San Sebastian’s bustling Old Town is located just a few meters from the city’s main attraction: La Concha Beach. This historic neighborhood is characterized by its narrow streets, pintxo bars, ancient squares, and impressive buildings. Most of them date back to the 19th and 20th century, a period known as the “Belle Epoque.”
To explore everything this unique city has to offer, we’ve come up with an insider’s guide for what to see and do activities in San Sebastian’s most emblematic quarter, the Old Town (Parte Vieja).
Discover the oldest street in San Sebastian
Wandering the alleys of the San Sebastian’s Old Town offer a captivating journey back in time, especially if you find yourself on Calle 31 de Agosto. This cobblestone street is the only one that survived the siege of 1813. The rest of the city was burned as the Duke of Wellington’s soldiers expelled the French occupying troops.
Every 31st of August donostiarras, San Sebastian locals, light candles and lamps on their balconies and throughout the street in memory of this day.
Savor pintxos galore
Pintxos are the Basque take on Spanish tapas and one of the highlights of Basque cuisine. According to a 2017 census there are 99 pintxo bars in the 1.5km radius that the Old Town covers. That’s a lot of pintxos per square meter!
It’s hard to choose when there’s so many options, that’s why we suggest taking our ultimate pintxos and wine tour. Another tip is to have a look at the bar’s floor. In the Basque Country they say that the dirtier the bar’s floor, the more delicious the food – it signals more customer retention and a higher volume of diners.
Try the famous Basque burnt cheesecake
The New York times declared it ‘Flavour of the Year’ in 2021, but the Basque burnt cheesecake was first baked at family owned La Viña restaurant in the late 80s. Located in Calle 31 de Agosto, this establishment was founded in 1959 by brothers Antonio and Eladio Rivera and their wives.
It was Antonio’s son, Santi who experimented with baking cream cheese after attending a cooking course in Paris, who invented La Viña’s cheesecake. Having a bite of the dessert that took the world by storm is an absolute must while in town.
Explore Plaza de La Constitución
At first glance you might wonder if this square used to be a jail, a hotel, or even a brothel. The answer is something 100% more Spanish than that: it used to be a bullring. Following the construction of a larger bullring in the city, La Plaza de La Constitución ceased to serve as a bullring; however, the ticket holders’ box numbers remain on each window as a reminder of its history.
Something about this iconic plaza has remained the same: it still is the heart and soul of the city, a beloved place for gatherings and celebrations.
Visit the Basilica of Santa Maria
This breathtaking Basilica is a Baroque Roman Catholic church from 1774. Can you spot the two symbols that represent San Sebastian on its façade? One of them is a brigantine boat that is part of the city’s coat of arms and the other one is San Sebastian’s patron saint pierced by arrows.
Another curiosity about this church is that it is exactly one kilometer away from the Buen Pastor Cathedral. Both temples are aligned so that you can see the Cathedral from Santa Maria’s steps.
Dig into stuffed tortilla
Juantxo Taberna sets the benchmark for unique tortilla de patatas, Spanish omelette with a twist. They have been making stuffed tortillas for over 90 years, but there’s one that locals love the most: tortilla de txaka, a surimi and mayonnaise filled omelette. Trust us, it tastes way better than it sounds.
Do you want to feel like a true donostiarra? A classic Sunday afternoon plan for locals is to grab some bocadillos de tortilla from Juantxo and eat them by the port.
Support local artists
In recent years, San Sebastian’s Old Town has been emerging as an artist hub. Forget about cheesy souvenirs, take a piece of San Sebastian back with you in the form of local art and do your part for the local economy! We have two favorites:
- Koloreka is an old butcher’s shop transformed into an art shop where you can find minimalist watercolor paintings of everyday scenes of life in San Sebastian. The highlight of this space is the refrigerator they kept from the butchers which is now used as the smallest exhibition room in the city.
- Lance & Malone offers a wider artistic format such as photography, illustrations, and collage, as well as clothing and accessories. Their most popular piece is an illustration called ‘Pintxos’ by San Sebastian-born artist Mikel Casal.
Enjoy an artisan ice cream
Donostiarras relish a good gelato rain or shine to accompany them on their walk along Playa de la Concha. Here are our go-to heladerias (gelato shops):
- Gelateria Boulevard are famous for their generous servings of creamy ice cream.
- Loco Polo is an avant-garde popsicle company founded by childhood best friends from San Sebastian.
Catch a play at Teatro Principal
The Teatro Principal was inaugurated in 1843 and is the oldest theater in San Sebastian. The theater’s calendar is filled with films and performing arts in Spanish and Basque. It also hosts the Surf Film festival in Summer and the Festival de Cine Fantástico y de Terror during Halloween. The interior is kept almost intact and decorated for special occasions, so we recommend catching a show to experience the vintage theater balconies.
Learn about Basque language and culture
If you want to hear how the enigmatic Basque language sounds, find a bar at Ikatz Kalea, order a kalimotxo, and just listen. This street has historically been the ultimate meeting spot for the young Basques of the city. It is also a politically charged but safe environment. Anywhere you look you will be able to see some murals and graffiti advocating Basque identity and independence.
As you can see, there are so many things to do and see in San Sebastian. It’s an amazing city with a very unique vibe. If you’d like to dive deep into this city’s history, culinary mastery, and more, sign up for one of our many San Sebastian food and walking tours. Whether it’s a crash course in Basque cuisine on a tour of the city’s top pintxos bars or walking tour that includes a boat ride and food tasting, we’ve got you covered.
