Part 1 Saint Jean de Luz to Mundaka
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RouteXpert Peter Moerman - RouteXpert
Last edit: 08-05-2023
Route Summary Spanish border to Lisbon. The purpose of the trip is to find the most beautiful roads, nature and sights of northern Spain and Portugal.
Section 1 covers the coast and inland between Saint Jean de Luz on the border between France and Spain and the coastal town of Mundaka, aka the Basque Country
I rate this route through the Basque Country with 5 stars because of the beautiful roads. beautiful views and many attractions.
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Verdict
Duration
9h 24m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
280.72 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review At Irun you cross the border with Spain and drive into the Basque Country. The city itself is also worth seeing with several historic buildings. A nice city to visit is Hondarribia. The Basque fishing town is located on the river Bidasoa, which forms the natural border with France. For example, you can spend the night in the 10th century castle of Charles V. The castle has now been converted into a parador with a view of the river. The fishing town of Hondarribia is a photogenic town with colorful houses with their characteristic balconies, has a medieval town center surrounded by a city wall and the district 'La Marina' is the perfect place to have lunch in a Basque atmosphere. A nice city in the Basque Country to discover for half a day.
The route continues along the coast on the GI-3440, which immediately goes up with a climb to the Jaizkibel. With a height of 543 meters, it is a large hill from where you have a beautiful view over the coast.
At San Sebastian the route goes through the city, but then immediately on the coastal road N-634 to the fishing village of Guetaria where it is worth stopping or getting out for a drink and a tour of the village.
The Cristolbal Balenciaga museum about the fashion designer of the same name is also located here.
From Guetaria the route continues on the N-634 coastal road to Arroa. Here the route continues inland on GI-631. If you want to shorten the route considerably, you can continue to follow the N-634 here until Deba.
At Aspeitia the route continues on the GI-2635. Here too there is another possibility to shorten the route via the GI-631 to Azcoitia. The roads in the interior are nice and winding and there will also be a number of hills and passes. However, it will not be higher than about 700 meters today.
A lunch stop is planned in the historic town of Oñati and a little further on you can refuel. The town has an old town with monuments from different periods, such as the university from 1542 and the Plaza de los Fueros with the baroque town hall. The Santuario de Aránzazu is located in the hills 9 kilometers from Oñati. This modern Franciscan shrine was rebuilt in the mid-20th century and is known for the image of the Virgin of Arantzazu found here in the 15th century. The area surrounding the sanctuary is a popular area for walkers.
From Oñati the route goes back to the coast, which is reached at Deba. The route goes to Lekeitio via the coastal road.
Lekeitio is a small fishing village on the Basque coast exactly between Bilbao and San Sebastian. At low tide you can walk from the beach of Lekeitio to the island 'Isla de Garaitz'. The fishing village itself has a beautiful basilica and be sure to walk along the boulevard along the fishing port.
The last leg of the route runs via Gernika-Lumo to Mundaka. Gernika is a small village in the Basque Country and known for Picasso's most famous painting 'La Guernica', which can be seen in the Reina Sofia museum in Madrid.
He painted the Guernica in memory of the terrible German bombing of Gernika in 1937. Gernika housed the Basque government at the time and dictator Franco was struggling to gain control of the Spanish Basque country, so he decided to bomb the Basque parliament with the help of his ally Hitler. It is remarkable that almost the entire city was destroyed, but the 'Casa de Juntas', the parliament building of the Basque Country, was hardly damaged. You can visit the beautiful Casa de Juntas for free with a beautiful stained glass ceiling. In front of the building is an important symbol for the Basques, a monument with the oak tree from 1700. You will also find the Peace Museum in Gernika where you can learn more about the cruel history of this place. There are a number of hotels in both Gernika and Mundaka.
If you want to visit all the sights and places extensively, your route can also be spread over several days.
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Disclaimer
Use of this GPS route is at your own expense and risk. The route has been carefully composed and checked by a MyRoute-app accredited RouteXpert for use on TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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