What to see in Hondarribia, a colorful town in the north of Spain

Also called Fuenterrabía, just a few kilometers from the border with France, we find Hondarribia, one of the most beautiful towns in Spain thanks to its Casco Viejo and the colorful Barrio de La Marina, a spectacle for the senses.

To its cobbled streets, its colorful balconies and its great atmosphere we must add its splendid gastronomy, with important restaurants with a Michelin Star but also with others less known but highly recommended.

If you want to take a walk through Hondarribia and discover it, do not stop reading.

Tour to visit Hondarribia in one day

If you do not have a car to visit Hondarribia, you may be interested in doing one of these excursions that, among other places, will take you to this beautiful town:

• Excursion to San Sebastian, Hondarribia and Biarritz from Bilbao
• Excursion to San Sebastian, Hondarribia and Biarritz from San Sebastian

1. The Old Town of Hondarribia

The Casco Viejo, which will leave you speechless, is located inside some walls, which can be accessed through the Puerta de Santa María, a medieval door that opens the way to the Calle Mayor (Kale Nagusia) of Hondarribia where They find some of the most beautiful buildings.

There you will find the typical houses with their colored balconies of Hondarribia as well as the Town Hall, a Baroque building from the 18th century, the Zuloaga Palace, from the same century or the Casadevante House.

2. The Plaza de Armas

Before reaching the nerve center of the town, the Plaza de Armas, is the Church of Santa María de la Asunción y del Manzano, a church that mixes styles and has been the main witness to the history of Fuenterrabía.

In the Plaza de Armas, surrounded by numerous shops and restaurants, is the Castillo de Carlos V, now a Parador de Turismo, which we recommend going in to see something of its interior even if you are not staying there.

The walk through the Old Town of Hondarribia can end in the small and interesting Plaza de Guipúzcoa, surrounded by the typical and colorful houses of the town.

3. The Navy District

At the foot of the Casco Viejo we have the other essential place to visit in Hondarribia, the Barrio de la Marina, located next to the old port and where the fishermen of the area lived for centuries.

In the Barrio de La Marina we can find numerous houses, in the typical style of the Basque Country, with their colorful balconies, which represent an emblem and the typical image of Hondarribia.

Here we also find the majority of bars and restaurants where we can enjoy the gastronomy of the area, based on the sea, either in the form of a pintxo or in the traditional way of sitting at a table.

Calle San Pedro and Calle Santiago are the liveliest, but we also recommend approaching the sea and walking along Paseo de Butrón, from where you can see the French Basque coast.

4. Hondarribia Beach

Following this path that runs along the last meters of the Bidasoa River, we reach Hondarribia Beach, opening onto the Cantabrian Sea right at the mouth of the river and flanked by Hendaye Beach on the other side. It is a very busy 800-meter beach with all the services where you can relax after visiting this beautiful Basque town.

And if you continue further north, leaving the beach behind, you will reach the Higuer Lighthouse, from where you have great views of the Cantabrian Sea. Nearby is the Castillo de San Telmo, built in the 16th century to protect the entrance to the Bay of Hondarríbia from pirates and invaders. It cannot be visited, but just to see its facades and the ensemble it forms by the sea is already worth it.

5. Mount Jaizkibel

Known among cyclists for being decisive in the Clásica de San Sebastián, this mountain located next to Hondarríbia is for many the end of the Pyrenees.

We recommend going through it starting from the Higuer lighthouse and following the narrow road that takes you to Pasaia. At the beginning is the Hermitage of Guadalupe, patron saint of the city and protagonist in the Alarde, the city’s famous festivities, which are celebrated at the beginning of September.

On the mount there are 5 towers, used in the last of the Carlist Wars and two forts, Guadalupe and San Enrique, built at the end of the 19th century.

You can find more information about what to see in Hondarribia on its official tourism page.