Zarautz – Zarauz

The queen of beaches

Zarautz is one of the main summer destinations in the Basque Country thanks to its beautiful beach. Visits and residents alike love surfing, rugby, photography and txacoli wine.

Do you want to visit this place?

Zarautz is a must-see for those visiting the coast in Guipuzcoa thanks to its gorgeous beach and Santa Bárba and Mollarri cliffs.There are also several medieval constructions and villas from the end of the 19th century to see. As Zarautz is a smaller Basque town, you can see all of these things in just a couple of days. However, if you have more time, there are several other incredible neighbouring towns such as San SebastiánZumaia (and its Flysch park), Orio and Guetaria.

First, there are several interesting churches in Zarautz. We recommend visiting a couple of them such as Santa María la Real Church Paris (15th century), which houses the Zarautz Art and History Museum; the Franciscans Church, Convent and School, all of them set up in 1610; and Santa Bárbara Chapel, which provides you with a great panoramic view of the city.

Another beautiful building, Narros Palace (1536) is near the beach. The palace used to be the residence of Isabel II for her summer stays in the city and is now recognised as an Artistic-Historic Monument. You can also visit the Makatza House (15th century) and Luzea Tower (a great Gothic example from the 15th century), which houses several interesting paintings from the 16th century.

If you cross the Market plaza, you will reach the City Hall, located in Portu House (a palace from the 16th century which was declared an Artistic-Historic Monument). Another important example of the civil architecture of the city is Doratekua House (16th century), set up by doctor Juan Ortiz de Zarautz, chief magistrate of Castro Urdiales. Photography lovers can enjoy the Photography Basque Museum, also known as Photomuseum, located in Villla Manuela which goes through the history of photography since its beginnings to nowadays.

Que ver en Zarautz

Santa María la Real Church Parish

In the eastern part of Zarautz plaza you can find the Iñurritza Protected Biotope, namely, 50 hectares of land containing different ecosystems such as dunes, cliffs and marshlands. There is another locality nearby called Getaria, where we can visit some interesting txakoli wine cellars. Also, if you’re looking for some delicious food, the famous cook Karlos Arguiñano has his restaurant-hotel and his cooking school in this area.

Must-see...

Dónde dormir en Zarauz
Paseo marítimo de Zarautz-Zarauz

Practical Data

Coordinates

43° 17′ 0″ N, 2° 10′ 0″ W

Distances

Donostia-San Sebastián 20 km, Bilbao 83 km, Madrid 436 km

Altitude

4 m

Inhabitants

22 760 (2013)

Other nearby destinations

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