A Life Well Traveled

People come to San Sebastián to eat, and for good reason. The city has one of the strongest food cultures in the world, from hole-in-the-wall pintxos bars packed into the Old Town to incredible Michelin-starred restaurants throughout San Sebastián, or Donostia as the locals call it. What surprised me most, though, was how easy it was to enjoy all of that with kids.

There was never really a moment when we felt like we had to sacrifice what we wanted to do in order to make the trip fun for the boys. We could spend the morning walking along La Concha, take them up Monte Igueldo, stop for pintxos, spend the afternoon at the beach, and still have time to wander the Old Town before dinner. The city is easy to navigate, incredibly walkable, and almost everything we wanted to do felt accessible with kids.

Where We Stayed

We stayed at Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra, right across from La Concha Beach, and the location was probably the best part.

The rooms are beautiful and spacious, and ours looked right out onto the water. Being directly on the promenade also meant we could walk almost everywhere and go back and forth to the beach whenever we wanted without packing for an entire beach day.

We had breakfast at the hotel every morning, which was another huge help with the kids. Starting the day with everyone fed before we walked out the door made things so much easier.

Getting There + Getting Around

We came to San Sebastián from Bilbao and arranged a private transfer through our hotel in Bilbao. It was about $300, and with two kids, luggage, and a stroller, it was absolutely worth it.

If you are flying into Bilbao Airport and heading straight to San Sebastián, the drive is about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. With kids, I would definitely consider a private transfer. They pick you up right at the airport, help with your luggage, and take you straight to the hotel. After flying with kids, sometimes paying for convenience is worth every penny.

Once you are in San Sebastián, though, you do not need a car. The city is extremely walkable. We walked along the entire promenade, through the Old Town, over toward Monte Igueldo, and basically everywhere we wanted to go.

You are also close enough to the French Basque Country for an easy day trip. We did not do it this time, but I crossed over while studying abroad and loved it. If you decide to go, bring your passports.

La Concha Beach

One of the best parts about staying right on La Concha was that the beach never had to be a planned activity.

Some mornings we went after breakfast, and other days we would take a swim after lunch. The beach stretches along the promenade with access points throughout the city, so it is incredibly easy to work into the day.

Our older son loved walking up and down the shoreline collecting shells and trying to catch little fish. Our youngest was perfectly happy swimming and relaxing in the water. The water was surprisingly warm and really comfortable, especially with younger kids.

In the afternoons, when the tide comes in, the water moves much farther up the beach, creating small shallow areas near the rocks and seawall where kids play forever.

And the tide really does come in.

The first time some older Donostiarras started moving our towels and bags farther up the beach, we honestly thought they were trying to take our stuff. They were actually helping us before the water reached everything. After a few days, we felt much more comfortable bringing our phones and belongings down with us because people genuinely seemed to look out for one another.

The beach also stays busy late. Since it does not get dark until late in the summer, families are still swimming, talking, and hanging out on the sand well into the evening.

We also liked walking toward Ondarreta Beach, closer to Monte Igueldo. It was quieter, had tons of shells, and was a nice place to wander with the boys.

Monte Igueldo

Monte Igueldo was one of the boys’ favorite things we did.

You take the funicular up, which already feels like an attraction when you are little, and at the top is this cute, old-fashioned amusement park overlooking the city.

There are bumper cars, little bumper boats, candy stands, and rides for younger kids. There is also a really cool boat ride that goes right along the edge of the cliff.

Then there is the roller coaster. It is WAY faster than it looks, lol. Also, no seatbelts, so brace yourself. Our youngest was completely shocked.

That slightly old-school amusement park feel is what makes it so fun. It is not a giant theme park that takes over your entire day. We could spend the morning there, let the boys ride everything, grab something quick to eat, take in the view over La Concha, and still have time for lunch and the beach afterward.

Bring water and fans in the summer because it gets hot up there. It is also stroller-friendly, including the funicular. There is a designated area where you can sit with the stroller.

More Things to Do with Kids

You really do not need to over-plan San Sebastián because there are little things for kids everywhere.

A few easy things to work into your trip:

• San Sebastián Aquarium
• Walk around the marina and look at the boats
• Ride the carousel
• Stop at the playgrounds throughout the city
• Take a boat ride around La Concha Bay
• Explore the Old Town
• Walk the promenade
• Get an ice pop at Loco Polo

The aquarium is right near the harbor, so it is easy to combine with walking around the marina and Old Town. It is also a good option if you need a break from the beach or happen to get a rainy day.

The area around the marina was fun for the boys on its own, with boats everywhere. There is also a cute merry-go-round and plenty of playgrounds around the city, so we could stop and let them play without having to plan a separate activity.

For something sweet, Loco Polo was a huge hit. They have ice pops that you can dip in chocolate and cover with different toppings. The Nutella one was ridiculous. The boys loved picking theirs out, and honestly, so did we.

Shopping in San Sebastián

I knew the food culture in San Sebastián was top-notch, but I had no idea that the shopping was almost equally as great.

There are so many great women’s boutiques, and my favorite was Minük Donosti. The two women working there literally pulled me in while the boys were outside eating ice cream and started dressing me in outfits.

They were giving me things I never would have picked on my own, and somehow everything worked. By the end, they felt like my new besties. I left with so many cute outfits and will definitely be placing another order for fall.

I also loved Amarenak, a Basque heritage store that takes traditional Basque clothing and gives it a more modern feel. I bought the cutest shoes there, but I also loved hearing the story behind the shop and learning about the pieces they sell. It felt like shopping and getting a little lesson in Basque culture at the same time.

There was also a festival going on while we were there, which made the city more crowded but really fun. There was music, events, people dressed up, and lots of blue-and-white plaid pañuelos. I love when you happen to be somewhere during something local like that because you get to see a completely different side of the city.

Eating in San Sebastián with Kids

We had breakfast at the hotel every morning, which made things really easy, and then usually kept lunch pretty casual.

Lunch is a big meal in Spain, but for us it was more often a sandwich, pizza, or something easy and handheld with the kids. And yes, we went to Burger King once while doing laundry. We were in a pickle and sometimes that is just traveling with kids.

We also learned to stretch lunch a little later and keep snacks with us because dinner in San Sebastián does not really get going until 8 or 9 PM. A lot of restaurants are not even open before then.

Some of our favorite spots were Casa Gandarias, Ganbara, Casa Urola, La Viña, and the restaurants around Plaza de la Constitución.

We went back to Casa Gandarias several times. The artichokes were some of the best we had, and we also ordered the smaller portion of txuleta from the menu. Steak in Spain is usually priced by weight and portions can get very big very quickly, so you definitely do not need to order the largest one.

Ganbara was another favorite and one of Anthony Bourdain’s well-known San Sebastián stops. The txuleta was great, but we also loved the beef cheek and oxtail with bone marrow.

We tried to get into Bar Nestor, especially for their famous txuleta, but the line was outrageous. Waiting that long with two kids just was not working for us, so that one will have to be next time.

We also ate around Plaza de la Constitución a few times and loved it. We had lunch at Plaza Berri Taberna, but this is one of those areas where you can just sit outside, order a few things, and bounce around. It was easy with the boys and felt much more relaxed than committing to a long lunch.

For my birthday, we ate at the famous, Michelin-starred Casa Urola, and somehow it all worked out perfectly. We did not have a reservation, but we stopped by the bar that afternoon and, by the grace of God, they happened to have an opening for us that night.

We had the Txangurro a la “donostiarra” (Spider crab “Donostiarra” style), Chuleta de vaca nacional “Premium” a la parrilla Matadero de Bandeira (the popular Txuleta steak), the Pulpa Parilla (Grilled octopus, roast potatoes, green beans cream, Iberian bacon and paprika emulsion), and the Torilla, a French-toast-style dessert that was the best dessert we’ve ever eaten. good. 

Basque Cheesecake + Coffee

Obviously, you cannot go to San Sebastián without eating Basque cheesecake.

La Viña is the famous one, and my husband would absolutely say it was the best cheesecake we had. Get a slice and a glass of txakoli and watch them pour the wine from way above the glass.

We also liked BASSK Cheesecakers, which is more of an easy grab-and-go cheesecake stop. Different experience, still really good.

Coffee is another thing worth knowing before you go. You can get good coffee almost anywhere, but iced coffee is not ordered the way it is at home.

If you order coffee with ice, you will usually get hot coffee and a separate glass with ice to pour it over yourself. Know what you want before you get to the counter because ordering coffee in Spain is its own experience. I go into that more in my guide to ordering coffee in Spain.

How We Planned Our Days

We did not plan every hour, and I think that is one of the reasons San Sebastián worked so well for us.

Most days were some version of breakfast, walking around, one main activity, a later lunch, beach time or a rest, and dinner.

Sometimes the main activity was Monte Igueldo or the aquarium. Other days it was just walking, shopping, stopping at a playground, looking at boats, or ending up at the beach.

That is the best part about San Sebastián with kids. You can still have the food-focused trip you want, but there is always somewhere for them to swim, run around, explore, or just be kids.

Part of my heart has always been in San Sebastián, and getting to come back and experience it with my boys made me love it in a completely different way. Seeing them swim in La Concha, run around the Old Town, and find their own little favorite parts of a place that has meant so much to me was really special. It felt like sharing a piece of myself with them.