Urumea River: we cross the flow of San Sebastián and its bridges

Although the city of San Sebastián stands out for being bathed by the sea and having incredible coastal landscapes and beaches, the reality is that we can also find a wealth of fresh water in it.

Although the city of San Sebastián stands out for being bathed by the sea and having incredible coastal landscapes and beaches, the reality is that we can also find a wealth of fresh water in it.

Today we will talk about the river that passes through San Sebastián and the bridges that we find as it passes through the city.

The Urumea river and its route through San Sebastián

The Urumea River is the river that passes through San Sebastián, completely crossing the city, dividing it into two different zones. On the one hand, the neighborhoods of Amara, Centro, Parte Vieja, among others, and on the other side of its bed are Gros, Egia and Intxaurrondo.

The Urumea River is born in Navarra, exactly in Ezkurra, and after more than 40 kilometers it becomes the river that runs through San Sebastián. The Urumea River enters San Sebastián through the Loiola neighborhood and crosses the city until it flows into the Cantabrian Sea.

The Urumea River was for many years a kind of maritime highway, since there were more than 13 commercial ports along its route, making it one of the most important commercial routes in Donostia. Currently, it no longer performs this function, but it is used to practice numerous water sports.

In addition, its name “Urumea” means transparent waters in Spanish, making it a perfect river to also practice other activities.

Bridges of San Sebastian

As we have mentioned before, the river that passes through San Sebastián divides the city into two clear areas that, over time, have been linked by different bridges to avoid detours and optimize routes from one side to the other.

Zurriola Bridge

It is the closest bridge to the mouth of the Urumea River, therefore also close to the coast. It is located next to the famous Kursaal cubes, which manage to create a unique landscape, mixing river, sea, contemporary art and this Art Deco bridge.

Saint Catherine’s Bridge

It is one of the bridges in San Sebastián with an incredible strategic location, hence its continuous collapses and reconstructions. In the beginning, as expected, its structure was mostly made of wood, but today it is a much safer and more modern work.

Maria Cristina Bridge

In its beginnings, this San Sebastián bridge was only a provisional footbridge to connect both sides in front of the river that passes through San Sebastián, until the current bridge was inaugurated on January 20, 1905.

In this bridge of San Sebastián, the great obelisks located at its ends, of more than 16 meters, stand out in their aesthetics.

Mundaiz Bridge

It is one of the most recently built bridges in San Sebastián, as well as being the first one that did not have supports within the riverbed that passes through San Sebastián.

Lehendakari Agirre Bridge

Like the previous bridge, it is one of the most recent constructions, inaugurated in 2010. It also shares the characteristic of not having supports in the channel.

This bridge in San Sebastián is aligned with the Amara Plaza hotel (one of the most prominent in the city) and is also heavily traveled by vehicles.

Real Sociedad Bridge

When the development of the city began, the train also arrived and therefore it also had to cross the riverbed that passes through San Sebastián. It was then that an iron bridge was created for its circulation. Years later it fell into disuse, so it was demolished and, taking advantage of some materials and location, the current Real Sociedad bridge was built. This San Sebastián bridge was also inaugurated in 2010.

Now that you know the river that passes through San Sebastián and the bridges that manage to connect both sides of the channel, you must discover the rest of the incredible secrets and history that the incredible city of San Sebastián hides. You cannot leave without doing a Free Walking Tour with us!