Mount Urgull Walking Tour, San Sebastian

Mount Urgull Walking Tour (Self Guided), San Sebastian

Mount Urgull is a promontory stretching out at the eastern end of La Concha Bay, surrounded by water on all sides, except the one linking it to the Old Town of San Sebastian. Historically, this mount, rising 123 meters above sea level, served as a strategic defense point for the city, attesting to which now are the remnants of old fortifications with cannons still in place.

From its elevated position, Mount Urgull affords a magnificent panorama of the city – stretching from the Gros district and Playa de Zurriola to the bay and the port – which, together with lush vegetation, including oak and pine trees, and several walking trails winding their way up to the top, makes the hill a popular tourist destination and a great spot for outdoor activities such as hiking and picnicking.

Beginning at the Aquarium, home to a wide range of marine life, the Paseo Nuevo (New Promenade) encircles the entire hill, which is crowned by the Castillo de la Mota (Mota Castle), a formidable 12th-century fortress hosting the History House Museum, granting insight into San Sebastian’s past.

Another local attraction is the Sagrado Corazon (Sacred Heart) Monument, a large statue of Jesus Christ that stands atop Mount Urgull. Visitors are free to climb the stairs to the base of the statue for a closer look and stunning views of the surrounding area.

Other points of interest on the Mount include a cemetery for British soldiers who died during the Peninsular War, the Museo San Telmo (San Telmo Museum) housed in a former 16th-century convent and boasting a wide range of exhibits on Basque history and culture, and La Batería de la Damas (The Ladies Battery), a historic fort with a network of tunnels open to the public.

For a more detailed acquaintance with this scenic seaside location, offering a unique combination of natural beauty, historical significance, and cultural attractions, embark on a self-guided walking tour with the help of the GPSmyCity app and make the most of your trip to San Sebastian.

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Euskaldunaa.

How it works: Download the app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store to your mobile phone or tablet. The app turns your mobile device into a personal tour guide and its built-in GPS navigation functions guide you from one tour stop to next. The app works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Create Your Own Self-Guided Walks in San Sebastian

Map Instructions: (1) Click the "Nearby Sights" button to view the nearby attractions; (2) click a map pin to see sight information.

Guide Name: Mount Urgull Walking Tour
Guide Location: Spain » San Sebastian (See other walking tours in San Sebastian)
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Sightseeing)
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles

Sights Featured in This Walk

WalkBuilder (customize this walk or build your own)

Use the WalkBuilder tool below to customize this walk to suit your interests. Instructions: click

at the upper right corner in the map above to view other sights in the city. To learn more about a sight, click a map pin. Click the “+” or “–” to add or remove a sight from the walk. To reorder the selected sights, simply drag and move them up or down the list in the left column.

Click here to view route map

Enter a name for your custom walk, along with your email address, in the fields below. You will receive the instructions for retrieving your custom walk in the GPSmyCity app by email. The GPSmyCity app offers turn-by-turn travel directions to guide you from one attraction to the next.
Walk Name*:
Email*:

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I access my walking tour in San Sebastian?
Save your walking tour on the website. Then download the GPSmyCity app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and sign in to your GPSmyCity account. Next, download “San Sebastian Map and Walking Tours” within the app. Your walk will appear on the Walks screen.

2. How do I view other attractions in San Sebastian?
At the upper-right corner of the map above, click the “Nearby Sights” button to show or hide other sights in the city. Click a map pin to view details about a sight. To add a sight to your walk, find it in the right column of the WalkBuilder tool above and click the “+” button next to it.

3. How do I re-arrange the sight order?
In the left column of the WalkBuilder tool, drag a sight to move it up or down the list. Then click “Click here to view route map”. Repeat this process until the route meets your needs.

4. Can I add my hotel to a walking tour?
Yes. You can add your hotel as the starting point, the ending point, or both (creating a loop route). This feature is currently available only in the GPSmyCity app.

5. Can I add my own sights to a walking tour?
Yes. You can add sightss that are not in our database and include them in your walk. To do so, sign in to your GPSmyCity account on the website or use the GPSmyCity app.

6. How many sights can be included in a walking tour?
For technical reasons, the number of sights in a walking tour is currently capped at 20. This limit may be increased over time.

Walking Tours in San Sebastian, Spain

Create Your Own Walk in San Sebastian

Creating your own self-guided walk in San Sebastian is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

San Sebastian Introduction Walking Tour

After watching bulls run around in Pamplona, Ernest Hemingway took a relaxing trip up north. He enjoyed the calmness of the shoreline so much that he vividly described it in his novel The Sun Also Rises. The city that appealed to Hemingway was San Sebastián-known in Basque as Donostia.

The city takes its name from Saint Sebastian, the early Christian martyr whose cult spread widely through... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles