draw.

Boat tours in Donostia San Sebastian: The different boat routes that exist in the Bay of La Concha allow us to know the beach of Santa Clara Island and its natural pool in first person. Undoubtedly one of the most demanded experiences in the capital of Gipuzkoa. In case you want to know more in detail these maritime routes, we recommend you to read our article: Boat tours in Donostia San Sebastian. If you want to book your place online you can do it here. Fast, safe and without commissions.

Tips: We leave you a couple of tips to enjoy the beaches of Donostia San Sebastian 100%.

Souvenirs: One of the objects that we recommend you in our article about the best souvenirs of Euskadi, a small purse of txuri-urdin color (White-blue in Basque), comes from these beaches, from these sandy beaches. And it is that, when the famous awnings that we find in these beaches of Gipuzkoa are damaged, they are reused to turn them into beautiful souvenirs. Souvenirs that allow us to take the beaches of Donostia San Sebastian always by our side.

After the bath: The proximity to the city allows us to enjoy all the charms of Donostia San Sebastian at the end of the day at the beach. A small luxury that we can take advantage of to visit the Peine del Viento, Igeldo, San Telmo Museum, the old part, the Kursaal, Urgull or Ulia among many other places.

Motorboats: Aboard the island’s motorboats, the motor boats that connect the island of Santa Clara with the port of Donostia, we have the opportunity to enjoy the island’s beach and the spectacular views of the city from the sea. A promenade that we highly recommend. Reservations here.

Other beaches: In summer, there is a boat that takes us to the neighboring town of Pasaia, where in addition to finding extraordinary places like Albaola, the Mater Museum, the house of Victor Hugo or the Ziaboga restaurant, we also find small sandy beaches in San Juan, Donibane in Basque.

As you have been able to appreciate, the beaches of Donostia San Sebastian provide everything you need to enjoy a nice urban trip without having to give up the pleasures of summer.