Guided visit to the Santa Catalina lighthouse in Lekeitio.

Guided visit to the Santa Catalina lighthouse in Lekeitio, one of the most surprising experiences on the Basque coast.

The guided visit to the Santa Catalina lighthouse in Lekeitio is one of those experiences that attracts attention. And it is not surprising. This space located in the middle of the Basque coast, between cliffs and the Cantabrian Sea, invites us to know the history and maritime culture of our town from a dynamic and daring point of view. The Interpretation Center located in the lighthouse of Lekeitio introduces us to the world of lighthouses and navigation techniques. A subject about which we have written a lot in recent times. And the success of places like Albaola encourages us to do so. By the way, if you do not know this Basque initiative, you should know that it is one of the most important cultural projects in the Basque Country. We strongly recommend you to visit it. In short, in Albaola a Basque whaler is being reproduced, piece by piece, using the same methods that were used in the 16th century. Interesting, isn’t it? But let’s not get sidetracked, let’s go back to the guided visit to the Santa Catalina lighthouse in Lekeitio. You should know that we are in front of the first and only visitable lighthouse of all Euskadi, that yes, the visit, only crosses the rooms in which the family of the lighthouse keeper lived and a small room enabled for the reception of the travelers, the lantern is not visited. As we have already mentioned, the environment surrounding the lighthouse of Santa Catalina de Lekeitio, is another attraction of this visit. The cliffs, beaches, watchtowers and urban centers that we find less than 5 minutes away from this tourist attraction have been molded by the wind and the sea obtaining a small earthly paradise. The fact of finding one of the few flocks of sheep of Lekeitio in the vicinity, adds another incentive to this visit, especially for the youngest of the house. Thus turning the guided tour of the Lighthouse of Lekeitio into a family plan with a lot of charm.

Do not forget to enjoy the breathtaking views from the lighthouse. A panoramic view of the Basque coast, which, on sunny days allows us to contemplate the beaches of Iparralde (French Basque Country) perfectly. By the way, the villages of the French Basque Country, are another of the spaces that we recommend you to visit with eyes closed. The beauty of villages like Hendaye, Sokoa, Ziburu, San Juan de Luz or Getary is more than enough argumentation to fall in their nets. Returning to the guided visit of the Santa Catalina de Lekeitio lighthouse, we can say that it is a perfect place from which to contemplate the sunset. Its outdoor terrace invites you to do so. Having a drink while sitting, watching and listening to the sea is a must. Relax.

The Santa Catalina lighthouse in Lekeitio houses the interpretation center of navigation technology. A space that highlights the daily life of the sailors who sail the waters under the watchful eye of the Santa Catalina lighthouse. This center makes use of all the technological advances available so that the maritime legacy of the Basque people reaches its visitors. To do so, it embarks all of them on a 4D virtual journey aboard a fishing boat that makes the maritime route between Lekeitio and Elantxobe. Are you on board?

Guided tour of the lighthouse: The visit to the Santa Catalina lighthouse in Lekeitio begins next to the bar, in a small room that serves as reception. It is here, where, by means of a video, we are introduced to the maritime world and the basic fundamentals of navigation. Once finished, it is time to go down to the lighthouse. Although there is an elevator to be able to save the unevenness that we found, at the moment it is broken. A fact that makes it impossible for many people to access the Interpretation Center. A pity. As we go down the stairs towards the old lighthouse keeper’s house, pictures of the different lighthouses of Euskadi accompany us on the way. A beautiful collection that is worth contemplating. Arriving at the entrance, we find several photos of the former lighthouse keeper of Lekeitio, Laureano Diaz Benitez. A well-deserved tribute to the family that for so many years helped the sailors to return home safe and sound. We enter the interior. The good stuff begins. A couple of videos detail the different elements used for navigation: light signals, sound signals, stars, cetaceans… everything was valid. Of course, in order to reach their destination, it was essential to know how to interpret all these elements. A lesson that is put into practice inside the Santa Catalina lighthouse in Lekeitio. Do you want to come with us on a virtual trip from Lekeitio to Elantxobe? Hold on tight because galerna is coming. After navigating in the simulator of the interpretation center, we head to the third and last room of the lighthouse. It is here, where they explain to us the importance that women have had throughout the years both in the fishing sector and outside it. Aupa neskak! Before going up to the starting point, before finishing the visit, it is time to go up to the lighthouse platform, it is time to take the photo of rigor. At the end, you can complete this visit by going up to the Talaia, a place from where whales, enemy ships or shipwrecks were sighted. By the way, guided tours are limited to 20 people per session. A limitation, which makes it practically obligatory to book in high season. Another peculiarity of this space is that children under 3 years of age are not allowed to enter. By the way, we would have liked to see the bowels of the lighthouse, the lantern, a little known space that attracts everyone who comes to Santa Catalina.

How to get there: Getting to the Santa Catalina lighthouse from the center of Lekeitio is very easy. We only have to follow the coast along the street “Santa Katalina Ibilbidea”. What is more, we recommend it. And it is that the walk that separates the center of Lekeitio from the lighthouse, gives us beautiful views of the coast of Biscay. An enjoyable and pleasant walk. If you prefer to arrive by car, the route is the same, there is no loss. Next to the lighthouse there is a small parking lot where we can park our vehicles for free. Of course, if what you want to know is how to get to Lekeitio itself, you have 2 options: along the coast or inland.

Lighthouses of the Basque coast: The Basque Country, like the rest of the territories of the Cantabrian coast, has some of the most emblematic lighthouses of the peninsula. These buildings, essential to avoid shipwrecks near the coast, helped sailors trying to return home by means of luminous signals. We must remember that more than 70% of the surface of our planet is occupied by water, and 96% of this water belongs to the oceans. For all those people who do not know how a lighthouse works, we could define it by saying that it is a building that, playing with the intervals and colors of the light it emits, makes that each vessel can recognize which lighthouse it is seeing and in which point of the coast it is located. Anyway, due to the increasing technological innovation in satellite navigation systems, lighthouses have been relegated to the background. Today, although still active, the lighthouses of the Basque coast have become small historical and architectural jewels. Buildings of great beauty that caress the sea from land. Here is a small list with the most emblematic lighthouses of Euskadi, among them the lighthouse of Santa Catalina de Lekeitio, the protagonist of today.

Opening hours and prices: The lighthouse of Lekeitio does not have the same schedule throughout the year. And, as is usual in the vast majority of tourist attractions in the Basque Country, this Biscayan enclave adapts its visiting hours depending on the season in which we find ourselves. That said, the only difference between high season and low season is in the days it opens its doors to the public. The rest, i.e., guided tour schedules, are not modified at any time.

As for the cost of the guided tour of the Santa Catalina lighthouse, the generic rate is set at 6 €, being for children (3 to 12 years) and retirees 4.5 €. In this sense, we believe that they have a good value for money, although it could be improved. We must remind all those who are hesitating to go for economic reasons, that inside the lighthouse of Santa Catalina we find a 4D simulator, an interesting and different experience, which makes the visit gain integers. This 4D simulator reminded us of the one at the Villa Lucia Wine Museum in Laguardia.

What to see in Lekeitio: Lekeitio, one of the most beautiful villages of Euskadi, and therefore, one of the most beautiful villages of Bizkaia, makes us fall in love with every step we take. And it is difficult to imagine a fishing village with so many places of interest. Here is a small list of spaces that perfectly complement the guided visit to the Santa Catalina lighthouse in Lekeitio.

These are just a small representation of what we can see and do in Lekeitio. If you want to know more places to visit and experiences to do, we recommend you to leave us a comment in this article. We will try to answer your questions as soon as possible.

Gastronomy: Lekeitio, as a good Basque town, does not lag behind in terms of gastronomy. Moreover, we encourage you to taste its culinary creations both in the busiest pintxo bars and in the most emblematic restaurants. In our case, we let ourselves be carried away by the pintxo bars of the town to achieve a more than curious Pintxos route through Lekeitio. Here is a small sample of bars that we recommend to visit.

This route of pintxos in Lekeitio can satisfy the most capricious and insatiable stomachs, we are sure you will not be disappointed. We look forward to hearing from you. Anyway, if you are not convinced by this proposal, or if you simply prefer to eat a good menu, here are our proposals.

Nearby hotels: Lekeitio is well worth a getaway. And both the town and everything that surrounds it, are places to consider on any trip to the Basque coast. There are other hotel establishments in the vicinity, but the two proposals that we make are a safe bet. Highly recommended.

TurismoVasco Tiketa: After our visit to the Santa Catalina lighthouse in Lekeitio, we gave our humble tourist accreditation to the people in charge of the lighthouse. A sticker, which highlights the way in which the different aspects of Basque history and culture are shown in this enclave.

Santa Catalina lighthousevideo: We have uploaded a short video of the lighthouse of Lekeitio to our YouTube channel to complement the photos and text of this article. We recommend you to subscribe to our channel, we are sure you will find more than one video that catches your attention.

When the technology that was used at sea could be summed up in a couple of utensils, when our sailors fought against the elements of nature with their own means, the presence of these coastal lookouts was indispensable. Today, they are still very useful, but technology has pushed them into the background. Today, lighthouses are faithful representatives of the architecture, culture and history of the territory in which they are located, let’s take care of them. We hope that the guided visit to the Santa Catalina lighthouse in Lekeitio will help you to complete a round day on the Basque coast. In case you have any doubt or suggestion, we advise you to leave us a comment in this article, we will try to answer you as soon as possible.