Guéthary, what to see and do.

Guéthary, an idyllic village located on the coast of Iparralde.

Guéthary, Getaria in Basque, is a small town located on the coast of Iparralde, between Bidart and San Juan de Luz. Although we have always known it by the name of Getaria, in this article we will mention its French nomenclature, Guéthary, in order to distinguish it from the Gipuzkoan town of Getaria. Another of the places that we recommend you to visit in every trip to Euskal Herria.Guéthary, like the neighboring Biarritz, was a port specialized in whale fishing. An urban center, that with the passage of time became a tourist town where the thermal circuits and surfing stood out. Today, Guéthary is a residential urban center, quiet and charming. A place that we recommend you to visit.

At present the coastal road that connects San Juan de Luz with Bidart separates this locality in 2 parts, the interior and the coast. Touristically speaking, the interior has only the attraction of the church and the cemetery, while the rest is along the coast.

What to see in Guéthary.

Although it is a small town, it is more extensive than it seems. Even more so if we want to visit each and every one of the spaces that we recommend on foot, walking. We must remember that it is a residential urban center, in which some areas such as the beach or the church are somewhat dispersed. The rest is located next to the town hall.

Town Hall: The Guéthary Town Hall, also known as Herriko Etxea in Basque, is located in a building of popular Basque architecture. A neo-Basque style structure, it was declared a historical monument. Built at the beginning of the 20th century, the building has many works of art in honor of Basque culture.

Fronton: The main fronton is located next to the town hall, in the heart of the village. A space where most of Guéthary’s events and activities take place (pelota matches, concerts, festivals…). In fact, we could say that it is its nerve center. A meeting place. One of the most important spaces of the town.

Church: The church of Saint Nicolas or Saint Nicolas, was built in the sixteenth century on one of the highest points of the village. Inside Guéthary. In fact, we have to cross the road linking Bidart with St. Jean de Luz to access it. This church was enlarged in 1859 and restored in 1970. Like most of the churches of Iparralde, the contrast between its simple exterior and its impressive interior is striking. The 3 floors of wooden galleries and its organ are well worth a visit. This church was declared a historical monument in 2001.

Museum: This museum located in the mansion of popular Basque architecture Villa Saraleguinea, encourages us to visit 3 different spaces: the works of the sculptor Georges Clément de Swiecinski, the archaeological remains of the Roman period and the different objects that show us the history and evolution of Guéthary from the time of whaling to the present day. It also has a space dedicated to temporary exhibitions where we can find works by both local and international artists.

Port: The port of Guéthary is a magical, fairytale space. A small and charming fishing port where we find small boats decorated with typical Basque motifs. But perhaps what is most striking is its history, and is that we must indicate that it was here where the whales were dragged and lifted for later use.

Viewpoint: The viewpoint that we find next to the port is one of the watchtowers that the town has. We are sure that you will love the incredible panoramic view it offers. On sunny days it is possible to contemplate the entire coast of Iparralde, from Hondarribia to Biarritz. A perfect place from where to contemplate the sea and the sunsets. In fact, there are many surfers who come to this viewpoint to check the state of the sea and thus decide (or not) to surf the waves of Guéthary.

Market: From May to September, the Guéthary fronton hosts a very lively market every Sunday. From July to August, at night, a night market is held where local craftsmen offer us some of their best works.

Laminak: This group of sculptures by the artist Michel Dubosqc was inaugurated in 2000. In it we can contemplate 4 cement figures covered by a mosaic of colors. This work of art is inspired by Basque mythology.

Surfing: Surfing is one of the most practiced sports in Guéthary. In fact, although it does not have a spectacular coastline, there is an internationally famous wave that is visited annually by thousands of surfers from around the world. Of course, its rocky bottom and the different currents make it unsuitable for novice surfers.

Although these are the most important and striking places to see in Guéthary, they are not all and if you want to know in detail this town, we recommend you to visit places like the itsasoan footbridge, the monument to the fallen or the natural reserve of the coast.

History.

This town of more than 140 hectares and 1,300 inhabitants was originally an urban center of fishermen and farmers. Above all fishermen. And we must remember that Guéthary is par excellence a whaling village. In fact, the watchtower where we find the lighthouse was the place from which whales were sighted. They also warned of possible pirate attacks. All this changed when in 1864 the train arrived. A means of transport that brought to this town of Iparralde the fashion, the spa tradition and tourism. In fact, since the 20th century Guéthary practically lives from tourism.

Video of Guéthary.

As usual in all our publications, we have created a short video about Guéthary so that you can get a more realistic idea of what awaits you at your destination. We hope it will be helpful. In case you like this kind of videos we recommend you to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you can discover all the experiences and places we recommend in the Basque Country, we are waiting for you!

What to see near Guéthary.

Less than 30 minutes by car from this town we find really interesting places. We recommend that you value the possibility of taking a route through some of the places listed below, we are sure you will love them.

Experiences in the Basque Country.

If you are looking for different experiences or activities in Euskadi, we encourage you to visit our booking section. There you will find experiences for all tastes and colors. In any case, we leave you some of the most demanded so that you can start thinking about which one best suits your needs.

As you have been able to see, Guéthary is a small and charming coastal town that is well worth a visit in any trip to Iparralde. If you have any questions, we encourage you to use the comment system that you will find below these lines to send them to us. We will try to respond as soon as possible. Ondo pasa!