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Coast Cities Plans
One of the things we look up before visiting a place is a list of local places of interest: restaurants, sights, typical products, the language spoken and so on. There are also destinations with peculiarities or interesting corners you'll want to get to know for yourself.
San Sebastián, the Basque film capital, is a holiday destination full of surprises, curiosities it's worth knowing about before you come so that you won't miss out on any of them.
Want to know some of the curiosities of our seaside provincial capital? Well, read on - they're sure to surprise you!
One of the symbols of the city is the century-old railings around La Concha bay and the little viewpoints of Miraconcha. A curious fact about them is that one section doesn't face the promenade but the beach - it's back to front!
Are you ready to look for it, or do you want a clue?
The little island off San Sebastián is home to a species of lizard that's quite different from the ones you see in the hills of the Basque Country. It's a sub-species that is only found on this spot. Did you know that?
A natural gem!
Whenever we talk about the capital of Gipuzkoa province, we mention 3 beaches: La Concha, La Zurriola and Ondarreta. But the fact is, San Sebastián has 4 beaches: little Santa Clara beach (it has the same name as the island) is the one that's always forgotten because it can only be seen at low tide.
Discover it!
Did you know that only one street remains of San Sebastián's Old Town? It's called 31 de Agosto, a date commemorated every year by the inhabitants, as on this day in the year 1813 the city was burnt and destroyed by Anglo-Portuguese troops. This street is the only one that survived the fire.
So on this date the lights are turned off for a moment at dusk and candles lit. Discover this emotional day.
Yes, you read right - in San Sebastián there's a church that has a supermarket in its basement. This is the church of Iesu, a modern building in a minimalist style that has a food shop and a customer car park in it.
Surprising or what?
In the old part of the city there's a square with a series of street lights laid out in the shape of the constellation known as the Great Bear. Also, on the ground there are coloured lines representing the trajectory of other stars.
Interesting, don't you think?
In a spot on the slopes of Monte Igeldo there's a replica in miniature of the Sanctuary church of Lourdes. It's a small altar with benches in front of it for people to visit.
On 11th February a mass is held in honour of Our Lady of Lourdes. Would you like to see this curious spot?
San Sebastián - or Donostia in Basque - is the city with the most Michelin stars per square kilometre in the world! The local hospitality trade is proud of how many stars it has compared to its population. Try it for yourself!
If you're thinking of visiting San Sebastián any time soon, keep this post and spot all the curiosities we've told you about!
