Playa De Antilla

Located in the small town of Donostia-San Sebastian, Playa de Antilla is a half-mile-long, wide, beige-colored, and crescent-shaped beach that is considered the most popular beach in the city.  Also known as Playa de Antilla Beach, Playa de Antilla is situated in front of the Bay of Biscay adjacent to the district of Gros which is very popular among students and teenagers.  Playa de Antilla is backed by a promenade that features the Kursaal Congress Centre and Auditorium at its eastern end which organizes many of the city’s major local cultural festivals.

Playa de Antilla offers many amenities including lifeguards, restrooms, showers, volleyball courts, tennis courts, football fields, water sport equipment rentals, handicap accessible stairways, restaurants, and bars.

The beach is an awesome spot for surfing and hosts many well-known local and international surfing championships during summer – visitors can attend daily surfing classes here as well.  There are many fun activities at Playa de Antilla including surfing, biking, hiking, skiing, paddleboarding, sunbathing, and beach walking.  Please note that swimming here can be dangerous because of strong rip currents.

Getting to Playa de Antilla is very easy – there is a free parking lot at 20008 Donostia-San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa that is within walking distance to the beach.

If you are looking for attractions near Playa de Antilla, you can drive eight minutes to Parque de Atracciones Monte Igueldo, a mountainside amusement park with bumper cars, a great maze, pond boats, turtle races, elastic beds, and bird exhibits.  San Telmo Museum is a museum of the Basque society and is home to artifacts related to the history of old and contemporary Basque culture.  Aquarium San Sebastian is a seaside aquarium showcasing exhibits on local fishing and naval history and is home to many sea creatures including jellyfish, great white sharks, captive killer whales, rockfishes, African penguins, and the Pacific Sea nettles.  Another great attraction near Playa de Antilla is Gipuzkoa Plaza which is a leafy city park that was created by a French gardener, and has a meteorological monument, lush planting, and ponds.

If you get hungry, there are many restaurants within a four-minute drive of Playa de Antilla.  Café de La Concha has a spacious patio seating with sea views – it serves a variety of classic Spanish items like duck rice, French toast, cheesecakes, sirloin tacos, cod confit, and drinks.  La Perla Taberna Jatetxea is a Mediterranean restaurant featuring seafood items, tapas, a rustic bar, and traditional tostadas on a terrace and an upstairs gallery with sea views.  La Perla Taberna Jatetxea also has a nice menu including Iberian ham, octopus and prawn salad, fish soup, desserts, and wine.  The pizza restaurant Pizzeria La Mina has a nice menu that includes pizza, pasta, antipasti, meat dishes, desserts, wine, and sangria.  The restaurant is well known for its panini sandwiches, wraps, pastries, beverages, friendly staff, and affordable prices – and has outdoor seating.  Another good restaurant near Playa de Antilla is The New Sansse Donosti, a Basque restaurant with outdoor seating, a terrace with grills, and a nice menu offering burgers, bacon, torrija, veal cheeks with creamy potato, and artichokes.

If you are looking for a hotel near Playa de Antilla, you can drive 10 minutes to the 5-Star Hotel Maria Cristina, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Sebastian that welcomes pets and features a bar, gym, and an Asian restaurant – it also has a spacious terrace with loungers and sea and sunset views.  Hotel Catalonia Donosti is a 4-Star pet-friendly hotel offering a pool, bar, restaurant, spa, sauna, and fitness center.  Hotel Catalonia Donosti is located strategically close to all the shopping and entertainment areas.  If you are looking for budget-friendly hotels near Playa de Antilla, the 4-Star Hotel Villa Favorita has spacious rooms with sea views that are well-equipped with modern amenities, a beautiful garden, and provides a pool, lounge, restaurant, tennis courts, casino, game room, and boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking, and windsurfing tours – and Hotel Arbaso is a 4-Star hotel with a lounge, sauna, restaurant, and rooms and suites with awesome city and sea views.