lekeithium

With a privileged situation, lekeithium It is one of the most beautiful towns in the the Basque Country. Located in the Biscayan region of Lea Artibai, this former village of whalers and explorers is today a place with enormous attraction for tourism.

He has the titles of "Noble and Loyal Villa" and through its streets they walked from pirates to aristocrats. even the queen Isabel II and the empress Zita from Austria-Hungary they spent time in the villa. But, above all, it stands out for its impressive natural environment and its monuments. We are going to talk to you, therefore, about what to see and do in Lequeitio.

The coast of Lequeitio

This wonderful population of Biscay It is located at the mouth of the Lea River. This, when reaching the coast, forms a beach on each side of its waters and, in the middle, is the Saint Nicholas Island. As if this beauty were not enough, the landscape changes with the tides. When they are low, the aforementioned island is accessible on foot, while if they are high, the water covers that step.

As is the case with many of the Cantabrian islands, this one also has a legendary history. He says that, during the Middle Ages, it was used as a leper colony so as to avoid contagion. However, this has not been tested. On the other hand, it is evident that, from its highest part, you have some wonderful views of the Basque coast. If you go to San Nicolás or Garraitz, as it is also called, remember to take the tide into account. It is a fairly typical mistake to do it with food and, when you want to go back, find that it has risen and have to swim back.

On the other hand, the beaches that we mentioned are those of Isuntza and Karraspio. The first is the most important in the town and is located next to its port and its old town. Therefore, it will be ideal for you if you travel with your family because, in addition, its waters are calm and it has all the services. It has changing rooms, showers, lifeguard equipment and even canoe rental.

As for the sand karraspio, has an approximate length of five hundred meters and already belongs to the municipality of mendeja. In fact, it is longer than the previous one, although less popular. However, it is also well equipped and, equally, allows Saint Nicholas to pass, if necessary, through the sand. There is still another beach in Lequeitio, but only at low tide. Is about the one from La Salvaje. As its name indicates, it has a wild nature in which vegetation and birds abound. However, as beautiful as its spectacular surroundings are the monuments that you can see in Lequeitio.

The old town and the port

Before talking about specific monuments, we want to talk about the old town in general because it overflows with beauty and typical elements. Their houses are the traditional basque adorned with flowers and are found in narrow, cobbled streets. The most important is the arranegui, from which other laterals come out and which ends at the Arranegiko Zabala square, where fish fresh from the boats has historically been sold. You can still see how they do it today.

In Arranegui street, there are also some of the most beautiful palaces of Lequeitio (of which we will speak to you later), while in the aforementioned square you will see a fountain that has a peculiarity: it is a baptismal font of the eighteenth century.

Around the old town you can see remains of the old walls of the fifteenth century. Even one of its quadrangular watchtowers has been preserved, the so-called roasting. But the historic center itself is also part of the port, which has all the charm of those that exist in the Cantabrian Sea, with its fishing boats, its nets drying in the sun and calm waters.

The Basilica of the Assumption and other churches of Lequeitio

La Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady It is the most important temple in the Biscayan town. Not in vain, it has been declared a National Monument. Its construction began in the XNUMXth century and is late Gothic. You will be struck by its size and its majesty. Outwardly, the western façade stands out, with its flared doorway and the flying buttresses located behind it.

As for the interior, it is even more spectacular. It stands out, above all, its impressive main altarpiece in Elizabethan Gothic style. But also another baroque that houses an image of the Virgin of the Antigua dated in the twelfth century.

Furthermore, the convent of Santo Domingo It was built in the XNUMXth century, although, after suffering several fires, it was rebuilt in the XNUMXth. In the complex, the church stands out, which combines Gothic and Renaissance elements. The church of San José, dating from the XNUMXth century, is a jewel of religious baroque in the Basque Country and the hermitage of San Juan de la Atalaya belongs to the same century. Finally, that of Santa Catalina It is Gothic and dates from around the year 1500. But the most beautiful thing about it is its surroundings, since it is located on Cape Santa Catalina, next to the lighthouse and offers impressive views.

Turpin Tower and other stately homes

La Turpin was another defensive tower in Lequeitio that later became a home. Its construction dates from the beginning of the XNUMXth century and presents renaissance features, although it still preserves Gothic elements. From its former function it retains holes in windowsills and dust covers to respond to attacks. Its door is voussoired in the shape of a fan and has six flat windows distributed irregularly along the façade.

However, in our opinion, it is more beautiful the uriarte palace. It is a baroque construction due to the architect Lucas Longa, who built it around a medieval tower. The main façade stands out as a whole, with a beautiful porch supported by a triple arch and an imposing coat of arms on the first floor.

No less beautiful, although different, is the Otxangoiti Palace, from the XNUMXth century like the previous one, in which its red main façade adorned with carved eaves stands out. We can tell you the same about uribarria palace, also decorated with a heraldic shield on its façade. On the other hand, it has different features abaroa palace, since it is a construction from the end of the XNUMXth century that follows the classic canons of the French Second Empire style. It also has a large garden.

The Town Hall and other buildings in Lequeitio

The Town Hall of the Basque town was built in the 1595th century. It replaced another previous one that, in turn, had replaced the original, devastated by the terrifying fire of XNUMX. It responds to the features of the baroque and stands out for its main façade. This presents a portico with four semicircular arches on which there is a balcony and several carved shields.

For its part, the old Fishermen's Guild It is a construction from the beginning of the XNUMXth century due to the architect Manuel Vicente de Laca. It has large dimensions because, originally, it was conceived as a pickle factory and shows features of solidity and functionality. As for the Mendieta shipyard, it shows the naval past of Lequeitio. You can see it on the left bank of the Lea River and it is made up of two buildings and the wall. From one of them, likewise, the two ramps that took the boats to the river come out.

Festivals and gastronomy

To end our tour of this beautiful Biscayan town, we will tell you about its celebrations and typical dishes. Regarding the former, the patron saint festivities take place from September XNUMX to XNUMX in honor of San Antolin. During them, the controversial geese run takes place. But the festivities in honor of San Pedro, which, in turn, is the patron saint of the fishermen's association.

In their case, they take place at the end of June and include a unique procession. During this, the image of the saint is carried to the port. Passing by a niche where there is another carving of Saint Peter, they make the call kilin-kala, which consists of inclining the step towards the water to ask for good fishing. Another curious tradition is the dance of the kaxarranca, performed by a person on a trunk supported by eight sailors.

On the other hand, the gastronomy of Lequeitio is based, how could it be otherwise, on the seafood who bring their boats. However, as is the case throughout the Basque Country, bars and restaurants offer numerous varieties of pintxos. In any case, the typical dishes are similar to those of other coastal towns in the area.

For example, they are delicious cod al pil pil and cocochas of hake. There is also no lack of elaborations of the octopus nor crab, the name given to the spider crab in the Basque lands. But we allow ourselves to recommend its delicious marmitako, which, as you know, is a stew made with tuna from the north and potatoes. As a drink, you can not miss the txacoli, a white wine with designation of origin.

In conclusion, we have shown you the highlights that you can see and do in lekeithium. All that remains is for us to advise you that, if you decide to get to know this Basque town, you should also go to the capital of the province, Bilbao, a city as cosmopolitan as it is traditional. Dare to make this trip.