We were expecting a sleepier seaside town. Simply our miscalculation, but we were surprised at how large the city is. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our stay.

Also spent one night at Parador Bielsa, in the mountains, on our drive toward San Sebastian. Very isolated, very beautiful setting. Enjoyed that a lot.

I find San Sebastián very compact to be a city with 186 000 inhabitants, and I've never heard of anybody calling it sleepy (well, it can be more so during winter).

But you'll find amuch more relaxed atmosphere in the Ondarreta area right on the beach, some 20 mins walking from the center along the beautiful La Concha promenade. Stay out here and you will feel more in a sleepy and luxcurious resort. You are still only a short walk or a 4€ taxi ride from tuning into the bustling life of the city center and the famous Parte vieja/Old town.

I can recommend tranquil Chomín, on top of a great restaurant with the same name and run by the same family. Stayed here several times: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/chom...4be40f3ac58544

Other options out here would be:
La Galería: http://www.hotellagaleria.com/
Ezeiza:
http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/ezei...4be40f3ac58544
or San Sebastián: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/hote...4be40f3ac58544

San Sebastián-Donostia is the capital city of the province of Gipuzkoa, part of the Basque Autonomous Region. Therefore, it couldn´t be small...at least not a sleepy town. And a very rich one, too.

I did not have any preconceived notion reagrding size before my visit.

A little research would have shown you that San Sebastian-Donostia has been a very vibrant Basque city for a very long time.

I always check the city 's or town's population as I'm planning. I have gone to "quaint fishing hamlets" in the past to find they were anything but hamlets. I can see how it can easily happen as guide books often give a different picture of the place.

On the contrary, I was surprised at how much of a small town feel it had for its size!