The Most Iconic Basque Beach: La Concha
San Sebastian’s beach certainly has something special about it: it has driven to its shore royals, dictators, Hollywood stars, writers, and even me, a person who prefers the freshness of the mountains over the hot, sticky sand.
Its bay is called La Concha, which means “the shell” because of its semi-circular shape. It is flanked by two magnificent mountains at each end. At the feet of Igueldo Mountain (the one on the west, or left as you face the sea), you will find three metallic structures designed by Eduardo Chillida called “The Comb of the Wind.” It is a tribute to the wind that has helped local fishermen return back home from the ocean. From the top of Urgull Mountain (the one on the east, or right as you face the sea), you will have the best views over the city, well worth the thirty minute hike.
The most iconic symbol of La Concha bay is its handrail. Designed by the Spanish architect Juan Alday in 1910, it took six years to build and position its 1355 “wreath”pieces. Each segment has a flower facing the city. Well, not really all of the flowers—one faces the ocean. It is said that when you visit San Sebastian and you find the flower that faces the ocean, you will return to the city in the next year. Every March, La Concha handrail becomes the world’s largest ballet barre as thousands of ballerinas perform from here.
Although it might sound like a paradise, La Concha has a couple of tricky situations.
The first one is called “Galerna” and nobody can predict it. It is a strong sudden storm formed in the ocean that hits the shore in less than 20 minutes. The wind blows up to a speed of 45 miles per hourn and will destroy everything it touches. If you are laying on the beach on a hot summer day and suddenly you hear sirens, and see locals running away, you better run as well—on the sand in the last place you’ll want to be.The good part of Galerna is that it happens just once or twice a year.
On the other hand, the second tricky thing is totally predictable. In fact, it happens every six hours, rain or shine: they are the tides. If you arrive at La Concha beach on low tide, you will see a huge beach, and you will probably be shocked that all the towels and the beach umbrellas are huddled in one little corner. An inexperienced traveler will lay his towel in the empty space and think that he is smarter than the rest. Well, that is not a clever thing to do, your towel and backpack will be drowning in six hours.
As if this beach is not great enough to attract everybody, the city of San Sebastian has yet another highlight, the food. You can go all fancy and eat at any of the 11-Michelin-starred restaurants, or you can ignite your palate and discover the tapas tradition in the Basque Country, but I think this should be the starting point for another article.
Take a moment to enjoy this guided tour of San Sebastian.
And if you want to experience this magnificent city in person, join us on this Basque Heritage tour.
https://pixabay.com/photos/landscape-sea-sculpture-sky-clouds-5933588/
