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Hondarribia

Year: 2026

Population: 16960+

Today we delve into a fishing village, Hondarribia. Its inhabitants are called Fuenterribenses or Hondarribitarras, also colloquially "Vikings." This last nickname is not to everyones liking; some say it with pride, while others do not quite agree with it. Apparently, its origin comes from the number of blond people in this town, more so than in the surrounding municipalities, possibly due to Viking raids in the past.

Hondarribia beach.

Fishing boats.

Hatxero.

I present to you the Hatxero, the one who cleared the way for the troops, behind the arch of Santa María; and to its side, made of stone, the cube of Santa María.

Our route begins in the Alameda park. We pass through the Santa María arch and enter the main street, starting with a climb. We continue until we reach the Plaza de Armas, within the old town of Hondarribia. A beautiful, walled, medieval place. In the Plaza de Armas, the recently renovated Parador de Carlos V stands out. This castle-palace, steeped in history, was built in the 10th century as a military defense and hosted many members of royalty and the art world.

Hondarribia Parador.	Picturesque houses.	Dedicated to Nestor Bazterretxea (writer and painter).

Its colorful houses lend a magical touch to the town, their colors linked to the fishing community. In the past, fishermens houses featured white facades with brightly colored balconies and doors — green, brown, blue, red — these colors originated from leftover paint used to repair their boats. It was a good paint for protecting their wooden houses. This tradition continues today.

We continue the tour, now it is time to go down until we reach another arch, the arch of San Nicolás, we pass through it and go to the left, although our intention is to continue to the right, we enter an area where we will see a watchtower, which reminds us of the protection that the walls gave to the town, now we go back and to Gipuzkoa Square or Plaza de las Cadenas.

Watchtower.	Plaza de las cadenas.(Chains square).

Hondarribia is a municipality where various sports are practiced. Its two golf courses are well-known: Justiz Golf (driving range) and the Real Club de Golf de San Sebastián. The latter, despite bearing the name of San Sebastián, is actually located in Hondarribia. The same is true of its airport, also called San Sebastián Airport. San Sebastián, or Donostia, is the capital of the province of Gipuzkoa, hence its origin, and Hondarribia is also part of the province of Gipuzkoa. And we must not forget rowing; the rowers of Hondarribia hold a special place in the hearts of many of the towns residents, as evidenced by the numerous flags displayed on balconies.

Arraunlariak - Rowers.	Fishermans House.

Next stop, San Pedro Street, an essential stroll for pintxo and beer lovers. I meant to say, lovers of the fishermens wooden houses. My subconscious betrayed me.

San pedro houses.	San Pedro pots.	San Pedro swirl.

After seeing the Marina neighborhood, we headed towards the marina, which is more touristy than the fishing port; that is, Hondarriba has two ports.

Marina.	Marina.

At this point, the day is coming to an end; a walk along the beach with our bare feet will do us good before we climb to the lighthouse.

Beach at night.	Higer Lighthouse.