Belle S. Says:
I’m very interested in retirement to San Sebastián, Spain; any information would help.
IL Executive Editor Jennifer Stevens Says:
Hi Belle,
San Sebastián is a great choice for a retirement destination. This stylish, seaside city on Spain’s north Atlantic coast—only about 10 minutes by car from the French border—is legendary for its charm.
A famed resort since the mid-1800s, when Spanish royalty and nobility chose it for their summer stays, San Sebastián (known as Donostia in Basque) boasts what is arguably one of the world’s most beautiful urban beachfronts. Here, curving golden-sand beaches like Playa de la Concha, with its long promenade, offer a feast for the eyes. Equally beautiful is the city itself, with its wide boulevards and frothy Belle Époque buildings, light and airy as meringue.
Unlike southern Spain, where most days are hot and sunny, northern Spain’s climate is more like that of the U.S.’s Pacific Northwest, or of England or Ireland. Many days here are cloudy, and those hills get their vibrant green from the usual source: lots of rain. Summers here are mild and pleasant—often in the 70s F—and winters rarely drop below the mid-40s F. But you can’t count on sunshine.
As a result, this city attracts the kind of beach-goers who don’t mind that uncertainty. (And when the alternative to beach-lounging is San Sebastián’s lively street life, who can blame them?)
The population of about 186,000 can almost double in the peak tourist months of July to September, when the cost of short-term apartment rentals near the beach soars to nose-bleed levels.
But crowds are thinner the rest of the year… and short-term rental prices drop a bit, as well. In off season, you’ll pay about $2,500 a month and up for a centrally located, two-bedroom apartment.
If you prefer to buy, be prepared for a steep price tag. This city has long been a coveted resort, and it shows in the prices. Most properties listed for under about $350,000 are tiny.
But for glamour, sophistication, and sheer beauty, San Sebastián is hard to beat. This is one classy lady, indeed.
You can read more about San Sebastián—including some more examples of real estate—starting from Page 116 of our Escape to Spain guidebook, available here.
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