Stroll through Zumaia, a beautiful seaside town!

Come and visit the town of Zumaia ! At the mouth of the Urola River, it is an attractive seaside town, which offers multiple activities to do, beautiful landscapes, heritage and quality coastal hikes. Of course, let's not forget to talk about its beaches, which are an invitation to relax or to water sports and leisure, as you prefer! We visited it at the end of the day and you will see that the sunsets are remarkable!

Photos from the report: Basque Country Guide

Zumaia, coastal town in Gipuzkoa

Park in the car parks outside the city, we tell you this every time, but it's important because you risk going around looking for a space even though everything is organized to make the visit easier. There are car parks allowing you to stay for 1 or 2 hours, but we quickly moved the car to make the most of it. On the port side, it's good for parking!

The bay of Zumaia is sumptuous and dynamic, 2 rivers converge there, the mouth is narrow but very beautiful and ends with a beautiful natural space and the beach of Santiago, a perfect spot for the sunset ! The city is easily explored on foot, we chose roller skates! You will need to take shoes in your bag, to go up to the heights ! Once parked near the port, a small maritime shuttle makes the connection to the other side of the city, it is fun and it only costs a few euros. You can also go around, by taking the bridge and following the banks arranged for the walk along the Urola river. The Zumaia Tourist Office is also located at this location.

Zumaia enjoys a very beautiful panorama, because it is built near steep cliffs that plunge towards the sea. Like a good part of the coast in this place, it is crossed by Flyschs, an astonishing geological formation of limestone and sandstone, which you can admire: these are rocky states sometimes almost horizontal, which form like folds of the ground! The marina is pleasant and you often see boats going out to sea, it is very bucolic.

The old town still has strong medieval accents, there is the San Pedro church ( ^13th century, Gothic style), its altarpiece is remarkable. Beautiful palaces and noble houses are scattered on the heights, go for a stroll in the alleys. There are several beaches in Zumaia, first of all the Itzurun beach which is close to the San Telmo hermitage, a small chapel with a very beautiful view of the cliffs.

Santiago Beach is easily accessible on foot from the port, with a charming seafront promenade. Read our Top 5 of the most beautiful beaches in Gipuzkoa

Things to do and see around Zumaia

• The patron saint festivals of San Telmo and San Pedro are two of the city's highlights.
• You can visit the Zuloaga Museum in Zumaia, which displays the works of a renowned painter (Ignacio Zuloaga) in a house and a small chapel.
• Visit other coastal villages nearby, for example: Getaria and Zarautz

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