Irun
Year: 2026
Population: 64400+
Irún, located between Hondarribia and Hendaye, is a bustling commercial city due to its border location. A Roman city, it has also been a stop for many pilgrims. With excellent road connections, it is very close to San Sebastián Airport, and its public transport options include the metro, taxis, buses, and trains. While it is often said to have no coastline, it does have a bay, Txingudi Bay, which provides a view of the sea. The river that flows into the sea is the Bidasoa, which gives its name to the region.
Our route begins here, at the international bridge of Irún.
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| International Bridge. | Ficoba. |
We head towards the center and a few meters ahead we find the Ficoba building.
Irún has become a popular tourist destination, a strategic location and a transit point. It is located in the province of Gipuzkoa, approximately 19 km from the capital, San Sebastián.
Our route veers to the left, passing in front of the Basque Police headquarters, the Ertzaintza building. And to our surprise, we arrive at a beautiful church, "Nuestra señora del Juncal" (Our Lady of Juncal Church), with the Oiasso Museum next to it. The museum takes its name from the ancient Roman city of Irún, called Oiasso.
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| Oiasso | Nuestra señora del Juncal church. |
The bronze figure in the image represents the canteen woman, a symbol of the commemorative festivities for the Battle of San Marcial, dated June 30, 1522.
The church, Nuestra Señora del Juncal, has three distinct styles: it dates from the Renaissance period but has Gothic features, and its façade is Baroque. Construction began in 1508, in the 16th century, but continued into the 17th century.po
We go up the street until we reach the center, where we will see the town hall and the municipal library, Carlos Blanco Aginaga (writer from Irun.).
It is morning and we are eager to explore, so we head down to Urdanibia Square (also known as Moscow Square) to visit the Hermitage of Saint Helena. The Hermitage dates back to approximately the 14th century. The Estebenea River flows alongside it, and it was once a religious site, now converted into a museum.
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| Interior of the Santa Elena hermitage. |
We have been told there is a ruined castle, connected to the Battle of San Marcial, that has been restored. We will see the castle and then head towards Mount San Marcial, going from hermitage to hermitage, just like in the game of Snakes and Ladders (The game of Goose in spanish.). Speaking of goose, we know there is an ecological park in Irún; we will see it later.
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| Gazteluzahar Castle | Interior Gazteluzahar Castle | San Marcial Hermitage. |
We descend from Mount San Marcial and are going to explore some Roman kilns that are not far from this point; there is a hidden waterfall, we will see it, a special corner of Irún.
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| Roman kilns | Irún Waterfall. |