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Get to know one of the most charming buildings in Gipuzkoa, the San Marcos Fort.
In the middle of nature, on a hill, we find Fort San Marcos, an ancient warlike building located in a strategic enclave that gives us unique and magical views. The engineer Luis Nieva, creator of this fortress built in 1888, devised a fortress difficult to see with the naked eye, and is that, until we cross its doors we are not aware of the stone giant before us.
Information about Fort San Marcos.
- Name: Fort San Marcos / San Marko Gotorlekua.
- Inauguration: August 25, 1888 by Queen Maria Cristina.
- Type of structure: Fort, fortress. Building intended for military purposes.
- Fort San Marcos defense area: Port of Pasaia, roads and railroads on the French border.
- Altitude: 260 meters.
- Services: Restaurant, meeting rooms, playground and recreational area.
- Parking: Small, limited spaces.
- Transportation: Private transportation is mandatory.
- Phone: 943 449 638
- Email: turismo@errenteria.eus
- Hours: Open only in high season (from approximately Easter) from Wednesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 18:00. It is possible to visit the fort at any time of the year by reservation for groups.
- Rates Fuerte San Marcos.
- Free admission: free of charge.
- Guided entrance: 3€.
- Reduced admission: 2€ (Groups, children, seniors over 65 years old)
- How to get there: Fort San Marcos is connected to the urban center of Errenteria by 2 roads. Although both are valid to reach our destination, we recommend taking the Beraun neighborhood exit and take the Camino de San Marcos.
- Location: Fort San Marcos is located on the mountain of the same name, in the town of Errenteria, province of Gipuzkoa, Basque Country. It is part of the Lau Haizeta Natural Park.
Fort San Marcos is a beauty unknown to many and admired by all its neighbors, a place to which we do not hesitate to give our exclusive “TurismoVasco Tiketa” accreditation.
St. Mark’s Day: On April 25, Fort San Marcos dresses up to celebrate its big day, St. Mark’s Day. The neighbors of the region flock from the historic center of Errenteria to the fort, a route that ends with the pilgrimage that takes place around the fort. On this same day, it is a tradition that the godmothers give opilas (cakes) to their unmarried godchildren, a tradition that still has many followers.
This emblematic point of our geography is visited annually by thousands of travelers, but in our opinion, receives fewer visits than this Basque jewel deserves. Don’t you know the Fort San Marcos? Pay attention to those of you who miss it.
Fort San Marcos.
Views: A place from which it is possible to contemplate the beauty of the coast and the interior of Gipuzkoa along with a large part of the coast of the French Basque Country, views to frame in our memory.
Climb up to the terrace of Fort San Marcos and discover some of the most charming corners of the Basque Country:
- The shell bay.
- The bay of Pasaia.
- The bay of Txingudi.
- Donostia – San Sebastian.
- Pasaia.
- Hondarribia.
- Hendaye.
Price: Symbolic, reduced and popular are 3 adjectives that perfectly describe the 3 € that costs the guided tour of Fort San Marcos. An attractive price that attracts the attention of all those who decide to discover the history of our fortress through this type of visit.
Although we recommend a guided tour, we must point out that there is the possibility of a free visit, free of charge. A visit that allows us to visit part of Fort San Marcos at our own pace, without guides. In order to find your way around the interior of Fort San Marcos, it is advisable to visit the information point that the Errenteria tourist office has at Fort San Marcos (after passing the bridge on the left), to obtain a small map of the fort (free of charge).
Location: Its location, 10 kilometers from Donostia-San Sebastian and 5 minutes from the picturesque town of Pasaia, allows us to enjoy the most important attractions of much of Gipuzkoa without wasting time in travel. Fort San Marcos is also known as the balcony of Oarsoaldea, and no wonder, are you coming?
History: Although the land where Fort San Marcos is located today has always been occupied by military buildings due to its strategic location, it was not until 1888 that the fortress we find today was built. Its proximity to Errenteria, an economically advantageous town at that time, the port of Pasaia and the national road 1, made it become one of the 3 defensive structures (together with Txoritokieta and Guadalupe) that formed the resistance against a possible French invasion, a defensive complex known as Campo Atrincherado de Oyarzun.
Fort San Marcos, has been used for military tasks until almost 1970, when this fortress was uninhabited and practically abandoned. In 1992 the Errenteria City Council bought the building from the Ministry of Defense and after renovating the moat, the parade ground, the old drawbridge and the terrace, it became part of the Lau-Haizeta Natural Park.
Fort: From the moment we step on its wooden bridge until we see the horizon at the top of Fort San Marcos, this fortress never ceases to surprise us, to make us fall in love.
Spaces of Fort San Marcos.
Entrance, drawbridge and tourist information point: We find the entrance to the fort hidden behind the curvature formed by its main wall, behind the old wooden drawbridge (nowadays fixed) that leads to the huge doors of the main floor. On the right and left hand side we find the rooms of the fort, nowadays reconverted into part of the restaurant and tourist information point of the office of Errenteria and the region of Oarsoaldea.
Inner courtyard: The inner courtyard houses the terrace of the San Marcos restaurant, a space of great beauty in which the stone imposes its character.
Lower work: It is in this part of the fort where we begin to contemplate the replicas used to recreate the military activity, machine guns, gunpowder, cannons and soldiers give life to the San Marcos fort.
In this space we can observe:
- Head caponera.
- Barbeta Battery Warehouse.
- Battery of curved fires.
- Battery to Barbeta.
Terrace: One of the most striking points of the tour, the highest location of Fort San Marcos. The panoramic panels that we find scattered around this area help us to understand where we are and the places we see, amazing, sit and contemplate the horizon, rest your mind.
The walls of San Marcos and the green grass that invades them transmit peace and tranquility to the visitor, a space created for war that transmits peace, curious isn’t it?
Natural areas: On foot, by bicycle, on horseback…you choose how to enjoy the surroundings of this ancient war fortress converted into a fortress of inner peace. Nature, fresh air and tranquility give rise to the practice of adventure sports with friends, family or even alone, the important thing is to enjoy the environment.
Where to eat in the Oarsoaldea region?
We recommend eating at Ziaboga restaurantin Pasaia (San Juan), next to the bay of the same name. In this restaurant you will find seasonal products cooked with character, commitment and love by Alex and his team. A small restaurant from which you cannot leave without trying its famous fish&chips, seasonal fish with potatoes, simple but spectacular.
What to see in the Oarsoaldea region?
This giant hidden underground is one of the many attractions of the Oarsoaldea region of Gipuzkoa, but not the only one, so stay tuned for the list!
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Aiako Harria Natural Park.
What in the past was a strategic military enclave, is today a strategic enclave for sightseeing Gipuzkoa, a place where you can find peace while looking at the horizon, a must-see place in Gipuzkoa. Coming to Fort San Marcos?
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