The Spanish city break with three beaches, aquarium sleepovers and new direct British Airways flights

WITH three stunning beaches and plenty of culture, San Sebastian is the perfect balance of seaside fun and city break.

 And now that British Airways has launched the UK’s only direct route there, it’s put the city — on Spain’s mountainous north coast — within easy reach.

Harry Corton shares his top ten reasons to visit.

CLASSIC SIGHT: This region of Spain has been a holiday destination for kings and queens throughout the ages. And you can see why the Spanish royal family made their official summer residence here. 

Miramar Palace — once the Basque Country’s answer to Balmoral — is quite literally unmissable, perched proudly on top of a grassy hill and overlooking the bay of La Concha.

Queen Victoria stopped by in 1889. 

FUN NEIGHBOURHOOD: A stone’s throw from San Sebastian is the elegant fishing village of Hondar-ribia. Its quiet cobbled streets are a haven for arty types, with galleries and unusually decorated houses.

France is a five-minute hop across the border on a ferry (€2 each way).

THE WOW MOMENT: The vast sweeping bay of La Concha is the jewel in the city’s crown — an expanse of white sand, skirted by a grand promenade and surrounded by breathtaking mountains.

When the tide is low, you can walk along the shore to the neighbouring Ondarreta Beach, with its family-friendly calmer waters.

Thrillseekers should venture to the surfer’s paradise of Zurriola, on the other side of Mount Urgull. 

NEW FOR 2022: British Airways’ plush City Flyer fleet now shuttles passengers twice weekly from London City Airport, where snazzy new X-ray technology means no fumbling with liquids and laptop cases — you just bung it all in a tray and off it pops. You’ll whizz through the gate in 20 minutes.

FANTASTIC FEAST: With its proud Basque heritage, in San Sebastian you’ll see locals in bars enjoying pintxos rather than tapas.

Originally a slice of baguette piled high with food of any kind held in place with a cocktail stick, or pintxo, the dishes have evolved to include all sorts of local specialities in miniature, from gilda, with olive, peppers and anchovy, to leek and prawns in filo pastry.