Best time to visit San Sebastian
Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart recolours live for your heat & sea limits 27°C · sea 29°C
Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.
Default 29 °C is the Beach Climate Index "bathtub" line (Morgan et al.) — where the sea stops being refreshing and starts feeling like a warm bath.
How is this scored? HCI / Steadman / CCI gate — full methodology and citations below.
Compare with another destination
Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.
Tours in San Sebastian
21 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you. Map locations are approximate (centred on San Sebastian).
- 1
Private pintxo tour with D.O. wines in San Sebastian - 2
Private tour to Zarautz, Getaria & Zumaia from San Sebastian - 3
Bilbao, Guggenheim and Gaztelugatxe from San Sebastian - 4
Getaria Txakoli wine tour from San Sebastian - 5
Eating San Sebastian: Beyond Pintxos Tour - 6
Visit to Lourdes Sanctuary from San Sebastian/Biarritz/Bayonne - 7
Zarautz, Getaria and Zumaia from San Sebastian - 8
San Sebastián Walking Dinner Tour with Basque Bites - 9
San Sebastián Market & Lunch Tour with Basque Bites - 10
Rioja wine tour: winery and traditional lunch from San Sebastian - 11
Bilbao, Ribera market and Guggenheim Museum from San Sebastian - 12
Baztan Valley Elizondo and Zugarramurdi - 13
San Sebastian Historic Walking Tour in Small Group - 14
Small Group Hondarribia Historic Walking Tour - 15
Private Photo Session with Sara in San Sebastián - 16
Private Bayonne, Biarritz & St Jean de Luz from San Sebastian - 17
Private Lourdes Sanctuary Tour from San Sebastian - 18
San Sebastian Old Town Pintxos & Wine Tour Small Group Tour - 19
San Sebastian Premium Pintxo Food, Wine & Market Foodie Tour - 20
Small-Group Electric Bike Tour in San Sebastián - 21
Discover San Sebastián’s Best Pintxos on a Unique Culinary Tour
Last refreshed 2026-05-27.
Similar climatesCinque Terre78% · Dubrovnik76% · Positano75%
Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to San Sebastian (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against San Sebastian's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.
Month-by-month
| Month | Temp °C | Feels °C | Rain days | Rain h | Rain h/day | Humidity | Wind km/h | Sun h | UV | Interest | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6–12 | 10 | 14 | 205 | 14.6 | 76% | 19 | 129 | 1 | Quiet | 5 |
| Feb | 8–15 | 13 | 13 | 171 | 13.2 | 72% | 20 | 138 | 2 | Quiet | 6 |
| Mar | 8–16 | 14 | 16 | 215 | 13.4 | 69% | 20 | 190 | 3 | Quiet | 5 |
| Apr | 10–17 | 15 | 13 | 199 | 15.3 | 69% | 17 | 198 | 5 | Quiet | 6 |
| May | 12–20 | 20 | 16 | 214 | 13.4 | 73% | 15 | 240 | 5 | Quiet | 5 |
| Jun | 15–22 | 23 | 16 | 223 | 13.9 | 76% | 14 | 226 | 6 | Quiet | 5 |
| Jul | 17–24 | 25 | 11 | 153 | 13.9 | 74% | 13 | 259 | 7 | Quiet | 7 |
| Aug | 18–25 | 27 | 13 | 177 | 13.6 | 73% | 14 | 245 | 6 | Peak | 6 |
| Sep | 16–23 | 24 | 14 | 203 | 14.5 | 71% | 16 | 214 | 5 | Quiet | 6 |
| Oct | 14–21 | 21 | 14 | 175 | 12.5 | 71% | 19 | 169 | 3 | Quiet | 6 |
| Nov | 10–17 | 15 | 16 | 231 | 14.4 | 76% | 19 | 129 | 2 | Quiet | 5 |
| Dec | 8–14 | 12 | 17 | 259 | 15.2 | 76% | 21 | 115 | 1 | Quiet | 4 |
UV Index in San Sebastian by Month
UV index in San Sebastian peaks at 7 (high) in July, dropping to 1 (low) in December. June, July, August have high UV — SPF 30+ and sunglasses recommended.
Best months in detail
July
7/1017–24°C (feels 25°C) · 11 rain days (153h) · 259 sun hours · 74% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 7 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)
October
6/1014–21°C · 14 rain days (175h) · 169 sun hours · 71% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (moderate)
August
6/1018–25°C (feels 27°C) · 13 rain days (177h) · 245 sun hours · 73% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 6 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 8 (very high)
Every month
Show the other 9 months in detail
January
5/106–12°C (feels 10°C) · 14 rain days (205h) · 129 sun hours · 76% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
February
6/108–15°C (feels 13°C) · 13 rain days (171h) · 138 sun hours · 72% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low)
March
5/108–16°C (feels 14°C) · 16 rain days (215h) · 190 sun hours · 69% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 5 (moderate)
April
6/1010–17°C (feels 15°C) · 13 rain days (199h) · 198 sun hours · 69% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 7 (high)
May
5/1012–20°C · 16 rain days (214h) · 240 sun hours · 73% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 8 (high)
June
5/1015–22°C (feels 23°C) · 16 rain days (223h) · 226 sun hours · 76% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 6 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)
September
6/1016–23°C · 14 rain days (203h) · 214 sun hours · 71% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (high)
November
5/1010–17°C (feels 15°C) · 16 rain days (231h) · 129 sun hours · 76% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low)
December
4/108–14°C (feels 12°C) · 17 rain days (259h) · 115 sun hours · 76% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
Frequently asked questions about visiting San Sebastian
When is the best time to visit San Sebastian?
July is the highest-scoring month (7/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 17–24°C (11 rainy days). The top three months by score are July, October, August.
What is the worst time to visit San Sebastian?
December is the lowest-scoring month (4/10). Typical conditions: 8–14°C (17 rainy days).
When are crowds lowest in San Sebastian?
Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in January and peaks in August. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.
Which months in San Sebastian have good weather but fewer tourists?
July (climate 7/10, crowd index 36) and February (climate 6/10, crowd index 8) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.
What is the UV index in San Sebastian by month?
UV peaks at 7 (high) in July and is lowest in December at 1 (low). Monthly peak values: Jan 1, Feb 2, Mar 3, Apr 5, May 5, Jun 6, Jul 7, Aug 6, Sep 5, Oct 3, Nov 2, Dec 1.
What is the UV index in San Sebastian in July?
July is the peak UV month in San Sebastian, with a daily-peak UV index of 7 (high). Apply SPF 30+, wear sunglasses, and seek shade during midday hours.
How high can UV get in San Sebastian on the sunniest days?
Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. June is the worst case: typical days average UV 6 (high), but the top 10% of days reach UV 9 (very high) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: March, April, May, June, July, August, September. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.
Is air quality in San Sebastian bad for travelers?
PM2.5 (fine-particle pollution) exceeds the WHO sensitive-group guideline (15 µg/m³) in 1 month: February. The worst month is February with a typical-day mean of 9 µg/m³ (fair); on the worst 10% of days PM2.5 reaches 17 µg/m³ (unhealthy for sensitive) and higher. People with asthma, heart conditions, or sensitive children may want to avoid these months or limit outdoor activity. Source: CAMS via Open-Meteo.