Bagni di Lucca and Beyond

Getaria is a gorgeous little town clinging to the edge of the Bay of Biscay in Basque Country. This tiny seaside town in northern Spain is the birthplace of 2 of Spain’s most famous sons.

We arrived by bus from nearby San Sebastián (just 25 kilometres away) on a lovely spring day. The historic centre sits between the mainland and San Anton, which was an island until the 16th century.

San Anton is called the Mouse of Getaria because of its shape. (You might need to squint to see that) It is now a national park with lots of walking trails, which will have to wait until our next visit.

We wandered down the Main Street, Nagusia Kalea, looking for a late breakfast. Turn right at the boat.

We found a cute bar with some delicious breakfast pintxo.

We were just about the only ones around. It was a Sunday and people were not out and about yet.

There are several old buildings in the street. This one dates from the 16th or 17th century, although the washing is more recent.

The church of San Salvador is wedged into the end of the street. It was originally built into the defensive wall surrounding the town. It was begun in the late 15th century.

The streets around the church are extremely narrow making it difficult to get a view from a distance.

The interior is quite strange. The floor is on an incline as it follows the line of the rock it is built on.

The street continues through a tunnel beneath the church.

On the other side is the pretty harbour. Fishing is one of the main industries in Getaria.

Beside the port is a great little shop selling local products, including the local wine, txakoli.

There is a good beach in the harbour, which had attracted a few swimmers.

There are a few restaurants looking over the water specialising in freshly caught fish grilled over hot coals. Of course we had to try it.

All of the outdoor tables were booked and we managed to get the last indoor table in Mayflower and we were very pleased we did. The fish is possibly the best grilled fish I have ever eaten. It was simply cooked with olive oil and garlic…delicious. I also have developed a taste for grilled peppers.

After lunch we walked back to the bus stop via the main street which had become very busy. This is the scene in front of our breakfast spot.

There was a celebration underway as we were leaving.

Getaria is a delightful little town. There are some interesting shops, great food and it has a wonderful atmosphere…a lovely way to spend a Sunday.

I will tell you about Getaria’s famous sons in the next couple of posts.