Oñati, what to see and do.

Oñati, what to see and do in the largest town in the province of Gipuzkoa.

Oñate, officially Oñati (in Basque), is the largest town in the province of Gipuzkoa. This town located at the foot of Mount Aloña, has one of the most impressive historical centers of all Euskadi. Undoubtedly, one of the most beautiful towns in the region of Deba Garaia (Alto Deba). The Sancti Spiritus University is one of the most important attractions of Oñati, but it is not the only one, the church of San Miguel, the Bidaurreta monastery, the Plaza de los Fueros, the Plaza de Santa Marina or the palaces of Antia, Madinabeitia and Baruekua are other of the many places we recommend you to visit. Ready to discover the palaces, churches and tower houses of Oñati?

The town of Oñati is made up of 16 neighborhoods scattered throughout the valley. Of all of them, the best known internationally is the neighborhood of Arantzazu, an urban center located 9 kilometers from the historic center that houses the incredible Sanctuary of Arantzazu (15th century).

What to see in Oñati.

Oñati, its historic center and its great natural environment offer us a nice range of places to see and enjoy. If you are planning to travel to Oñati, we recommend you to pay special attention to this article, we are sure it will help you to plan your trip to this beautiful corner of Euskadi.

Sancti Spiritus UniversityThis is undoubtedly one of the most architecturally important buildings in the Basque Country. A structure located next to the current business faculty of Mondragon University, which was built in the sixteenth century by Bishop Rodrigo Mercado de Zuazola. This university was active from 1542 to 1901 and it taught law, medicine, philosophy or letters among others. If its exterior attracts your attention, wait to see the cloister or the altarpiece inside.

Church of San MiguelThe church of San Miguel was built in the 15th century and enlarged in the following centuries. At present, this Basque temple has 4 buildings or naves that reflect the style of each of the periods in which they were built. In its interior, we find the altar, its altarpiece and a crypt from the XVII century.

Monastery of BidaurretaThis religious temple was built between 1510 and 1520 to house the tomb of Juan Lopez de Lazarraga and his wife. A building, inhabited by cloistered nuns of the Franciscan order, of which we must emphasize the church. Undoubtedly another of the great religious buildings of Oñati.

Sanctuary of ArantzazuThe Sanctuary of Arantzazu is the sanctuary of the patron saint of the province of Gipuzkoa. This religious temple is located between intense greenery and steep rocky massifs, in one of the most important natural areas of Euskadi. In addition to nature, this temple also stands out for its architecture and works of art. If you want to know this space in detail, we recommend you to read our article about the Sanctuary of Arantzazu.

Aizkorri-Aratz Natural ParkThis space is part of the 9 natural parks that we can find in Euskadi: Natural Park of Urkiola, Natural Park of Valderejo, Natural Park of Aizkorri Aratz, Natural Park of Armañon, Natural Park of Pagoeta, Natural Park of Izki, Natural Park of Aiako Harria, Natural Park of Gorbeia and the Natural Park of Aralar. From the Sanctuary of Arantzazu itself there are several routes that invite us to get to know this impressive area of Euskadi.

Arrikrutz CaveThe Arrikrutz caves are located on the outskirts of the town of Oñati, next to the Sanctuary of Arantzazu. A cavity located in the interior of the Aizkorri mountain range that has the honorary title of the largest cave in Gipuzkoa. A space created by the water on the karstic massif that was covered by figures of prehistoric animals.

TxokolateixiaThe Chocolate Interpretation Center of Oñati, better known as txokolateixia, is located in the former headquarters of the Orbea Chocolate Factory. A space where the chocolate tradition of this Basque town is shown.

Lazarraga Palace TowerThis tower was built in the 19th century and enlarged in the following centuries. In fact, today it is known as Lazarraga Palace Tower. This space is located next to the town hall itself, where we can contemplate the tower, the palace and the garden.

Santa Marina SquareThis square has the honorary title of the oldest square in Oñati. There is evidence of this space since the twelfth century. Later, in the XVIII and XIX centuries it was reformed. In the center of this square we find a fountain in which we can contemplate the Theological Virtues and the cross. Next to this square we also find several palaces such as the Madinabeitia Palace, the Antia Palace or the Baruena Palace.

Fueros SquareThis square represents the neuralgic center of Oñati. A meeting place where buildings of great importance such as the Town Hall, the Lazarraga Palace or the church of San Miguel are located. This square is the work of the architects Mariano Jose de Lascurain and Antonio Cortazar.

The Ignatian WayOñati plays an important role in the Ignatian Way. If we follow the steps of Ignatius of Loyola from his native Azpeitia to Manresa, we will realize that the stretch that separates Zumarraga and the Sanctuary of Arantzazu has an important slope. For this reason, many people decide to divide this stage in 2 and enjoy Oñati and its charms.

International Shepherd Dog Competition of OñatiThe Oñati Shepherd Dog Competition is one of the most important in the Basque Country. An event in which the Shepherds and their dogs test their ability to perform a series of tasks under the pressure of the stopwatch. In this event it is usual to find, besides the Shepherds and dogs from the Basque Country, great champions from Catalonia or France.

These are just some of the attractions of Oñati, and if you want to know in depth this Basque village, we recommend visiting other areas such as the Zumeltzegi Tower House, the Eye of Aitzulo, the natural bathing area of Usako (highly recommended in summer) or the remains of the mill of San Miguel.

Video of Oñati.

As you know, we always try to create a video for each of our publications. In this case, we have created a short audiovisual about Oñati so you can see what awaits you in this incredible Basque space. If you like this kind of videos, we recommend you to subscribe to our YouTube channel to discover all the places and experiences that we recommend in Euskal Herria, we are waiting for you!

What to see near Oñati.

Within a radius of 1 hour from Oñati there are plenty of spaces that we can enjoy on any trip to Euskadi. We leave you some of the closest and most emblematic spaces. We hope you like them.

What to do in Euskadi.

If you are looking for experiences in Euskadi, we recommend you to take a look at our reservation center, we are sure you will find an activity that suits your tastes and preferences. Here are some of the most popular ones.

How to get to Oñati.

If you want to visit Oñati, you can do it by private or public transport. However, if you want to visit all the places that we recommend in this article, we recommend you to use private transport. And is that visiting places like the Sanctuary of Arantzazu or the Arrikrutz caves by public transport is quite complex, especially in low season.

Guided tours in Oñati.

If you are visiting Oñati in group and you want to enjoy a private guided tour, we recommend you to contact us through our contact form. We will try to help you as much as possible so that you can discover every corner of this incredible Basque town.

Where to park in Oñati.

The historic center of Oñati has strong restrictions when it comes to parking and driving motor vehicles. We recommend that you park your vehicles in any of the parking lots that we find on the outskirts of the historic center. We must take into account that since 2016 there is an ordinance of the municipal service of regulated parking, which limits the areas in which we can park with total freedom. We recommend that you pay special attention to the vertical and horizontal signs that you will find in the vicinity.

Oñati is one of those urban centers that is worth visiting in every trip to Euskadi. A place located in the interior of the Historical Territory of Gipuzkoa that we are sure you will like. In case you have any questions about what to see in Oñati, we recommend you to use the comments system that you will find below these lines to let us know. We will try to respond as soon as possible. Ondo pasa!