San Sebastián vs Valletta

San Sebastián

San Sebastián has an oceanic climate — milder and wetter than the Mediterranean coast. Summers are warm but rarely scorching, winters are cool but mild. Rain is frequent year-round, especially in autumn and spring. The Basque coast is greener than southern Spain for a reason.

Valletta

Valletta has a classic Mediterranean climate — long, hot, dry summers and short, mild, rainy winters. The city sits on an exposed peninsula surrounded by water on three sides, which moderates temperatures but also means the wind can be relentless. Malta averages around 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, one of the highest totals in Europe.

San Sebastián

San Sebastián is wonderfully compact and best explored on foot. The entire city from Monte Igueldo to Zurriola beach is walkable within 40 minutes. Local buses cover the wider metropolitan area, and the historic funicular climbs Monte Igueldo.

Walkability: San Sebastián is one of Spain's most walkable cities. The entire center — from the old town to Gros, La Concha to Monte Urgull — is flat and pedestrian-friendly. The elegant waterfront promenade is a joy to walk day or night. Only Monte Igueldo requires a climb (or funicular).

Valletta

Valletta itself is entirely walkable — the whole peninsula is well under 1 km long and cars are largely banned inside the walls. For the rest of the island, Malta Public Transport runs an efficient and cheap bus network radiating out from the Valletta terminus just outside the City Gate. Ferries, water taxis, and taxis fill the gaps.

Walkability: Valletta itself is perfectly walkable — the whole old city fits within a 0.8 km² fortified grid. However the cross streets running down to the bastions are extremely steep and stepped in places, which is physically harder than the gentle distances suggest. Comfortable shoes with grip are essential, especially on the limestone paving.