Playa de La Concha (La Concha Beach), San Sebastian (must see)
La Concha Beach has long been the showpiece of San Sebasti谩n, its name-鈥渢he shell鈥�-a perfect match for the bay鈥檚 sweeping curve framed by Mount Urgull, Mount Igeldo, and Santa Clara Island. Before it drew royalty and tourists, the sheltered waters served humbler purposes, offering a safe haven for fishermen and traders. The transformation from working bay to playground for the elite came in the 19th century.
In 1845 Queen Isabella II began spending her summers here, taking to the water on her doctors鈥� advice. Her presence, and later that of Queen Mar铆a Cristina, turned San Sebasti谩n into Spain鈥檚 summer capital. The city responded with flair: Belle 脡poque villas and hotels rose along the promenade, and La Concha quickly became the favored stage for Europe鈥檚 aristocracy, artists, and diplomats. High society dubbed it the 鈥淧earl of the Cantabrian Sea,鈥� a title the beach still wears without effort.
The shoreline stretches 4,270 feet in golden sand, though tides occasionally squeeze its width. Festivals have long filled it with life, none more so than the August 鈥淏ig Week,鈥� when fireworks competitions, regattas, parades, and Basque rural sports spill into the bay and beyond. From here, one can follow the rocky 鈥淧arrot鈥檚 Beak鈥� to Ondarreta Beach, take a boat to Santa Clara Island, or head straight out into the surf by canoe or sail.
Nearby landmarks enrich the setting: the sleek Nautical Club shaped like a moored vessel, the once-opulent Gran Casino, and the Alderdi Eder Gardens, where tamarisk trees shade bronze figures of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.
Today, La Concha is still the city鈥檚 emblem, a place where elegance lingers and daily life plays out against a backdrop of history and sea air. A walk here tells the whole story of San Sebasti谩n鈥檚 rise from fishing harbor to international resort.
In 1845 Queen Isabella II began spending her summers here, taking to the water on her doctors鈥� advice. Her presence, and later that of Queen Mar铆a Cristina, turned San Sebasti谩n into Spain鈥檚 summer capital. The city responded with flair: Belle 脡poque villas and hotels rose along the promenade, and La Concha quickly became the favored stage for Europe鈥檚 aristocracy, artists, and diplomats. High society dubbed it the 鈥淧earl of the Cantabrian Sea,鈥� a title the beach still wears without effort.
The shoreline stretches 4,270 feet in golden sand, though tides occasionally squeeze its width. Festivals have long filled it with life, none more so than the August 鈥淏ig Week,鈥� when fireworks competitions, regattas, parades, and Basque rural sports spill into the bay and beyond. From here, one can follow the rocky 鈥淧arrot鈥檚 Beak鈥� to Ondarreta Beach, take a boat to Santa Clara Island, or head straight out into the surf by canoe or sail.
Nearby landmarks enrich the setting: the sleek Nautical Club shaped like a moored vessel, the once-opulent Gran Casino, and the Alderdi Eder Gardens, where tamarisk trees shade bronze figures of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.
Today, La Concha is still the city鈥檚 emblem, a place where elegance lingers and daily life plays out against a backdrop of history and sea air. A walk here tells the whole story of San Sebasti谩n鈥檚 rise from fishing harbor to international resort.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in San Sebastian. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "911爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Playa de La Concha (La Concha Beach) on Map
Sight Name: Playa de La Concha (La Concha Beach)
Sight Location: San Sebastian, Spain (See walking tours in San Sebastian)
Sight Type: Park/Outdoor
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: San Sebastian, Spain (See walking tours in San Sebastian)
Sight Type: Park/Outdoor
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in San Sebastian, Spain
Create Your Own Walk in San Sebastian
Creating your own self-guided walk in San Sebastian is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
San Sebastian Introduction Walking Tour
After watching bulls run around in Pamplona, Ernest Hemingway took a relaxing trip up north. He enjoyed the calmness of the shoreline so much that he vividly described it in his novel The Sun Also Rises. The city that appealed to Hemingway was San Sebasti谩n-known in Basque as Donostia.
The city takes its name from Saint Sebastian, the early Christian martyr whose cult spread widely through... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
The city takes its name from Saint Sebastian, the early Christian martyr whose cult spread widely through... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Mount Urgull Walking Tour
Mount Urgull is a promontory stretching out at the eastern end of La Concha Bay, surrounded by water on all sides, except the one linking it to the Old Town of San Sebastian. Historically, this mount, rising 123 meters above sea level, served as a strategic defense point for the city, attesting to which now are the remnants of old fortifications with cannons still in place.
From its elevated... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
From its elevated... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles