Pyrenees Guide

The Gipuzkoa Coast is not your typical tourist destination for 'sunny beaches'. However, its 17 beaches are clean, comfortable and mostly urban. They are essential to enjoy the beauty of the Cantabrian Sea in the summertime or for relaxing walks by the waves in winter. The beach at Zarautz, the longest, and the beach of La Concha in Donostia, the most elegant, are the two most well known.

But there are many others, from Saturrarán (in Mutriku) to Hondarribia, for the visitor to chose from. Gipuzkoa's 86 kilometres of coast alternate sand with urban centres and coastal mountains, such as Mount Jaizkibel, that take the colour green right down to the sea. The cliffs between Deba and Zumaia are spectacular geological formations called the 'flysch' and the 'rasa mareal'. The coastal towns, often located where the rivers let out into the sea, have their own distinct personalities and numerous points of interest. All of them -Mutriku, Deba, Zumaia, Getaria, Zarautz, Orio and Hondarribia- deserve a visit.

Hondarribia, with its oceanfront promenade on the Txingudi Bay and its Old Town, is especially beautiful. But the charming fishing villages of Getaria and Mutriku, Zumaia's two beaches or the traditional tourist destination of Zarautz are well worth mentioning. The Coast of Gipuzkoa, with its two Natural Parks, Aiako Harria and Pagoeta, also has its green side. The variety of landscapes ranges from charming spots such as Pasai Donibane, to industrialised areas such as the Port of Pasaia. The Coast of Gipuzkoa offers such diverse attractions as, for example, Euskadi's only horse racetrack, the Donostia-San Sebastián near Lasarte-Oria, to such unforgettable museums as Chillida-Leku (in Hernani).

Debabarrena, Urola Kosta, Donostialdea, Oarsoaldea and Bidasoa - Txingudi are the five counties that make up the area called the Coast of Gipuzkoa. In addition to tasting their wonderful fish dishes, one must also try the two local beverages: cider, whose epicentre is located in Astigarraga but can be found all over the Donostialdea county, And "txakoli" of Getaria, a white wine with its own denomination of origin.

Inland Gipuzkoa, the Pays Basque becomes more beautiful the further you venture in towards the foothills of the Pyrenees. Along the way there are farmhouses, green pastures and some pretty villages. Two natural parks, Aizkorri, boasting the territory's highest peaks, and Aralar, with the unmistakeable silhouette of Mount Txindoki, surround it to the South and East. There are numerous places to walk and enjoy nature. Mount Ernio, the Izarraitz massif and the protected biotope of Leitzaran are highly recommendable green points. This area offers the opportunity to delve into the Basque rural world. The Igartubeiti farmhouse (Ezkio-Itsaso), the small village of Zerain or various ethnographic museums help us to better understand the reality we see in many landscapes. On occasion, rural Gipuzkoa lives side by side with the more industrial areas. This mixture was more balanced in the past when the iron-works dotted the high river basins.

In Legazpi, a visit to the Mirandaola iron foundry and the Basque Iron Museum can turn out to be very interesting. We can also discover how salt was primitively mined in Leintz Gatzaga. The great monuments of Green Gipuzkoa are linked together on the Route of the Three Shrines, a definite must-see. It begins at the Basilica of Loyola, a grand monumental complex devoted to Saint Ignatius of Loyola in his native town of Azpeitia. It then continues to the hermitage of La Antigua (Zumarraga) and culminates at the uniquely beautiful shrine of Arantzazu, on the way up Mount Aitzkorri.

Visitors are often surprised at great historical and artistic heritage of the cities and towns of Green Gipuzkoa. An enjoyable tour through Tolosa, which was once Gipuzkpoa's capital, Segura, which preserves its original medieval urban plan, Oñati, where the Sancti Spiritus University is located, or Bergara, with its Royal Seminary, allow us to see these places' rich past and present. We can also see plenty of rural activity at the important fairs and marketplaces (especially Wednesdays in Ordizia and Saturdays in Tolosa) where we can buy, among other products, Idiazabal cheese.

Irun - Irun borders with the North Basque Country (Iparralde) and is located in the historical territory of Gipuzkoa within Bidasoa-Txingudi region. Beautiful mountains, such as Peña de Aia (837m), Jaizkibel (545m) and San Marcial Mountains surround the area. There are numerous places that are ...

San Sebastian - Donostia - San Sebastian (Donostia in the Basque language) is the summer capital of Spain, and here the Belle Epoque lives on. Ideally situated on a choice spot on the Bay of Biscay, it's surrounded by green mountains. From June to September, the population swells as hundreds of Spanish bureaucrats escape the ...

Hondarribia (Fuenterrabia) - Founded in the 13th century (1203) and surrounded by walls, this fortified town served as a military frontier and took part in a number of important battles. It was also the scene of historical pacts and treaties. In its Historical Centre, interesting monumental sights include the Paris Church, the ...

Pasaia Donibane - Pasajes San Juan - The Old Town of Pasai Donibane spreads around a single street. It starts in the Bizkaia neighbourhood and goes on until Bursa Cove. The narrow paved streets form a beautiful picture. If we walk around the Old Town, we will run into charming passageways under buildings. Besides, many ...

Hendaye - Hendaye is the furthest point in the South West of France you can go, a frontier town with Spain and confined on the edge of both the Atlantic Ocean and Pyrenees Mountains. Hendaye is a sprawled town, split into 2 main areas and separated by 2 kms. The old medieval Basque Town is situated on a hill ...

Hernani - Hernani is located in the Northeast of Gipuzkoa, 10 kilometres far from Donostia-San Sebastián. The town is situated at the bottom of Santa Bárbara Mountain and the river Urumea flows from north to south through the urban area. It collects the water from all the streams in the ...

Tolosa - Tolosa is situated 26 kilometres away from San Sebastian on the N-1 road, at the meeting point of two main road towards Pamplona-Iruña and Madrid. It was the capital of Gipuzkoa between 1844 and 1854 and its historical centre is one of the ...

Ordizia - The historical and city centre of this town, with its medieval layout of narrows streets bubbling with commercial activity, has been declared a Monumental-Historical Site. Its most emblematic buildings are the Parish Church, the Town Hall, the Palaces of Zabala, Abaria and Barrena, Muxika Tower ...

Segura - A 13th century medieval town whose historical centre has been declared a Monumental Heritage Site. Its former medieval charm is preserved throughout the town which is home to some distinguised palaces: Guevara (15th century), Ardixarra (16th century) and Lardizabal (18th century) which is now the ...

Arantzazu Monastery - A compendium of the best contemporary Basque art, this unique geographical area has been a place of attraction since supposedly the Virgin appeared on a hawthorn tree (Arantzan-zu) in 1468, which was believed to be a miracle and converted the site into a place of pilgrimage. This event also ...

Onati - Onati is the most aristocratic and monumental town in Gipuzkoa for the artistic grandeur and architectural wealth of its buildings. The town is a real jewel set at foot of Mount Alona (1298 m) in the foothills of Aizkorri Massif. Its many buildings include the 16th century Parish Church of San ...