Sebastian is a coastal city and municipality located in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain.
It lies on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, just 12 miles away from the French border.
THE BEACHConsidered one of the most beautiful urban beaches in Europe, award winning Playa de La Concha curves around the city, at low tide a three-quarter-mile span of golden sand. Centre piece of the bay is forest-covered Santa Clara Island.
A 16th-century refuge for plague victims, it is the only south-facing sheltered beach on the Basque coast. A boat runs much of the year and its tiny beach has a bar. At the far end of La Concha is Ondarreta beach.
With parasol rental and beach bars it's a family favourite, with crabbing among the rock pools. Or cut through the old town and cross the Urumea River to Playa de Zurriola, the city's wave-crashed third beach.
Stroll among the old town's narrow lanes, where skinny, balconied townhouses and traditional shops and bars give way to the airy elegance of Constitucion Square.
The colourful façades have numbers painted on each balcony – a leftover from its former role as a bullring.
Flanking the old town is Boulevard – a broad tamarind tree-lined avenue terminating at a pretty filigree bandstand.
Hugging the circular bay of La Concha are gorgeous turn-of-the-century summer villas adorned with elaborate turrets, a reminder of the days when San Sebastian was the preferred tourist destination of the European upper classes.
THE SPAIn 1845 Queen Maria Cristina made La Concha fashionable when she bathed here to alleviate her skin problems.
The sea's healing properties are still celebrated at the Belle Epoque La Perla Spa (la-perla.net) on the prom.
A relaxing two-hour thalassotherapy session in its exquisite Art Nouveau mosaic baths is only about £25.
There's no need to spend a fortune to eat well. Nor do you need to visit one of the seven Michelinstarred restaurants for innovative cooking.
Countless pintxos (tapas) bars offer both traditional and highly imaginative, very affordable mini-meals.
Try a two-hour Pintxos Tasting Tour with San Sebastian Food (sansebastianfood.com) for £95. Or eat on the cheap by tailor-making your own tour amongst the bars in the old town and neighbouring Gros district.
Goiz-Argi on Fermin Calbeton resembles a no-nonsense fish and chip shop. Prawn skewers and a glass of house white cost £3.25.
For pintxos worthy of a Michelin star check out Zeruko (barzeruko.com) on Pescadería, a bright contemporary bar with a huge snack-laden counter. With la hoguera (‘the fire') you can barbecue your own fish on the tabletop. From £2.25 a dish.
The old town is stuffed with appealing stores. On Mayor Street is Noventa Grados, good for wearable haute couture.
For an authentic souvenir, Alboka on Inigo street has Basque berets for £25.
Or stock up on foodie goods: a hunk of salt cod from La Koxkera on Fermin Calbeton, or a box of whisky and orange truffles (£10) from Oiartzun on Ljentea Boulevard.
THE HOTELHotel Maria Cristina (00 34 943 437600/ hotel-mariacristina.com) on the edge of the old town is a century-old beauty with an ornate marble lobby, chandelier-dominated public rooms and buzzy bar with a timeless Spanish feel.
Bedrooms have plush décor with splashes of modernity in bright abstract canvases. Doubles from £200, B&B.
GETTING THEREKirker Holidays (020 7593 2283/kirkerholidays.com) offers three nights at Hotel Maria Cristina from £788pp (two sharing), B&B.
Price includes return flights from Heathrow to Bilbao and transfers. San Sebastian tourism: sansebastiantourismo.com
Events calendar: dss2016.eu/en/agenda
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