Getaria and Zarautz, txakoli, grills and the longest beach

Getaria and Zarautz sit side by side on the Gipuzkoa coast, about 4 or 5 km apart along the coast road. They are two different atmospheres that complement each other. Getaria is a fishing village with a small medieval old town, a harbour of grill restaurants that cook fish on the grill in the street, Mount San Antón, which everyone calls the Ratón (the Mouse) for its silhouette, and the Cristóbal Balenciaga museum, the couturier who was born here. All around, the slopes are covered with txakoli vineyards. Zarautz is a summer resort town with the longest sandy beach on the Basque coast, waves for learning to surf and the Iñurritza dune system.

How to get there

From San Sebastián it is about 25 km along the AP-8 motorway towards Bilbao, with the exit at Zarautz: between 25 and 30 minutes (estimated). From Bilbao, about an hour along the AP-8 (estimated). From Vitoria-Gasteiz, around an hour and a quarter along the AP-1 and the AP-8 or through the Goierri (estimated). From Pamplona, a little over an hour along the A-15 to Andoain and the AP-8 (estimated). The Zumaia Flysch is ten minutes further west, in case you want to add it.

Without a car there are good options. Lurraldebus has several lines from Donostia: the UK10 (Donostia–Zarautz–Getaria–Zumaia, by motorway) and the UK09 and UK11, which also go into Orio. From Bilbao, the DO01 links Bilbao, Zarautz and Donostia, and from Vitoria the DO02 goes through Zarautz. Between Zarautz and Getaria, the same bus takes a few minutes, or you can walk.

Where to park

In Getaria the old town is tiny and the harbour fills up in summer and on Sundays at lunchtime; the tourist office publishes on its website where to park, with areas for cars and for caravans. The practical thing is to arrive before 13:00 or park in Zarautz and walk the path. In Zarautz there is more space, but next to the beach parking is regulated (OTA). Karlos Arguiñano's restaurant, for example, recommends the Kortazar or Munoa car parks.

The walk between the two villages

There are two paths. The seafront promenade starts at the western end of Zarautz beach and follows the coast, flat, beside the road, to Getaria harbour. The Camino de Santiago climbs from the end of Zarautz's old town along a steep stone causeway, between vineyards, to the hermitage of Santa Bárbara, and descends towards Getaria. You can go by one and return by the other, or return by bus.

How much time

One day covers the Balenciaga museum in the morning, grilled fish at Getaria harbour and a stroll or a swim in Zarautz in the afternoon. Two days let you add a visit to a txakoli winery, a surf lesson and an unhurried climb of the Ratón, or a trip to the Zumaia Flysch.

When to go

From May to September is the season for the beach, terraces and surfing for beginners. In July and August the Balenciaga museum is open every day and until 20:00. The wineries have their own calendar: Txomin Etxaniz, for example, does not run visits in September, October and November, which is the grape harvest and production. In winter the villages are quiet, the museum is open Wednesday to Sunday and some restaurants close for a few weeks: Karlos Arguiñano's hotel and restaurant, from 21 December to 5 February.