What you can see on the San Sebastián webcams
At beach level the view runs straight out to sea, between Monte Igueldo on the left and Monte Urgull on the right, with Santa Clara island between them. From a hotel on the promenade the frame opens out over the whole curve of the sand, the mooring buoys and the houses of the harbour below Urgull. Another camera looks back the other way from the old-town end, across the beach towards the western hills. From the top of Igueldo the bay lies below you like a map, and a rooftop camera inland looks down the River Urumea to the sea. The 24-hour time-lapses let you watch the tide come and go.
La Concha webcam: the whole bay from the promenade
This camera sits high on the front of the Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra, on the promenade above La Concha, and looks north-west across the bay. The beach curves away in a near-perfect arc in front of it; on the left rises Monte Igueldo with the funfair buildings on its summit, in the middle the green hump of Santa Clara island guards the entrance, and on the right Monte Urgull drops to the houses of the old harbour.
It is the best view on this page for judging the day at a glance: how much sand the tide has left, how many people are walking the water's edge and whether the bay is glassy or ruffled by wind. The white mooring buoys show which way the tide is running.
San Sebastián from Monte Igueldo
From a restaurant terrace near the top of Monte Igueldo, at the western end of the bay, this camera looks east over the whole of San Sebastián. Santa Clara island sits in the foreground with its little jetty, Monte Urgull rises behind it, and the city spreads out to the right along the curve of La Concha, with the inland mountains behind.
This is the classic postcard view, and the image is a still picture refreshed through the day with the time printed in the corner. It is the one to look at for the weather: low cloud on the hills, haze over the city or a clear blue morning. On rough days you can see the swell breaking white around the rocks of the island and on the open sea to the left.
La Concha beach webcam: at sand level
Set low on the La Perla spa building, right on the sand in the middle of La Concha, this wide-angle camera looks straight out to sea. Monte Igueldo and its white villas fill the left edge, Santa Clara island sits in the centre of the bay's mouth, and Monte Urgull with the Parte Vieja at its foot closes the view on the right.
Because it is so close to the beach, it is the one to watch for the state of the water: the line of small breaking waves, the yachts at anchor and the sailing boats heading out between the island and the hills. Early in the morning the tractor tracks of the beach cleaners show up in the sand, and on a busy summer afternoon you can see the towels spreading out towards the water.
La Concha from the old-town end
This view comes from the rooftop terrace of a hotel at the harbour end of the bay, beside the old town, and looks south-west across La Concha. In the foreground is the white, ship-shaped building of the Real Club Náutico on its stilts, with a wooden walkway running out over the sand. Beyond, the beach sweeps round to Ondarreta and the hills at the far end, with the city's apartment blocks and church towers lining the promenade.
It is the reverse of the other seafront views, so it shows the stretch of beach nearest the old town and how far the water comes up at high tide. On a sunny afternoon the light falls from behind the camera and the water turns a clear turquoise.
San Sebastián webcam: down the River Urumea
From the roof terrace of a hotel in the city centre, this camera looks north down the River Urumea towards the sea. The river runs between stone embankments lined with trees and grand old apartment buildings, crossed by a series of bridges; in the distance Monte Urgull rises on the left of the river mouth, and a strip of open sea shows where the Urumea meets the Bay of Biscay beside Zurriola beach.
It is not a beach camera, but it gives a sense of the city and the weather: blue sky over the hill or rain rolling in from the sea. The time is printed in the top corner of the picture, which is refreshed through the day.
A bay sheltered by an island
Santa Clara and the two hills almost close the bay, which is why La Concha is usually calm while Zurriola, the open-sea beach on the far side of Urgull, is the city's surfing spot. La Concha is about 1,350 metres (0.8 miles) long, but the tide changes it completely: at high water on a big tide only a ribbon of sand is left below the white railings. At the western end of Ondarreta beach, Eduardo Chillida's steel sculptures, the Peine del Viento, are fixed into the rocks where the waves break, and a funicular climbs Igueldo to a viewpoint and an old-fashioned funfair.
When to watch San Sebastián
San Sebastián is one hour ahead of the UK and Ireland. The bay faces north, so the sun stays behind the cameras and lights the water all day, and summer evenings are bright until after 9.30pm. Summer on this coast is fresh rather than scorching, with the sea reaching about 20°C by late August. Autumn and winter storms throw big swell against Santa Clara.
Around San Sebastián
The French border at Irun and Hendaye is about 12 miles (20 km) east. Westwards, the coast road leads to Zarautz, Getaria and Zumaia, where the flysch cliffs of the Basque Coast Geopark begin.
Visiting San Sebastián
The old town, the Parte Vieja, is packed between Urgull and the beach, a short walk from the sand. Lifeguards watch La Concha and Ondarreta in season; on Zurriola, check the flags before swimming in the surf.
