Page 135 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Northern Spain

THE BASQUE C OUNTR Y  133

7 Deba
Navigators of the Basque Coast
Guipúzcoa. Road Map B4. * 5,400.
£ @ n Ifar Kalea 4; 943 19 24 52. Juan Sebastián Elcano, born in Getaria, led the first expedition to
_ San Roque (14–20 Aug). circumnavigate the globe. Following the death of Magellan, Elcano
∑ deba.eus assumed command on the famous round-the-world voyage. On 6
September 1522, after a voyage of 78,000 km
Deba was a fashionable resort in (48,500 miles) lasting three years, Elcano
the 1900s, and so has a line of returned to Seville on his ship, the Victoria.
grand old villas beside its long, Another Basque, Andrés de Urdaneta,
wide beach. With crashing surf, led the second Spanish round-the-world
voyage in the 1530s. In the 1560s Miguel
it still attracts scores of visitors López de Legazpi conquered the
on summer weekends. Philippines for Spain. Basque sailors later
In the town are a few palaces took part in the exploration of Mexico.
from its 16th-century Golden In the 1600s navigator Sebastián
Age. An important monument Portrait of the navigator Juan Vizcaíno explored and mapped the
is the massive Gothic Iglesia de Sebastián Elcano coast of California.
Santa María, with a beautiful
cloister and colourfully
decorated entrance. artificially joined to the mainland.
Another well-known site is It is known as El Ratón de Getaria
the shrine in Itziar dedicated to (the Mouse of Getaria) because of
the Virgin Mary. Its interior has a its shape. Several archaeo logical
Romanesque sculpture of Mary, finds have been made near the
patron saint of sailors, and a 14th-century Iglesia de San
Plateresque altar. Outside is the Salvador. The Museo Cristobal
bronze sculpture, La Maternidad Balenciaga is a showpiece for the
by Jorge Oteiza. fashion designer who lived here.
Environs E Museo Cristobal Balenciaga
A clifftop footpath with magnifi- Parque Aldamar 6. Tel 943 00 88 40.
cent coastal views leads through Open Mar–May & Oct: 10am–5pm
green fields and past huge old Tue–Fri, 10am–7pm Sat & Sun; Jun &
farms to Zumaia. This popular Sep: 10am–7pm Tue–Sun; Jul & Aug:
resort has broad, sandy beaches, 10am–7pm daily; Nov–Feb: 10am–3pm
including the Playa Santiago. A The octagonal tower of the Iglesia de San Tue–Fri & 10am–5pm Sat, Sun. & 8
pleasant afternoon can be spent Salvador in Getaria ∑ cristobalbalenciagamuseoa.com
strolling in the old quarter and
visiting the attractive marina. 8 Getaria
In the Espacio Ignacio Guipúzcoa. Road Map B4. * 2,600. 9 Zarautz
Zuloaga, home of a celebrated @ n Parque Aldamar 2; 943 14 09 57. Guipúzcoa. Road Map B4. * 23,000.
early 20th-century Basque _ San Antón (17 Jan), San Salvador £ @ n Nafarroa 3; 943 83 09 90.
painter, are displayed Zuloaga’s (6–8 Aug). ∑ getariaturismo.eus _ San Pelaio (25–27 Jun), Virgen
colourful studies of Basque rural (14–17 Aug), Fiesta Vasca (9 Sep).
and maritime life. Getaria is a charming trawler ∑ turismozarautz.com
port with lively cafés. It is also the
E Espacio Ignacio Zuloaga centre of Txakolí wine pro duction Like many old towns in the
Santiago Etxea. Tel 677 07 84 45. and known for good food. Just region, Zarautz was tradition ally
Open Mar–Sep: 4–8pm Fri–Sat. 8 off the coast lies the tiny island associated with whaling.
∑ espaciozuloaga.com of Monte San Antón, which is Nowadays, the mainstay of
its economy is tourism. The town
boasts the province’s longest
beach and promenade. The sea
here offers excellent conditions
for surfing, while the nearby
vine-clad hillsides produce the
region’s famous Txakolí wines. In
the old quarter are houses with
coats of arms, the Gothic Torre
Luzea, the medieval Iglesia de
Santa María La Real, and the
Renaissance Palacio de Narros.
The local cuisine is considered to
be among the best in the
The building of the Museo de Ignacio Zuloaga in Zumaia, near Deba Basque Country.
View of the town hall with Monte Urgull in the background, San Sebastián (Donostia)

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