Historic seaside town with gastronomic delights
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Activity

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3-4h

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Message from Jaime & Carolina

Getaria, a charming town in the Basque Country of Spain, is known for its delicious grilled fish and white wine, Getaria also boasts the Cristobal Balenciaga Museum. With its picturesque coastline and historic charm, this seaside town offers a perfect blend of history, gastronomy, and natural beauty for visitors to enjoy.

A rock shaped like a mouse warns of arrival in Getaria 🐭. It stands imposingly at the end of the harbor, breaking the line that traces the Cantabrian coast as it passes through the Basque Country, between Zarautz and Zumaia 🌊. At the top of the mouse's head stands the lighthouse from where whales were once spotted, accessible via a tombolo that turned Mount San Antón from an island into a peninsula in the 16th century ⛰️. From this union emerged the tail of the Getaria Mouse, dividing the coastline into two small beaches. On one side, the tranquil and family-friendly Malkorbe. On the other, Gaztetape, popular among surfers 🏄‍♂️. Between them, where vineyards almost touch the sea, the walled historic old town peeks out.

At the end of its main street (Kale Nagusia) rises the Gothic church of San Salvador, with its sloping floor and elevated presbytery due to the rocky terrain ⛪. From its tower, it overlooks numerous Gothic, Baroque, and Neoclassical palaces, among which the Aldamar stands out. Located in the upper part, it saw the rise of the international designer Cristóbal Balenciaga, and his work remains there, in an annex building that now houses his museum 🏛️. Getaria also saw the birth of Juan Sebastián Elcano, the first navigator to circumnavigate the globe in the famous expedition 500 years ago 🌍.

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