For a first visit, stay in the Centro (the grid of streets behind La Concha beach) or in Gros, across the river: both are a short walk from the old town's pintxo bars but much quieter at night. Stay in the Parte Vieja itself if you want to be in the thick of it and do not mind noise, and choose Antiguo or Ondarreta for a calmer, beachy stay at the western end of the bay. San Sebastián is compact, and almost everything below is within a 30 to 40 minute walk of everything else.
Parte Vieja (Old Town)
The old town sits between Monte Urgull, the harbour and the river, and has the city's densest concentration of pintxo bars, plus the Plaza de la Constitución, the Basilica of Santa María and the start of the walk up Urgull.
- Pros: You step out of the door into the bars, La Concha beach and the harbour are minutes away, and you will barely need transport.
- Cons: It is loud late into the night, especially at weekends and in summer, and streets are busy with bar crowds and tour groups. Rooms tend to be small, many buildings are old with few lifts, and cars cannot get in easily, so luggage means a walk.
Good for: short stays and food-focused trips where you plan to be out every evening. Ask for an inside or upper-floor room if you are a light sleeper.
Centro (Área Romántica)
The 19th-century centre between the old town and the Buen Pastor cathedral is the elegant, flat part of the city, with straight streets, shops, cafés and the La Concha promenade on its doorstep.
- Pros: Central for everything, a five-minute walk to the old town and the beach, quieter at night than the Parte Vieja, and easy for taxis and luggage. Many city bus lines run along its main streets.
- Cons: Usually the most expensive area to stay, and demand is very high in summer and during the film festival. It has fewer pintxo bars of its own, though the old town is next door.
Good for: first-timers, couples and anyone who wants the classic San Sebastián location.
Gros
Gros is across the Urumea river, behind Zurriola beach, the surfers' beach, and the Kursaal concert hall. It has its own lively but more local pintxo scene and a younger, relaxed feel.
- Pros: A short walk over the bridge to the old town, its own excellent bars, an easy beach for surfing and sunset strolls, and on the same side of the river as the main Renfe station (Estación del Norte) and the bus station next to it, a short walk south along the Urumea.
- Cons: Zurriola is surf-exposed and less sheltered for swimming than La Concha, and a few streets can be noisy on weekend nights.
Good for: travellers arriving by train or bus, surfers, and anyone who wants to eat out without staying in the tourist core. See our guide to where to eat in San Sebastián for bars on both sides of the river.
Antiguo and Ondarreta
At the western end of the bay, Antiguo is a residential neighbourhood behind Ondarreta beach, close to the Miramar Palace, the funicular up Monte Igueldo and Eduardo Chillida's Peine del Viento sculptures on the rocks.
- Pros: Calm, family-friendly and green, with a sheltered beach that is often a little less crowded than La Concha. The walk to the old town along the bay is one of the nicest in Spain.
- Cons: It is a 30 to 40 minute walk, or a bus ride, to the old town, so late nights out mean a taxi or a long stroll home. Fewer bars and restaurants of its own.
Good for: families, longer stays, and anyone who prefers a quiet base and a beach on the doorstep.
Amara and other options
Amara, south of the Centro, is a mostly residential area with apartment blocks, local shops and the city's football stadium at Anoeta. It is often better value, and still 15 to 25 minutes on foot from the beach and old town. Stays further out can work if you have a car, but city-centre parking is limited and expensive.
Booking tips
- Book early for July, August, Semana Grande, the film festival in late September and summer weekends; good rooms in the Centro and Parte Vieja go months ahead. See the best time to visit for the festival calendar.
- Apartments: San Sebastián tightly regulates tourist flats, and legal ones must be registered with the Basque tourism authorities, so book only listings that show an official registration number.
- Tourist tax: the three Basque provinces are bringing in a tax on overnight stays, planned to apply from 1 January 2027 (Orain). Rates may still change, so check with your accommodation.
- Getting in: for arriving by train, bus or from Bilbao and Biarritz airports, see getting to San Sebastián.
For what to do once you are settled, see our San Sebastián travel guide.
Staying connected
Finding your apartment in the old town's narrow streets, messaging your host about key collection and checking bus times back from Ondarreta all need mobile data. A data eSIM for Spain gives you local data from the moment you arrive without removing your own SIM, so your usual number stays active. You can install it at home before you travel.