10 Things to Do in San Sebastian in Winter

San Sebastian, also called Donostia, is a city located in the Spanish Basque Country. This tourist city in the Bay of Biscay is a very appreciated destination thanks to its beautiful beaches, its coastline and its world famous restaurants. Visiting during the winter is one of the best things to do in San Sebastian, because it is the best time to get into the San Sebastian culture.

From December to the beginning of March, this city is full of traditional events and celebrations that are worth experiencing. From the saints' fairs to the carnival, the cobblestone streets of San Sebastian are filled with music, dance and joy. What are you waiting for to experience an unforgettable vacation in this coastal city?

The winter solstice begins on December 21 every year, but San Sebastian also celebrates the Santo Tomás Fair. This festival has been celebrated since the 19th century and turns almost the entire city into a rural market where the chistorra steals the show. If you come at this time you can visit the different stalls of products, food, handicrafts and much more.

In the feast of St. Thomas is remembered the time when the landlords used to go down to the village to pay their annual tribute. The payment was not made with money, but with what they produced in the fields. That is why nowadays there is a tournament of farm animals, vegetables and vegetables produced in San Sebastian.

The meeting point of this fair is the Plaza de la Constitución. In addition to the tournament, there you will find many food stands with fire pits and people cooking. You will see how the corn dough is prepared to make the buns and cakes that will accompany the chistorra.

To liven up this whole scenario, you will hear a musical background of instruments such as the tamboril, the dulzaina, the txistu, among others. You will see that everyone dances to the rhythm of this music and some people are even dressed in old clothes, wearing openwork berets or headscarves. You will have an amazing day at this fair!

Among the traditions that San Sebastian has to bid farewell to the old year is its San Silvestre race of approximately eight kilometers. This event is international and is celebrated in different cities around the world. Around 4 thousand athletes participate in San Sebastian every year and it is held on December 31 of each year.

If you wish to participate in the San Silvestre race you can register online. Registration has an average cost of 15 €. At the end of the race the first five participants to reach the finish line can win a prize.

The race usually starts in the afternoon, approximately at four o'clock in the afternoon in the Plaza Easo. Competitors run through the streets passing through San Martín, Miraconcha, Satrustegi street, Eduardo Chillida, Ondarreta and La Concha promenades, Parte Vieja until returning to Plaza Easo.

If you are not interested in participating as an athlete, you can meet in the streets where the competitors will pass. As it is a very popular race, the people of San Sebastian usually gather to cheer the runners on.

During December you can visit the Gabonetako Azoka Christmas Market in San Sebastian. This takes place on the Paseo de Urumea and extends to the Plaza Santa Catalina. The whole atmosphere is decorated with beautiful Christmas lights and decorations. Throughout the market you will see up to 40 stalls to buy food, handicrafts, toys and much more!

This market is open until January 6th, so you have plenty of time during the winter to visit it. In addition to the occasional shopping spree, you can also enjoy theater performances, workshops and contests. You can also enjoy attractions such as the Big Wheel and the toboggan run.

This is a family-friendly environment where children can participate in activities such as magic shows, clowns and storytelling. As for music, the market has a musical background with local groups and micro-concerts are offered throughout the weeks. This type of market is a tradition in Europe, so if you come to San Sebastian you can take advantage and see one of the best of its kind.

The Tamborrada is perhaps the most noisy festival not only in San Sebastian, but in the whole country. It takes place every January 20th at midnight with a crowd of people gathered in the Plaza de la Constitución. At this site the mayor is in charge of raising the flag of San Sebastian to start 24 hours of celebration to the rhythm of drums.

The music is played by the members of the Gaztelubide society and other tamborradas to start the March of San Sebastian. The tamborradas are divided into two groups. The first is called the tamborreros, who play the drum and dress in the uniform of the army of the Napoleonic years. The second group, the cooks and water carriers, play the barrel and the horseshoe. Other groups are the gastadores, cantineras and abanderados.

During the day, children's bands also participate in the children's tamborrada and make a short route. During the celebration also participates the mayor and awards such as the Tambor de Oro and the Medals of Merit Citizen of San Sebastian. All this celebration is done in honor of San Sebastian, the patron saint of the city. In fact, for some it is the most anticipated celebration of the year.

If you are in San Sebastian during January 20 you will be able to get into the festive spirit and see all the traditions of this day. Be prepared with a camera or your smart phone to preserve the beautiful memories of the dolphins you will see. No matter what neighborhood you are staying in, the tamborradas go all over the city!

Traveller Tip
If you want to be at this celebration from midnight, be prepared with warm clothes and meet up with the locals to kick off this festivity. Book a cab to your hotel room to ensure your safe return to your accommodation.

January 5th is another of the most awaited days in San Sebastian. Not only children get excited with this celebration, but also adults. During this day the Three Kings Parade is celebrated at six o'clock in the evening. In this event the kings Gaspar, Melchor and Balthazar parade through the streets of San Sebastian.

Three people disguised as the wise men go through the center of the city accompanied by firefighters, a tourist train and a herd of animals. Some of the places they pass through are Urbieta Street, Hernani, Prim, Bergara and Gipuzkoa Square until they reach the boulevard of San Sebastian.

Along the way they hand out candy to everyone they meet. Children can deliver their letters to the kings before the parade. If you go to San Sebastian on this date, be sure to go to one of the streets to receive your candy and take beautiful pictures of this event.

From January until April you can enjoy the cider season in the Basque Country. After the apples have gone through a process of selection, washing, pressing and must extraction, they are deposited in wooden barrels for maceration. In January this liquid is ready to be tasted.

If you want to live the tradition, I invite you to go to a cider house in San Sebastian and drink this drink directly from one of its barrels. I recommend you to visit the Txirrita Sagardotegia Sidreria, located in the center of the city. In restaurants like these you can accompany your cider with a cod omelette, Idiazabal cheese with walnuts, among other dishes.

I also recommend you take a gastronomic tour of San Sebastian and visit as many cider houses as possible. If on one of your visits you hear someone shouting "txotx", don't panic, it's the signal to let everyone know that a new barrel of cider has been opened.

Carnival in Donostia is one of the celebrations you should not miss. In San Sebastian there are comparsas full of costumes, dances and music that go around the city. The celebrations take place at the end of February, but the dates always vary from year to year. The parades are organized in several circuits so that they can go around the city during the weekend.

The comparsas that parade every year are organized groups that prepare for this event. They all compete to be the best comparsa of the year or for the Grand Prize of Humor. There are also contests to choose the king momo. All these events are organized by the public business entity Donostia Kultura.

The carnival celebration ends with the burial of the sardine. This event usually takes place in the center of San Sebastian. During the burial a mourning procession mourns the herring. Finally it is enlivened by the music played by the charangas.

You can visit San Sebastian at the end of February to see all this spectacle. Join the celebration together with the inhabitants of this city by dressing up too. You can also just go out on the days of the comparsas to party and dance to the music. Take as many pictures as you can! This is the most colorful event of the year.

The festival of the Caldereros is a beloved tradition in Donostia and other cities of the Basque Country. This event usually takes place in mid-February and consists of several parades. Many people dress up and act like the Hungarian gypsies who used to sell their products during carnivals.

This tradition announces the arrival of carnivals and at the same time is a tribute to the gypsies. When they visited the city, they did so with gypsies who entertained the public in the streets. Their parade was accompanied by music and dances.

If you visit San Sebastian during this time, you will have the opportunity to listen to the famous compositions of Raimundo Sarriegui. The instruments used are most curious. You will see people playing cauldrons, hammers, peroles and much more. You will also see the queen and two men disguised as women representing their ladies and other people in exotic costumes.

If you want to try the best pintxos in San Sebastian, winter can be a good season to do so. You can visit several restaurants to try this typical dish that you should not miss when you visit this city. Accompany your dish with a good wine and enjoy all the incredible flavors of Donostia.

To try the pintxos you should visit the emblematic restaurant Goiz-Argi, Casa Urola or the restaurant La Cuchara de San Telmo. If you also want to learn how to cook this recipe, you can take an excursion that includes tasting and a class with a local chef.

In January, as I mentioned before, the cider season starts, so on your food tour you can try this typical drink along with some pintxos. However, wine is the traditional drink of that dish. You can also try typical desserts such as pantxineta.

An activity that suits San Sebastian's winter very well is a tour of the city's museums. These are closed places where you can spend a nice time even if it is a cold or rainy day. In Donostia you can find many museums with different themes, so I am sure you will find one that captures your attention.

One of these is the Eureka! Zientzia Museoa an ideal museum if you want to learn something new, especially if you are traveling with children. You can see exhibits on science and animal life. If you are interested in how historical ships were built, you should visit the Albaola La Factoría Marítima Vasca.

On the other hand, if you would like an outdoor activity but still want to see works of art, I recommend you to visit the Chillida Leku Museum. There you can see how the museum's works blend with nature. Even their sculptures are integrated with the landscape. The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao of contemporary art is another very good option, but to visit it you must make an excursion from San Sebastian to Bilbao, which can take you half a day.

Plan your visits to the museums in one day or at least visit one every day. Entrance fees are inexpensive and some are even free. You will have no excuses for having a great time in San Sebastian.

Winter in San Sebastian offers a pleasant climate but colder than the rest of the year. Temperatures are always between 8 and 12 °C, although it will depend on the time of year, because sometimes it can go down. This allows its inhabitants and tourists to stroll quietly through the streets and enjoy all the cultural events that occur in winter.

Rains are also present during the winter, but not very often. Keep in mind that humidity during December, January and February is usually higher. At the beginning of March it starts to decrease. Days are shorter, so nights are a bit longer.

The influx of tourists in San Sebastian usually decreases during the winter, especially at the end of December and during the month of January. That is why in this season the prices of accommodation, tourist attractions and even food tend to go down a bit. If you want to experience San Sebastian without crowds and at a good price, then this is the best season for you.

The average price for a hotel room in San Sebastian during the winter is around 50 €. However, there are possibilities to find cheaper prices, especially if you choose to visit San Sebastian in January or February, the months with less tourist influx. Are you going to leave all those comforts for just a little bit of cold?

Winter in San Sebastian is not too harsh, but it is always advisable to pack warm clothes. I recommend you to bring a sweater to keep warm, especially if you plan to go out at night. Also an overcoat will be important, although you won't use it all the time. Bring whatever is easiest to store in your suitcase.

On the other hand, as you may have noticed, many of the winter activities are outdoors. There are many parades, so if you want to follow them and enjoy all the joy of the celebrations, I recommend you to wear comfortable shoes. This will allow you to move around without getting too tired.