Film production in San Sebastián
Between June and December, usable daylight in San Sebastián moves by 6h 23min — from 15h 23min down to 9h 00min. An exterior day in December is a different day from one in June. This page carries sunrise, sunset and golden-hour times for all twelve months, the climate profile.
Light and shooting hours
On 15 June, the sun in San Sebastián rises at 06:28 and sets at 21:51; the evening golden hour starts at 21:07 and runs for 43 minutes. By December that shifts to 08:34–17:34, with a 46-minute golden-hour window from 16:47.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 38 and 46 minutes across the year. Put it last in the day and the first overrun takes it.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Golden hour (evening, from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 08:38 | 17:58 | 9h 19min | 17:13 |
| February | 08:07 | 18:39 | 10h 31min | 17:59 |
| March | 07:21 | 19:14 | 11h 53min | 18:36 |
| April | 07:27 | 20:50 | 13h 24min | 20:12 |
| May | 06:45 | 21:25 | 14h 40min | 20:44 |
| June | 06:28 | 21:51 | 15h 23min | 21:07 |
| July | 06:42 | 21:47 | 15h 06min | 21:05 |
| August | 07:14 | 21:13 | 13h 59min | 20:34 |
| September | 07:48 | 20:20 | 12h 33min | 19:43 |
| October | 08:22 | 19:27 | 11h 05min | 18:48 |
| November | 08:02 | 17:45 | 9h 44min | 17:02 |
| December | 08:34 | 17:34 | 9h 00min | 16:47 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in San Sebastián starts at 22:12 in June and ends at 22:26 — a window of 14 minutes. In December it is 12 minutes from 17:54. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (19:14) and September (20:20) there are 66 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
San Sebastián averages 17 rain days in March and 12 in July. A three-day exterior shoot in March statistically loses 1.7 days — not a forecast, but the basis for deciding whether a cover set belongs in the budget.
| Month | Mean temperature | Rain days | Sunshine hours/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8.7 °C | 16 | 5.4 |
| February | 9.9 °C | 15 | 6.5 |
| March | 11.2 °C | 17 | 8.0 |
| April | 13.0 °C | 14 | 9.4 |
| May | 15.3 °C | 16 | 10.4 |
| June | 18.4 °C | 14 | 10.5 |
| July | 20.3 °C | 12 | 11.0 |
| August | 20.7 °C | 12 | 10.9 |
| September | 18.9 °C | 13 | 9.9 |
| October | 16.7 °C | 13 | 7.5 |
| November | 12.5 °C | 17 | 6.0 |
| December | 10.8 °C | 14 | 5.4 |
Planning a shoot here
A schedule that ignores these numbers looks fine on paper and falls over on the day. TillyGen folds sun position, travel and crew availability straight into the schedule — if the exterior no longer fits before sunset in December, the plan says so, not the wrap report.
Frequently asked
When is golden hour in San Sebastián?
In June it starts at 21:07 and lasts 43 minutes; in December it starts at 16:47 and lasts 46 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in San Sebastián get?
Between 9h 00min in December and 15h 23min in June. The 6h 23min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in San Sebastián?
Combining daylight and rain days, July comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. June has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.