This winter, La Concha beach received TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Award for best beach in Europe and sixth in the world
- Wednesday, 21 February 2018
“La Concha, the beach you’ll love in winter”
@smartsansebastian @ion_gorriti
San Sebastian Turismo & Convention Bureau is committed to two lines of work in its new Master Plan: seasonal adjustment (attracting visitors at times other than the high season) and reducing concentration (taking visitor flows to new parts of the city), proposing new approaches, contexts and places for visiting the city all year round. The TripAdvisor award, received mid-winter, precisely strengthens this message of visiting one of the city icons, the Concha beach, out of the usual context, at low season, when visitors can discover its splendour, magic and true essence, in a special light, and without the crowds.
The First Deputy Major and Councillor for Tourism, Ernesto Gasco, expressed his ‘enormous satisfaction at this recognition for La Concha, which has a special value due to the fact that it is travellers, those who travel the world, who have given this title which returns to San Sebastian yet another year. La Concha is our best showcase, the one that attracts locals and visitors every day. This popular award given by tourists makes us swell with pride and encourages us to continue working to position Donostia among the preferred European destinations.’
Today, TripAdvisor, the website that helps you to find the latest reviews and prices, announced its Travellers’ Choice® Beach Awards. Beautiful Grace Bay in the Turks and Caicos Islands carries off the honour of being this year’s best beach, rising from last year’s second position to reoccupy its first place of 2016. La Concha Beach, in San Sebastian, is, for the second year running, number 1 in Spain and Europe, and sixth in the world. The prize winners were established based on the number and quality of beach reviews and ratings collected on TripAdvisor among travellers over the last year.
San Sebastian Turismo & Convention Bureau, in the framework of its Master Plan: Donostia-San Sebastian VISIT- BIZI 2017-2021, pledges to maintain the sustainability, the balance, the quality and the authenticity of the destination. It therefore works on two essential lines: seasonal adjustment, or in other words, attracting visitors at times other than summer, and reducing concentration, aimed at taking the flow of tourists to all of the city’s districts and preventing concentration in the centre and the Old Town. The Travellers’ Choice award for best European beach, received in February, in other words, in the middle of winter, strengthens the message, inviting tourists to visit the beach and the city outside the usual summer context, and to (re)discover it in the low season.
La Concha, the beach you’ll love in winter
@tomhaslow © San Sebastián & Convention Bureau
With the slogan, ‘La Concha, the beach you’ll love in winter’, the San Sebastian Turismo & Convention Bureau invites visitors to (re)discover the destination outside the summer season, since spring, autumn and winter are perfect times to visit San Sebastian and its marvellous bay, without the crowds. The light and winter sunsets are magical in San Sebastian, illuminating La Concha beach and bay, and the temperatures remain mild all year round. At the end of the day, any time of the year is perfect for a short stay to stroll along its 6 km of coastline, have a coffee, drink or dinner in the different locales and restaurants with views of the sea, discover its globally famous gastronomy, relax in a spa with sea views, participate in its festivals and cultural events, enjoy the txotx experience at its cider houses, be blown away by the strength of the waves which can thunder 4 to 5 metres into the air, go surfing, running, trekking…
© San Sebastián & Convention Bureau © San Sebastián & Convention Bureau
Furthermore, together with the local establishments associated to San Sebastian Turismo & Convention Bureau, all sorts of plans and experiences are offered to enjoy the city like a local: guided tours of its districts, mountain walks, pintxo tours, Basque pelota games, cider experiences, excursions to see how local products are made, tours to inland or coastal Gipuzkoa, to the coast of the French Basque Country, etc. Complete information on authentic plans and experiences can be found in: https://www.sansebastianturismoa.eus/es/ofertas/otras-actividades
@basquecountryspirit © San Sebastián & Convention Bureau
But San Sebastian is much more than just La Concha Bay…
We also recommend taking a tour of the city districts to rediscover the most typical and least known corners. Because San Sebastian is much more than just La Concha Bay. The new guides and all of the content available online and in the social media invite visitors to discover the districts and areas around the city, with their enchanted forests, caves and waterfalls, their palaces and sculptures, to discover the real local atmosphere, its fiestas and traditions, the streets and architecture that will take you back to the Belle Epoque, foodie evenings thanks to the popular pintxo-pote (fixed-price snack & drink combo) evenings in each of its districts… you can find complete information on different plans and routes in the different districts in: https://www.sansebastianturismoa.eus/es/hacer/barrio-barrio
List of Spanish winners of the Travellers’ Choice Beach Award
World
6. La Concha Beach, San Sebastian – Donostia, the Basque Country
Europe
1. La Concha Beach, San Sebastian – Donostia, the Basque Country
9. Ses Illetes Beach, Formentera, Balearic Islands
10. Las Canteras Beach, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
Spain
1. La Concha Beach, San Sebastian – Donostia, the Basque Country
2. Ses Illetes Beach, Formentera, Balearic Island
3. Las Canteras Beach, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
4. Maspalomas Beach, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
5. El Cotillo Beach and Lagoons, La Oliva, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands
6. Sotavento Beach, Costa Calma, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands
7. El Duque Beach, Costa Adeje, Tenerife, Canary Islands
8. Cofete Beach, Morro del Jable, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands
9. Las Catedrales Beach, Ribadeo, Lugo, Galicia
10. Muro Beach, Mallorca, Balearic Islands
International winners of the Travellers’ Choice Beach Awards 2018
| Ranking | Europa |
World |
| 1 | Playa La Concha, San Sebastián – Donostia, España | Grace Bay, Providenciales, Islas Turcas y Caicos |
| 2 | Playa de Elafonisi, Creta, Grecia | Baia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brasil |
| 3 | Playa de Falésia, Olhos de Agua, Portugal | Varadero Beach, Varadero, Cuba |
| 4 | Fig Tree Bay, Protaras, Chipre | Eagle Beach, Palm - Eagle Beach, Aruba |
| 5 | Bournemouth Beach, Bournemouth, Reino Unido | Seven Mile Beach, Playa de Siete Millas, Islas Caimán |
| 6 | Kleopatra Beach, Alanya, Turquía | Playa La Concha, San Sebastián – Donostia, España |
| 7 | Spiaggia dei Conigli, Lampedusa, Italia | Clearwater Beach, Florida, EE.UU. |
| 8 | Balos Lagoon, Kissamos, Greece | Seven Mile Beach, Negril, Jamaica |
| 9 | Playa de Ses Illetes, Formentera, España | Bavaro Beach, Bávaro, República Dominicana |
| 10 | Playa de Las Canteras, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España |
Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres, México |
To see the full list of the Travellers’ Choice Beach Awards 2018, and the latest opinions and photos posted by travellers, visit: http://www.tripadvisor.es/TravelersChoice-Beaches. Travellers can also follow the conversation on Twitter at #Travelerschoice.