More than 15 million British tourists travel to Spain for a holiday every year and many of them visit one of the country’s famed beach resorts.
While many Brits head to the southern Costa del Sol region or the Balearic islands, Spain actually has some spectacular beaches on its northern coast.
I visited San Sebastian in Spain’s Basque region for a holiday and was lucky enough to spend time on one of the country’s best-rated beaches.
Playa de la Concha is Spain’s second-best rated beach on Tripadvisor. The crescent shaped beach sits in the heart of the Spanish city.
Translated as ‘shell’, la Concha was given its name due to its unique sea shell shape and sits in front of Santa Clara island.
I spent a couple of days chilling on Playa de la Concha and it’s easy to understand why the beach has won so many awards. Its shape means it’s fairly sheltered from the elements and it’s a great spot for swimming.
I loved swimming out to the pontoons in the water and relaxing on the golden sand. When you need a break from the beach, you’re so close to the city it’s easy to grab a snack or a drink.
San Sebastian has a few incredible ice-cream parlours so make sure to grab a scoop or two while you’re there.
If Playa de la Concha feels too crowded, Zurriola Beach is also easily reachable from the city centre. This beach is a little wilder and it’s very popular with surfers.
At 800m long, there’s plenty of space for sunbathing but swimmers may find the water is a little rough due to the big waves. Away from the beach, San Sebastian’s old town is a lovely place to while away the hours.
San Sebastian’s location on Spain’s northern coast does mean rain is fairly likely during the summer but luckily there are plenty of bars to shelter in.
