Starting point Santa Katalina Lighthouse

Today we’ll spend the day travelling through the Lea Artibai region.

Our starting point is the Santa Katalina Lighthouse in Lekeitio. The Santa Katalina Lighthouse is the only visitable lighthouse in the whole of the Basque Country. It also has an information centre where visitors can learn the techniques and basic principles of navigation. It is located next to the watchtower in a natural setting, and offers visitors the opportunity to take a virtual trip from Lekeitio to neighbouring Elantxobe.

Before continuing, don’t miss Lekeitio, where its narrow cobbled streets lead down to a port where you can still see boats unloading fresh fish or the net-menders sewing. The old town preserves a wealth of artistic heritage. The Basilica of the Assumption of Santa María and its splendid Gothic altarpiece stand out, which is one of Bizkaia’s religious jewels.

Following the coast, we’ll reach Ondarroa, where in the old part we find the Old Bridge and the Old Guild, two of the most charming places. Ondarroa can be the stop to taste local cuisine and its exquisite fish, as its port is one of the busiest in Bizkaia. Don’t miss the Kamiñazpi district, with murals paying homage to the working people of the sea, which are impossible to ignore, nor the medieval Old Quarter, with narrow streets, huddled and stepped houses and a rich historical heritage.

In the afternoon, and heading inland, we’ll visit the municipality of Markina-Xemein, the gateway to the Way of Saint James. It is home to the unique hermitage of San Miguel de Arretxinaga, with its surprising hexagonal layout and megalithic altar, and the municipal fronton (pelota court) known as “La universidad de la pelota”, the sport’s legendary “university”.

Very close by is the Zenarruza Collegiate Church (Ziortza), declared a National Monument of the Basque Country. This religious complex includes the church, cloister, guesthouse, the new abbot’s house, tenant farmers’ houses, the two entrance gates, and the buildings housing the Cistercian community, as well as the former canons’ houses, the courtyard, and the cobbled path built in medieval times. In fact, it is currently the only stretch of cobbled path on the Way of Saint James in Bizkaia.