Free walking tours in Zumaia and what to see

Must-sees

Zumaia is a seafaring town on the Gipuzkoa coast, at the mouth of the river Urola. Its great draw is the flysch, cliffs made of tilted rock layers that hold millions of years of the Earth's history and are part of the Basque Coast Geopark. The best gateway is Itzurun beach, surrounded by walls of rock, and just above it the San Telmo chapel, looking out to sea.

In the old town, the church of San Pedro stands out, almost fortress-like, with an altarpiece by Juan de Antxieta. Stroll around the port and the marina too. Across the river is the quieter Santiago beach, next to the Espacio Cultural Zuloaga, which holds works from the painter's collection. To understand the flysch before you see it, the Algorri interpretation centre is a good first stop.

Free tours and guided visits

There are no regular free walking tours of Zumaia's old town, but there is a wide choice of guided visits. The most popular are boat trips along the coast to see the flysch from the sea. There are also guided cliff walks, where you learn how to read the rock layers, and visits organised by the tourist office and the Algorri centre. If you prefer to go on your own, the coastal path is well signposted.

How long to spend

In half a day you can see the town, climb to San Telmo and go down to Itzurun. To add the boat trip or a guided flysch walk, allow a full day, and bear in mind that the tides affect what you can see from the beach. With two days you can walk the coast towards Deba or follow the Camino de Santiago to Getaria, a short distance away.

Where to stay

The most convenient choice is to sleep in the old town or near the port, from where you can walk to Itzurun, the church and the boat piers. The Santiago beach area is quieter and practical if you are travelling as a family. In the surroundings there are farmhouses and agritourism stays surrounded by meadows, a good option if you have a car. In summer rooms fill up early, so Getaria, Zarautz or Deba, all very close, are good alternatives.