Monte Igueldo

The funicular to Monte Igueldo opened in 1912 and still uses its original wooden carriages, climbing 312 metres of track in about three minutes to a small amusement park that dates from the same period and has been deliberately left as it was: a mountain railway on rails around the hilltop, a haunted house, a carousel, a boat swing and a few other attractions, most of them nearly a century old, charged individually rather than by an entry ticket. The point for most visitors is the view, which takes in the whole shell of La Concha with Santa Clara island in the middle and the city behind, the standard photograph of San Sebastian. A hotel and a restaurant occupy the summit beside the park.

What you actually see

• The 1912 funicular - original wooden carriages climbing the hill.
• The vintage rides - a small amusement park largely unchanged since the 1910s.
• The bay view - the whole of La Concha from above with the island centred.
• The mountain railway - a small train circling the hilltop.

When to go

April to October for the fullest opening; the funicular and park run on reduced hours in winter and close on some days. Sunset gives the best light over the bay, and the last funicular sets a firm deadline.

Honest expectations

The rides are genuinely old and modest, aimed at small children and nostalgia rather than thrills, with each charged separately. The funicular queues in summer. The view is the substance of the visit.

Nearby

Ondarreta beach and the Peine del Viento are at the foot; La Concha runs east.