San Sebastian Travel Guide

It is spectacularly located on the famous, shell-shaped Playa de la Concha Bay. San Sebastian (known as “Donostia” in the Basque language) is Spain’s most elegant and fashionable seaside resort. It attracts families for its pristine beaches and honeymooners for its countless romantic viewpoints. Above all, food lovers arrive in droves for its dazzling array of Michelin-starred eateries (there are more stars per capita in San Sebastian than in Paris) and creative tapas and pintxos bars. San Sebastian is a “must-see” destination for culinary tours of Northern Spain, not to mention a fascinating venue for world-renowned art, jazz, and film festivals (all of which attract celebrities; you can easily rub shoulders with Hollywood Elite at the town’s elegant hotels and restaurants during these festivals).

San Sebastian has long been adored by Spain’s aristocracy and monarchy, particularly in the 19th century, when beautiful Belle Époque palaces and hotels like the Maria Cristina were established. And yet, what we know today as a chic holiday resort began life as a small, nondescript fishing village of little note. Although historians have uncovered evidence of pre-roman settlement, its official history begins with the pre-roman tribe, the Varduli, who established the settlement shortly before the Roman invasion and occupation of Spain. The Romans controlled what was then known as Iberia from the 2nd century BC to the 5th Century AD. However, their Western civilization collapsed in the mid-5th century due to attacks from the Visigoths and other tribes from northern Europe.

After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the region languished in obscurity for centuries; little is known about San Sebastian’s fate until the 12th century. Although the Moors from North Africa invaded Spain in 711 and quickly subdued the population in Andalusia (southern Spain), provinces like the Basque country in northern Spain resisted conquest, and several territories remained independent from the Moorish territory of ‘Al-Andalus.’ We know that the kingdom of Navarra granted the town self-governing status in the late 12th century. King Sancho VI, the Navarre ruler, viewed San Sebastian with great interest, as the Playa de la Concha bay’s grand sweep was their only sea access.

Unfortunately, the territory was taken from the Kingdom of Navarra in 1200 after King Alfonso VIII of Castile annexed the region. However, Gascon-speaking immigrants from the nearby town of Bayonne settled in San Sebastian, and a thriving trade was built up with other European seaports. A thaw in relations between Castile and Navarra was also initiated in 1265, as a wedding pact involving both regions allowed Navarra access to the lucrative sea trade of San Sebastian. However, a tragedy would befall the town in 1489 when a devastating fire destroyed most of San Sebastian’s buildings and housing. From then on, the town’s residents constructed their buildings from stone rather than timber!

San Sebastian would see more conflict and political turmoil in the coming centuries. After the final fall of the Navarra Kingdom to the Castilians, San Sebastian became a province of the ancient Basque Region of Gipuzkoa. This period of history during the 16th century would see Spain enter many wars with France, Holland, and England under the rule of King Philip II. This European conflict took its toll on San Sebastian, and its prosperity and population declined. As a result, many fishermen took to pirating to survive and perhaps grow wealthy!

However, in the 17th century, some peace and stability returned to San Sebastian, and in 1656, the city was honored to host Maria Theresa of Spain and Louis XIV during their marriage in St-Jean-de-Luz on the Basque coast. Its population recovered, and the city’s fishing and trading industries again prospered. The good times continued into the 18th century despite a French attack on the city in 1721. In 1728, a company was founded to benefit from the influx of trade with South America. The wealth generated from this trading endeavor allowed many city improvements and new buildings to be created, including a new Church of Santa Maria.

The city’s fortunes declined in the 19th century as the inter-state conflict would engulf San Sebastian again. During the Peninsular War between Napoleon’s France and the allied powers of the UK, Spain, and Portugal, many famous battles were fought to take control of the Spanish Peninsular. Finally, in 1808, the French forces captured the city, which was subsequently retaken by Anglo-Portuguese troops three days later. After fighting to regain the territory, the arriving soldiers went on the rampage, pillaging and setting fire to the city. After this terrible event, the city was naturally rebuilt, and many improvements were made to San Sebastian’s elegant public buildings.

In the mid-19th century, domestic conflict escalated across Spain, with the various Carlist Wars engulfing the nation. The Carlists were a group who sought to restore an overthrown Monarchy in Spain. San Sebastian, after siding with the Republican liberals, was attacked by the Carlists, initially in 1875, who repeatedly shelled the town, killing the resident poet Bilintx in 1876. However, despite the wars of the 19th century, it was during this period that the initial signs of a thriving tourism industry began to develop in San Sebastian. The first casino was built in 1887, and the Spanish royal family started to visit the city regularly. By the close of the century, many elegant hotels and Art Nouveau buildings had been constructed, giving San Sebastian a glamour and renown equal to its French seaside cousin, Biarritz.

The 20th century would herald many changes, struggles, and upheavals for Spain, with San Sebastian often in the direct firing line. During the Spanish Civil War, fiercely pro-Republican San-Sebastian was captured by the Nationalists, who executed more than 380 citizens. Many fled to neighboring countries, draining the city’s workforce and lifeblood. After the Nationalists won the War, San-Sebastian was in a sorry state indeed, under-populated and poverty-stricken. It was not until after the end of the Second World War that the city’s economy started to recover in the 1950s.

After the death of Franco, Spain converted with surprising ease to democracy and has emerged as one of the most important cultural, economic, and political forces in Europe today. San Sebastian benefited enormously from becoming part of an autonomous region again, notwithstanding the political infighting between different parties in the 1970s and 80s within the Basque political arena. In the 1990s, major urban rejuvenation projects were undertaken, including the enlargement of the beachfront promenade, new university facilities, and public infrastructure improvements.

Despite the many hardships the city has endured over the last century, San Sebastian’s timeless appeal and glamour remain. For decades, it has held the proud title of Spain’s most famous resort destination, enticing visitors with its surfeit of culture, festivals, unspoiled beaches, and unrivaled gastronomic tradition. Part of its appeal lies in the Basques, who have maintained their language and culture over the decade and feel separate from their neighbors down south. Indeed, as locals will proudly tell you, you should not refer to this glorious city as San Sebastian but instead as Donostia, the jewel of the Spanish Basque coast!