Zarautz

This town in the province of Guipúzcoa combines its excellent beach with an interesting historic quarter. The local cuisine is one of the most exquisite and famous in the whole Basque Country.

This ancient settlement of whale hunters became an important tourist village in the 19th century. Its elegant beach, the longest in the province, has a quiet promenade on the shore of the Cantabrian Sea, decorated with numerous vanguard sculptures. Zarautz's waves make it a paradise for surf lovers. The city centre has some features that will surprise the visitor, such as the Gothic tower of Luzea, the medieval church of Santa María la Real, and the Renaissance palace of Narros. This city has numerous ancestral homes, and Portu Palace from the 16th century, on the shore of the Cantabrian Sea. Other cultural activities available include a visit to the Basque Museum of Photography, and to the Zarautz Museum of Art and History. Any journey through the city should include trying some of the local cuisine, and nothing better than "pintxos" (canapés), and fresh fish casseroles, which go excellently with some wine from the Designation of Origin-Chacolí de Guetaria-Guetariako-Txakolina.