Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Shimmering above the breathtaking Concha Bay, elegant and prosperous San Sebastián
(Donostia in Euskara, which locals lovingly shorten to Donosti) has a favored location
withgoldenbeaches,cappedbytwinpeaksateitherend,andwithacutelittleislandinthe
center. A delightful beachfront promenade runs the length of the bay, with an intriguing
Old Town at one end and a smart shopping district in the center. It has 186,000 residents
andalmostthatmanytouristsinhighseason(July-Sept).Witharomanticsetting,asoaring
statue of Christ gazing over the city, and a late-night lively Old Town, San Sebastián has a
mini-RiodeJaneiroaura.Thoughtheactual“sightseeing” isn'tmuch,thesceniccityitself
provides a pleasant introduction to Spain's Basque Country. And as a culinary capital of
Spain—withmanylocalrestaurantsgettinginternationalattention—competition istightto
dish up some of the top tapas anywhere.
In 1845, Queen Isabel II's doctor recommended she treat her skin problems by
bathing intheseahere.(Formodesty'ssake,shewouldgoinside agiant cabana that could
be wheeled into the surf—allowing her to swim far from prying eyes, never having to set
foot on the beach.) Her visit mobilized Spain's aristocracy, and soon the city was on the
