Official UK partner to the Paradors, Pousadas, Pestana Hotels & Resorts,
Teritoria, and European Hotels Collection. Keytours International,
formerly Keytel International, your agent in the UK.
A popular tourist spot since the 19th century, the coastal city of San Sebastian has plenty to offer in terms of scenery, history, and culture.
The annual Jazzaldia Jazz festival is held on the third week of July in this beautiful Basque city. Established in 1966, it is the oldest jazz festival in Spain and one of the oldest in Europe and draws performers from across the world.
The Jazzaldia organizes nearly a hundred concerts, both free and paid, in dozens of indoor and outdoor venues. The most popular are those held at Zurriola Beach, Trinidad Square and the Kursaal terrace.
Originally a festival for amateur performers, today it attracts big names in the world of jazz and well-known musicians who have performed here include Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Dexter Gordon, Ray Charles, B.B. King, Diana Krall, Van Morrison, Liza Minnelli, Herbie Hancock, and Jamie Cullum.
Ticket prices usually vary between €14 - €44 per person depending on the concert and venue.
Keep up-to-date with the upcoming festival details on the event website here.
The Zinemaldia International Film Festival of San Sebastian is a film festival held annually in the month of September.
First established in 1953, this is one of the most prestigious internationally recognized film festivals in the world and attracts both home grown and international giants of the film industry. In previous years, the festival has been attended by big names such as Woody Allen, Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Pedro Almódovar, and Steven Spielberg to name but a few.
It has also hosted major film events such as the international premiere for Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo and the European premiere for Star Wars.
Each year in September San Sebastian hopes to draw in film lovers and tourists alike. The festival is a great opportunity to discover new European and international talent and see some of the best films of the upcoming year.
For more information on the Donostia Zinemaldia festival, you can check the official website here.
San Sebastián is the third largest city in the Basque Country, one of Spain's 17 autonomous communities, and one of its most distinctive with its unique language (Euskara) and strong sense of regional identity. The city itself is home to a beautiful coastline and the La Concha beach, overlooking the Bay of Biscay and the turtle-shaped island of Isla Santa Clara, offers a scenic setting, from which you can explore this wonderful metropolis.
The Basque Country has one of the highest concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants and San Sebastián has plenty of culinary offerings. Its coastal location means fresh fish and seafood are a given, and 'Pintxos' restaurants and bars are the most popular dining establishments, offering good value and variety. Pintxos are the tapas of this region, consisting of a small piece of bread topped with samplings of a variety of dishes, typically held together with a toothpick.
A city for culture seekers and nature lovers alike, San Sebastián offers plenty of opportunities to explore the Old Town, with its maze of historic streets and impressive Cathedral, on foot. For those looking for more active pursuits, the coastline offers plenty of opportunities for coastal and nature walks. You can enjoy particularly great views from Monte Igueldo and Monte Urgull.
The closest Paradors to San Sebastián are the historic fortress of the Parador de Hondarribia, located in a town of the same name just a 30-minute drive east of San Sebastián. You could also stay at the Parador de Argómaniz, located an hour's south of the city, close to the region's capital Vitoria-Gasteiz.
We also work with a range of good quality city centre hotels via Keytel S.A. and our European Hotels collection. Offering both high-end boutique hotels and well-located value options, we are sure to find the perfect hotel for your stay. There is even a tastefully-decorated cinema-themed hotel (Zinema 7) which ties in perfectly with the city's annual film festival.
For more information on the hotels we have in and around San Sebastián, please call our reservations team on 0207 199 6360.