San Sebastián Spain Holidays: Packages, Beaches and When to Go

Couples and culture lovers get the most from a stay here. Within a mile or so of the centre you have the Good Shepherd Cathedral, the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Chorus, San Telmo Museoa with its ethnographic and art collections, and the Miramar Palace overlooking the bay. Climb towards Motako Gaztelua, the Castillo de la Mota, for the views, and that is a full weekend before you have even thought about the beach.

Families have an easy combination of sand and something for a grey day: the Aquarium de Donostia-San Sebastián sits close to the old town, and Ondarreta Beach is the gentler, more sheltered end of the bay. Travellers after a quieter base can look east to Pasaia, a small harbour town about 2.5 miles away.

Most visitors stay in Donostia itself, which puts the beaches, the Zurriola Bridge, the Palacio de Ayete and the Igeldo lighthouse within easy reach. Short breaks to San Sebastián Spain work best with a central base, because nearly everything worth seeing lies within about 2 miles.

Pasaia, roughly 2.5 miles east and around 70 minutes from Bilbao airport, has its own maritime character: the Albaola Itsas Kultur Faktoria shipyard-school museum, the Castillo Santa Isabel and La Plata lighthouse. Hernani, about 3 miles inland, and Astigarraga, around 2.5 miles away, are smaller towns that sit 67 and 69 minutes from the airport respectively, close enough to reach the city easily.

The north coast is green for a reason. Rain falls on 12 to 17 days a month, and the wettest months are November, with about 221mm, and January, with about 207mm. July is the driest month at roughly 70mm, and July and August both reach about 24°C, with nights around 17°C.

For beach time, June to September makes most sense, with highs of 22°C to 24°C. Weekend breaks to San Sebastián Spain in spring or October suit sightseeing, with highs between 17°C and 20°C, and a city break in San Sebastián Spain in winter means cool days around 12°C to 14°C and plenty of time indoors at the museums. Prices across the summer and UK school holidays tend to rise, so booking early for those dates is sensible.

Bilbao is the airport with direct flights from the UK, and the drive to San Sebastián takes about 67 minutes. On a package, the transfer is normally included; if you prefer to explore the coast yourself, you can compare car hire on this page.

If you would rather bring your own car, Brittany Ferries sails from Portsmouth to Bilbao in about 28 to 32 hours, and the port is around 53 miles from the city. Santander, around 93 miles away, has sailings from Portsmouth taking about 24 to 32 hours and from Plymouth taking about 20 hours.

Package holidays to San Sebastián Spain bundle your flight to Bilbao, your hotel and usually your airport transfer into one booking, and when sold as a package they are ATOL-protected. As a city destination, room-only and bed and breakfast are the common board options, leaving you free to eat out in town.

On this page you can compare live deals from Jet2holidays, TUI, loveholidays and On the Beach side by side, check hotel prices if you are building your own trip, and browse tours and tickets for the city's sights. Availability and prices change constantly, so check the dates that suit you.