When is the best time to visit San Sebastián?

25.11.2024 - 20:03 / lonelyplanet.com

Nov 25, 2024 • 5 min read

The town of San Sebastián in Spain's Basque Country is one of the most postcard-perfect destinations in Europe, but you'll need to factor in the weather when you visit Spain's most famous foodie hub.

If you plan your trip based on Google Image searches, you may be daydreaming of sunny days on the city’s three gorgeous beaches, day trips to an island topped by a perfect little lighthouse, and lush greenery all around. The bad news? Rain is a fact of life in San Sebastián, with a gray drizzle falling on half the days of the year. The good news? The weather doesn’t really matter if you’ve come to eat and drink.

This corner of the Spanish coast has no clearly defined dry season, and while the summer months from June to September tend to be the best bet for beach weather, this is also the season when San Sebastián fills up with beach towels and tourists. For foodies, the quieter spring and fall months are easier times to find a table in the city's Michelin-starred restaurants. 

To make the most of your visit, take a second to reflect on your Basque bucket list. Are you here to bask on La Concha, hailed as one of Europe’s most beautiful beaches? Or are you more concerned with scoring a table at one of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants? Or perhaps you’d like to save some pennies, and experience some lively local festivals?

Read on to find out the best times to visit San Sebastián.

Let’s be honest, you’ve probably come to San Sebastián with a list of the top pintxos to try and the best places to eat. The true highlight list of this Basque Country city is its food, from small plates of tender braised beef cheek to gooey cheesecake and best-in-the-world grilled steaks.

Bars and restaurants take the odd week off here and there throughout the year, but the less busy months from March to May are a great time to get the restaurant reservations you've dreamed of. In fact, you can often walk in without a reservation, even at dining favorites such as Rekondo and Narru.

San Sebastián's pintxo bars – tiny, cozy watering holes with outsized delicious bites – are also much less crowded, which can greatly increase your snacking enjoyment (as well as the quantity of fizzy white txakoli wine consumed).

San Sebastián’s weather is nothing if not unpredictable. You can usually rely on one of the summer months to be a rainy mess, but the other three will usually be warm and sunny, with highs above 29°C (85°F). The problem is you never know which month will catch the showers.

While these are the sand and sun months, with beaches buzzing with lifeguards and cute striped tents for rent on the beachfront, prices skyrocket. As at other European beach hubs, the traffic and limited hotel and restaurant availability can