Come and enjoy the maritime atmosphere of Ondarroa
The surrounding mountains, the River Artibai, and the rugged coastline have marked the character of a town that has always been intimately linked to the sea
The strong relationship between Ondarroa and the Cantabrian Sea can be noticed everywhere: on the quays, in the fishermen’s market, in the old town’s street, in the fishermen’s guild, in the churches, and on the bridges that cross from one bank to the other of the Artibai
Next to a small bay at the mouth of the River Artibai is the town with the most important fishing port on the Cantabrian Sea: Ondarroa. Here, fishermen continue to unload their precious catches day after day. This ritual, which has been carried out for centuries, perfectly embodies the essence of the town.
From que quay, you can watch how boats and ships of all kinds and sizes sail towards the shore, surrounded by the amazing landscapes the Biscayan coast has to offer. Once they arrive at the port, both inshore and offshore fishermen–known here as arrantzales–take their catches to the fishermen’s market, where the fish is classified, weighed, and displayed. You can see first-hand, or even participate in, the daily reverse clock auction held to sell the inshore fish, which is always done in the same traditional fashion. The best pieces generally end up being the star dish on the menus of the nearby restaurants.
Ondarroa’s historic centre is also a reflection of the close relationship between its people and the sea. Originally, the port was located on the left bank of the Artibai, around which the urban area we can see today was developed. The Cofradía Vieja and the food market were the places to go to get both seafood and the produce made and grown on inland Lea Artibai’s baserris–local farms. Even nowadays, the old town’s narrow streets maintain the maritime mood that once permeated them, and the echoes of the prayers said by local fishermen before setting sail can still be heard in the Chapel of La Piedad.
In the centre of the old town, the profile of the Likona Tower catches our eye too. This robust limestone building was owned by the Licona family, one of the most powerful lineages in medieval times; and San Ignacio de Loyola’s mother, who also belonged to the family, used to live there.
But the monument in Ondarroa that clearly stands out from the rest is the Church of Santa María, erected in 1462 on a large rock situated in the oldest part of the town, close to one of the bends in the Artibai. Its spectacular external ornamentation, characteristic of the flamboyant Gothic style, features the so-called ‘kortxeleko mamuak’, a group of huge statues that represent a medieval court. The image of ‘Leokadi’, a woman who was punished for her sins by being turned into stone, can also be found in it.
On the top of a hill that once was in the outskirts of Ondarroa, lies the Chapel of Nuestra Señora de la Antigua, which preserves a wood carving of the Virgin, venerated by local sailors. It is known that the present church was constructed over an already existing building in the 15th century.
To experience Ondarroa to the fullest you should walk across the bridges that connect the banks of the Artibai, all of them constructed at different times. The Zubi Zaharra brige–‘old bridge’ in Basque–was built from stone in 1795 to replace a wooden drawbridge that had occupied the place since 1330–almost since the town was founded in 1327.
The construction of this emblematic bridge was followed by others. The Puente Giratorio, for example, is a swing bridge built in 1927 that allows the passage of ships thanks to a rack-and-pinion mechanism that provides driving force. Also known as Puente de la Playa (Beach Bridge), this is one of the few bridges of its kind in the world. It connects the historic centre with the Arrigorri beach, a small sandy beach at the mouth of the Artibai and on the border with Gipuzkoa, the perfect place for a seaside outing.
