Playa de La Concha, Beach in San Sebastian, Spain.
Playa de La Concha is a beach along San Sebastian's coast that stretches about 1.3 kilometers across the bay with fine golden sand and clear water. Two mountains, Urgull and Igueldo, frame the area on either side and create a natural shelter that keeps the water calm and gives the beach its distinctive shell-shaped curve.
In the early 1800s, Queen Isabella of Spain chose this location as her preferred vacation destination, establishing its status as a royal retreat. This royal connection helped the beach later develop into a fashionable gathering place and made San Sebastian known as a seaside resort.
The beach has shaped San Sebastian's identity for generations, with its shell-shaped bay centered around Santa Clara Island reflecting the meaning of its name. Locals use this spot as a central meeting place, especially when warmer months bring crowds of swimmers and sunbathers.
The beach offers rental services for parasols and sun loungers, along with public facilities including showers, toilets, and a tourist information office. The gentle seabed slope and wind protection from the surrounding mountains make swimming safe and comfortable year-round, even for beginners.
The seabed descends here with a particularly gentle gradient, giving the water an almost river-like stillness that is further sheltered from wind by the mountains. This combination creates swimming conditions that feel unusually mild on most days, even during winter months.
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