San Sebastián

A Favorite City Inside a Disjointed Trip

San Sebastián was supposed to begin simply.

We would fly from Columbus to Boston, continue overnight to Madrid and take one short final flight north. Instead, the last connection was delayed by more than eight hours. Waiting would have added roughly nine more hours to a travel day that had already crossed an ocean with two young children.

We rented a car at Madrid Airport and drove approximately four and a half hours to San Sebastián. By the time we reached the apartment, we were exhausted, late and already trying to solve a second problem: every checked item had been delayed.

The ordinary suitcases reached us gradually over the next day or two. The Osprey Poco Lite and Osprey Poco carriers did not. AirTags showed both sitting in a Barcelona baggage-storage area, even though Barcelona had never been part of our route. Repeated calls could not move them. Eventually, we changed the trip so we could retrieve them ourselves.

The disruptions made the stay feel less settled than it should have. Monte Igueldo Amusement Park, one of the main reasons we chose the city, was also unexpectedly closed. On our final full day, Preston had one of his hardest travel moments and the beach plan disappeared almost as soon as it began.

And still, San Sebastián became one of our favorite cities. La Concha placed a beautiful beach at the edge of everyday city life. The carousel delighted Preston. Pintxos made the food feel like an experience without requiring one formal meal. Parks, architecture and a remarkable apartment gave every day another way to work.

That is the clearest measure of the destination: the trip around it was complicated, but the place itself never felt like the problem. San Sebastián delivered the adult-and-child balance we had hoped to find, and it earned a place among the cities we most want to revisit.

The disruptions complicated the visit. They never diminished the destination.

Why San Sebastián Rose to the Top

Beach Town and City in the Same Place

We knew we wanted Spain in the larger itinerary, but we had not begun with one fixed city. Sevilla was high on our list. Late-May heat made us reconsider whether it was the right fit for this version of the trip with a preschooler and a 15-month-old.

San Sebastián offered a different combination: a coastal place with real city energy and resources. We could picture beach time without giving up architecture, restaurants, parks or the ease of walking through an active center.

Food and Family Appeal Completed the Decision

The food reputation mattered. We wanted to experience pintxos in a place known for them, but we also needed a destination where the boys would have experiences that belonged to them. The carousel and the historic amusement park helped make the case.

Monte Igueldo Amusement Park was unexpectedly closed during our stay. We learned that from our Airbnb host when she met us at the apartment. Its last open day was apparently our arrival day, and the Madrid delay eliminated even the narrow possibility of going then.

Missing one of our highest priorities was disappointing. It also revealed that the city did not depend on one attraction to work for us. Beaches, the carousel, parks, food and ordinary walks still gave the family more than enough.

The Arrival Day That Changed the Plan

Choosing the Drive Over the Delay

The planned Madrid connection was delayed by more than eight hours. With the eventual flight added, we were looking at roughly nine and a half additional hours before reaching San Sebastián. The drive was approximately four and a half hours.

We secured a one-day Enterprise rental at Madrid Airport and drove north. It was not the arrival we had planned, but it was the most workable choice available with two tired kids.

Everything We Checked Was Missing

This was our first family trip checking the main luggage. Work had been especially busy before departure, and I had not had the bandwidth to edit our packing down to the usual carry-on-only version.

Our carry-ons held one change of clothes for me and the boys and a handful of diapers. They did not hold toiletries. One of our first stops was the store near the apartment, where we bought toothbrushes, deodorant, lotions and other basics.

That evening, I drove to the San Sebastián airport hoping to collect the luggage and returned the Enterprise car so we would not pay beyond the one-day rental. None of the bags had arrived. I took a taxi or rideshare back to the apartment.

We kept the rest of the arrival simple with food and ice cream near the apartment. We do not remember the names, so we would leave them unnamed rather than turn an uncertain detail into a recommendation.

The Apartment We Would Book Again Without Hesitation

The Airbnb listing appeared as “Beachfront Views, Air Conditioning and Free Parking,” a rental unit in Donostia-San Sebastián. It sat directly across from Zurriola Beach, high enough that the back windows and outdoor patio looked over the water and the surfers below.

The apartment had approximately three bedrooms and two bathrooms, a full kitchen, living and dining areas, laundry and a small elevator to the second floor. Preston had his own room. Avery slept in a pack-and-play in another room. Everyone had enough separation to rest.

The layout would have made the property valuable under ordinary circumstances. During the luggage problem, it became essential. We could wash the limited clothing we had, buy basics nearby, let the boys nap in separate rooms and manage phone calls with the airline without placing the whole family in one hotel room.

A View That Changed the Feel of the Stay

The view was the apartment's defining feature. We could watch people surf throughout the day, see the water change from the patio and end an ordinary dinner night with one of the most beautiful sunsets we have photographed from a vacation rental.

If the apartment were available and the host would have us, we would stay there again. The location, space, sleep setup and view made it one of the best rentals our family has used.

Pastries, Pintxos and the Carousel

A Sweet Start at Oiartzun

Our first full day began at Pastelería Oiartzun, where we chose pastries and, in particular, chocolate croissants. From there, we walked through the Old Town and toward Alderdi Eder Parkea.

The Carousel at the Edge of La Concha

The boys played while we waited for the carousel to open. Once it did, Preston persuaded us to buy more than one ride.

The carousel was one of the most beautiful we have encountered while traveling. Its appeal came from more than the ride itself. La Concha Beach, the promenade, gardens and historic buildings all sat around it, turning one child's activity into a scene that captured the city.

Our First Pintxos Afternoon

That afternoon, we moved between pintxos bars rather than treating lunch as one fixed reservation. Baztan Pintxos & Bar and Atari Gastroleku are the two stops we remember most clearly. The food lived up to the reputation that had helped bring us to San Sebastián.

By late afternoon or early evening, we were back at the carousel. Dinner followed at Bar Ambrosio in Plaza de la Constitución, the central square in the Old Town.

The day held the exact mix we had hoped to find: food that interested us, a visually rich city to walk and one simple experience that Preston would have repeated indefinitely.

The Beach in the Middle of the City

A Solo Morning Reset

I woke before Kyle and the boys and used the quiet morning for a solo walk. I try to take one morning in many destinations to reset: a little time to breathe, clear my head and experience the place before the family's day begins.

The Txu-Txu Train Was Not a Universal Hit

Once everyone was awake, we took the blue-and-white Txu-Txu tourist train around the city. Preston was entertained for part of the ride. Avery quickly decided he was finished with it, which made the outing more difficult but we managed.

Both boys were tired, so we returned to the apartment for naps. The separate bedrooms made that pause easy and gave the afternoon a chance to begin again.

Why La Concha Became the Favorite

That afternoon, we went to La Concha Beach. The boys spent more time in the sand than the water, simply because that was what they wanted on this trip.

For us, the remarkable part was the setting. The beach was broad and beautiful, but it did not sit apart from the destination. The city met its edge. Buildings, daily life and the promenade stayed present while the sand still felt expansive.

La Concha became our favorite San Sebastián experience because it delivered the combination we had chosen the city to find: a true beach day without leaving the city behind.

Burgers, Hummus and a Sunset at Home

Dinner was near the apartment at Mala Gissona Beer House. We enjoyed the burgers, and Preston found pita and hummus he liked. Back at the rental, the sunset over Zurriola gave us one of the strongest images from the entire trip.

When the Plan Became Helping One Child Reset

A Zurriola Beach Morning That Ended Quickly

On our final full day, we crossed the street to try Zurriola Beach. Preston was having one of the hardest moments he has had while traveling. He became inconsolable, and continuing the beach plan was no longer useful to anyone.

The apartment's location mattered immediately. We only had to walk back across the street to give him privacy, rest and time to calm down.

Slowing Down and Dividing the Day

After the family regrouped, we reduced the day's ambition. We found nearby parks and gave Preston room to move and play. The change helped him recover and allowed the stay to end on a much better note.

Kyle and I also divided responsibilities so we could meet each child's needs separately. That kept Avery's afternoon from being entirely shaped by his brother's difficult day and gave Preston more focused support.

Familiar Food as Part of the Reset

Preston had also struggled to find food he wanted. I chose places where I knew we had a reasonable chance of getting something into him. He ate tacos from Santo Remedio and later had pasta at La Raviolina.

This was not the final day we would have designed in advance. It was still a successful family-travel day because we stopped protecting the itinerary and started responding to the boys in front of us.

The Barcelona Detour We Had Not Planned

Leaving One Day Early to Solve the Luggage Problem

We had originally planned to remain in San Sebastián through May 30 and fly directly to Mallorca. The carriers were important enough for the next two weeks that we no longer trusted the delivery process to catch up with us.

AirTags continued to show the Osprey Poco Lite and Osprey Poco in Barcelona. We changed the flight to depart from Barcelona instead, rented a car and left San Sebastián around checkout on May 29. Waiting until late morning allowed us to preserve as much of the final day as possible.

Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona

We arrived in Barcelona late and stayed at Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona in the Family Suite. We booked the unexpected night with credit-card points.

The suite was exceptionally spacious — far more space than we needed for one night and the kind of setup we would recommend considering for a longer family stay. The comfort did not erase the inconvenience, but it made the detour easier to absorb.

Walking Directly to the Bags

On May 30, after a brief look at a city we had wanted to visit, we went to Barcelona-El Prat Airport. Using the AirTags, we were able to walk directly to the carriers and retrieve them ourselves.

The airline change did not add a flight-change fee. At the airport, the boys found an airplane-themed play area and had room to move before the direct flight to Mallorca. The detour was inconvenient, but it solved the problem and gave us a small, unexpected glimpse of Barcelona.

What We Ate

We do not have one favorite San Sebastián restaurant. The pintxos experience as a whole was the food memory that mattered most.

Pintxos Without One Formal Centerpiece

Moving between Baztan Pintxos & Bar and Atari Gastroleku allowed us to sample several small plates without asking the meal to stay in one place. The format suited the city and gave us the culinary experience we had come to find.

For travelers who care deeply about food, San Sebastián did not disappoint us. We would return ready to explore even more, but the limited stay still gave us a clear sense of why the destination's food reputation is so strong.

The Meals That Fit the Boys

Pastries at Oiartzun, pita and hummus at Mala Gissona, tacos at Santo Remedio and pasta at La Raviolina each solved a different moment. None was chosen from a master list of children's restaurants. They worked because they offered something familiar when the boys needed it.

Bar Ambrosio also benefited from its setting in Plaza de la Constitución. The square kept the meal connected to the Old Town rather than isolating dinner from the rest of the evening.

Traveling with a Preschooler and a 15-Month-Old

The Apartment Carried More of the Trip Than Expected

Separate bedrooms, laundry, a kitchen, an elevator and a store nearby were already helpful. Once the luggage was delayed, those features became the infrastructure of the stay.

Preston slept in his own room. Avery used a pack-and-play in another. Both boys slept well, and the apartment could absorb naps, laundry, a difficult morning and the repeated calls required to trace the missing carriers.

The City Offered Several Speeds

San Sebastián worked with the boys because it did not ask every hour to look the same. The carousel offered a clear child-centered experience. La Concha gave them sand and open space. Parks supported the final-day reset. The apartment made a full stop possible when continuing would have made the day worse.

Not Every Child-Focused Activity Worked

The Txu-Txu train held Preston's attention for a while and lost Avery's quickly. Monte Igueldo was closed. Zurriola never became the beach day we imagined. The destination still felt strong for families because there was always another workable version of the day.

What the Lost Luggage Changed for Us

Gate-Checking Did Not Mean Plane-Side Return

We gate-checked both carriers intending to use them through the Madrid airport upon our arrival. On many United States trips, we had understood that to mean collecting them beside the aircraft. On this route, they entered the regular baggage system without notice (we were assured they would arrive plane-side) and were expected at baggage claim. But, unfortunately, even at baggage claim, they were nowhere to be found. It seems, based on our hit-rate, that traveling to Europe especially, gate-check does not necessarily mean what it means at home even if your bags are properly tagged with the gate-check designation.

AirTags Turned Uncertainty Into a Location

We had an AirTag on every bag. That did not make the airline able to deliver the carriers, but it told us they were not lost in the abstract. They were sitting in a specific Barcelona storage area.

That information allowed us to make a deliberate choice: change the itinerary, go to Barcelona and retrieve the carriers ourselves. We could literally walk to them once we reached the airport.

What We Would Put in the Carry-On Now

One change of clothes and a few diapers helped, but we would protect more of the first 24 to 48 hours next time: toiletries, additional diapers, another clothing option for each child and any item that would be difficult to replace quickly.

AirTags are now essential travel companions for our family. They cannot solve the airline's process, but they can replace uncertainty with evidence and help us decide what to do next.

Two City Beaches, Two Very Different Memories

La Concha Was the Beach-City Promise Fulfilled

La Concha was our favorite overall experience. The weather was beautiful, the sand gave the boys the kind of beach time they wanted, and the sweep of the city around the bay made the setting feel unlike the beach destinations we usually choose.

Zurriola Was the View We Lived With

Zurriola shaped the stay from the apartment. We watched surfers, photographed the sunset and crossed the street expecting an easy final beach morning.

That morning did not work, but it did not change the value of the location. Being close enough to retreat immediately was one of the reasons the difficult moment stayed manageable.

The Better Beach Depends on the Day

Our experience does not make La Concha universally better or Zurriola a poor choice. La Concha held the beach day we loved. Zurriola gave the apartment its extraordinary view and gave us the quickest possible route home when the family needed one.

What worked for our family was not choosing one kind of beach. It was knowing what each beach day asked of us.

A Car for the Pivots, Not for the City

The One-Day Enterprise Rental Solved the Arrival

The first rental car existed because the flight delay made driving from Madrid the better option. We returned it on arrival night because San Sebastián itself did not require a car for the version of the stay we had planned.

Walking Connected the Main Experiences

From our apartment, we could walk to Zurriola, the Old Town, Alderdi Eder and La Concha. The city felt manageable without paying to keep a vehicle that would spend most of the stay parked.

The Second Rental Car Solved the Departure

The drive to Barcelona was not part of the original itinerary. It was the most direct way to reach the carriers and still continue to Mallorca the next day.

In both cases, the rental car was a response to a specific logistics problem. Neither rental changed our larger conclusion: San Sebastián is a city we would happily experience on foot.

The Stay Was Better Than Its Circumstances

The Luggage Problem Occupied Too Much Mental Space

This was the first time all of our checked belongings had failed to arrive. I was disappointed and frustrated, and the work of tracking the bags pulled attention away from the city.

Looking back, I would like another chance to experience San Sebastián without that pressure. The wish to redo the trip is not criticism of the destination. It is recognition that we were never fully free from the problem around it.

Missing Monte Igueldo Still Matters

The amusement park was one of the reasons we selected San Sebastián. Its closure remains the clearest unfinished piece and the first activity we would prioritize on a return.

One Hard Day Did Not Become the Whole Trip

Preston's final-day breakdown was real. So was the recovery. The nearby apartment, parks, divide-and-conquer afternoon and familiar food allowed us to meet the moment without treating it as evidence that travel with kids was failing.

Four Nights Were Enough, Even Though Five Would Have Been Better

Four nights gave us enough time to understand and enjoy San Sebastián. We would still have preferred the fifth night we originally planned, especially because the stay had already been disrupted. The shorter visit did not feel inadequate; it felt less settled.

What We Would Repeat and Change

What We Would Do Again

• Book the same Zurriola Beach apartment if it is available.
• Choose a home base with separate bedrooms, laundry, a kitchen and an elevator.
• Walk the Old Town, Alderdi Eder Parkea, the carousel and La Concha as one connected day.
• Build a pintxos afternoon around several small stops rather than one formal meal.
• Protect time for a full La Concha beach afternoon.
• Give one parent a quiet solo walk when the trip needs a mental reset.
• Return to the apartment for naps or a full stop when the boys' energy calls for it.
• Use parks and familiar food as legitimate ways to recover a difficult day.
• Place AirTags on every checked item.
• Keep enough toiletries, diapers and clothing in carry-ons for at least the first day or two.

What We Would Change

The first change is outside the itinerary: carry more essentials in the cabin and prepare for gate-checked equipment to enter the regular baggage system.

Inside San Sebastián, the priority would be Monte Igueldo Amusement Park. We would also welcome a less fragmented stay — not necessarily longer than five nights, but freer from repeated airport trips and luggage calls.

Who Is This Trip For?

Our version of San Sebastián may fit families who want a destination that feels rewarding for adults and kids at the same time: exceptional food, distinctive architecture, a walkable center, parks, a carousel and beaches that belong to the city rather than sitting outside it.

It may be especially appealing to families who prefer an apartment base and do not want every day organized around a resort. Travelers seeking guaranteed heat, a beach-only rhythm or a full amusement-park schedule should check current conditions and opening dates carefully.

Why We Would Return

San Sebastián ranks among the best cities our family has visited and among the places we most want to see again.

The return would not be an attempt to correct a destination that disappointed us. It would be a chance to experience a city we already loved without the luggage problem pulling at every day, and to finally reach Monte Igueldo.

We would stay in the same apartment, return to La Concha, give pintxos more time and let the carousel remain part of the trip even if the boys had technically outgrown needing several rides.

San Sebastián completely delivered the beach-city-food combination that drew us there. For families looking for a place that feels both adult and child-focused, it would sit very high on our recommendation list.

We went looking for a beach town with city energy. San Sebastián gave us both — and became a favorite anyway.

What San Sebastián Left With Us

Some destinations become favorites because the trip unfolds almost exactly as planned. San Sebastián became a favorite while the plan kept changing.

We arrived by road instead of air. We bought toiletries instead of unpacking. We learned the amusement park was closed. We spent part of the stay tracing equipment that had somehow reached a city we were never supposed to visit.

The city kept offering something good anyway: chocolate croissants, repeated carousel rides, pintxos, sand at La Concha, a park when the beach stopped working and a sunset that filled the apartment windows.

That does not mean every disruption was secretly a gift. We were frustrated. We lost time. We changed the itinerary because the system around us had not solved the problem.

What stayed with us is simpler. A trip can feel disjointed and a destination can still fit. San Sebastián gave the adults the food and architecture we wanted, the boys space and experiences that were theirs, and all four of us a beach we would happily cross an ocean to see again.