HONDARRIBIA

E5, 5 km n. (north: exit 1, south: exit 2. From E70 /6 km/

As a last outpost towards the north Hondarribia is looking out over the Txingudi bay towards France on the other side of the border. This troubled border country at the foot of the Pyrenees has been the scene of countless battles through the centuries.

A FORTIFIED CASTLE IN A STRATEGIC POSITION

Troughout history the strategic location of the town has been used to defend Spain against France, and there appear to have been defence structures in place here as early as in the 7th century. In the 10th century King Sancho Abarca of Navarra had a castle built, and in the 15th century the whole town was encircled by a wall with watchtowers and three town gates. Emperor Charles V had the castle extended in the 16th century and created a veritable palace, a good part of which remains to this day. It now serves as a “parador”, a luxury hotel run by the State.

DELIGHTFUL TOWN CENTRE

If you enter the old quarter of the town, Casco Antiguo, through Puerta de Santa Maria and start walking up Calle Mayor, you will first come to the Gothic church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción from the 15th century and then to the castle high up on the hill. Along Calle Mayor and the other streets and alleys around the church are rows and rows of handsome palaces and houses in the typical Basque style, proudly showing off their fine façades. Many houses are built in the yellow sandstone of the area with decorative balconies in black wrought iron. Others are half-timbered houses with wooden balconies, painted green and brown. It all forms a beautiful architectural harmony,

and it is a true pleasure to take a stroll around this charming town.

FROM SMALL FISHING VILLAGE TO LARGE HARBOUR

But that’s not all! Hondarribia actually consists of two completely opposite parts: the upper section, being the walled, although not entirely closed in, old town and the nether section, which is La Marina with its harbour and promenade. Originally, Hondarribia was a fishing village whose inhabitants earned their living by fishing in the Bay of Biscay. Hunting for whales, the fishermen ventured further and further out. They also made themselves at home in the coastal towns by the Atlantic Ocean, creating a commercial enterprise which grew rapidly. The harbour was also a place where trade flourished and large merchant vessels were anchored a bit out at sea. As early as the 13th century the town enjoyed trade privileges and did business with, primarily, Castile and Flanders. From the 8th century onwards, as devoted Christians started to go on pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela, Hondarribia was an important stop-over for for pilgrims seeking lodgings for the night.

PICTURESQUE FISHING QUARTERS

So this coastal town has been a cosmopolitan place for centuries and still is, although nowadays it has more to do with its status as tourist destination, invaded, notably during summer, by visitors wanting a swimming holiday. It has an excellent, sandy beach and a long promenade, where the restaurants and cafés line up, offering a fine view over to the French town of Hendaye across the bay. In the fishermen’s quarter in the Marina the white houses brighten up the day with their cheerful red and green shutters and wooden balconies. Here, too, the restaurants sit cheek by jowl. The market stalls are heavy with fish, fruit and vegetables and there are many shopping opportunities in the pleasant pedestrian streets. When it is time to turn in for the night, the town has several hotels to choose from. In an old, historical town like this, maybe the castle would be a suitable choice of night quarters, or even the Bishop’s Palace?

Puerta Santa Maria opens the doors into the old town

The main square in Hondarribia

Bright and cheerful half-timbered houses in the fishing quarters