San Sebastian

Description

Also known as Donostia-San Sebastián, the city of San Sebastián stretches across an area of over 60 square kilometres and is home to a population of nearly 200,000 inhabitants. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Spain due to the numerous events and festivals that are celebrated in the city. Noteworthy cultural events and festivals include San Sebastián Day, Semana Grande/Aste Nagusia, Basque Week, Santa Ageda Bezpera, Caldereros, Santo Tomas and Olentzero. Most of these festivals have been celebrated by locals for well over a hundred years. 

In terms of history, San Sebastián has a lot to offer. The first traces of people in San Sebastián date back to pre-historic times - around 24,000 to 22,000 BC - when artefacts such as stone knives were discovered. There is also a lot of history during the periods of the Ancient Age, Middle Age and Modern Age. 

San Sebastián also boasts some of the best beaches in the country and attracts surfers from around the world. In addition to its pristine beaches, other key attractions in San Sebastián include the El paseo Nuevo, La Catedral del Buen Pastor, La parte vieja, El Peine del Viento, El Monte Igueldo, El Monte Urgull, El Aquarium, El Museo de San Telmo, Palacio Miramar and Ayuntamiento de San Sebastián. The city itself is divided into the Old Town (Parte Vieja), Gros, Centro and Aiete.

Nearby Airports

The San Sebastián Airport is the main airport serving the city of San Sebastián. The small airport is located in municipality of Hondarribia - about 20 kilometres away from the main city centre - and serves domestic flights, especially to Madrid. The other airports that are in relatively close proximity to San Sebastián are the Biarritz Airport (located 50 kilometres away in France), the Bilbao Airport (located 100 kilometres away) and the Vitoria Airport (located 114 kilometres away).

Halal Restaurants

Though access to Halal food and Halal restaurants within San Sebastián city itself is somewhat limited, a number of Halal restaurants are available in the near-by cities of Bilbao and Vitoria. Doner Kebab Lal Ali is a popular Halal-certified fast food chain and offers several outlets scattered across Basque Country. Bienvenidos and Kashy Doner Kebab are two other popular Halal restaurants in Basque Country.

Mosques

A few mosques are located in the city of San Sebastián. Masjid De Renteria is amongst the well-known mosques in the area and is located at Gipuzkoa, Errenteria. Locals in the area would be more than glad to offer directions on how to get to the nearest mosque.

Things to Do and See in San Sebastián

• El paseo Nuevo
• La Catedral del Buen Pastor
• La parte vieja
• El Peine del Viento
• El Monte Igueldo
• El Monte Urgull
• El Aquarium
• El Museo de San Telmo
• Palacio Miramar
• Ayuntamiento de San Sebastián