4 Best Sights in Getaria and Zumaia, Bilbao and the Basque Country

The Flysch is the crown jewel of the Basque Coast Geopark, a 13-km (8-mile) stretch of coastline distinguished by spectacular cliffs and rock formations. Taking its name from the German word for "slippery"—a reference to the slipping of tectonic plates that thrust the horizontal rock layers into vertical panels—the Flysch contains innumerable layers of sedimentary rock displaying some 20 million years of geological history. One such layer is black and devoid of fossils; it was identified by scientists as marking the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, which caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. 

The haute-couture maestro Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895–1972) was born in Getaria, and the impressive museum created in his honor is a must-see, regardless of your fashion sensibilities. The collection and interactive exhibits are distributed between two buildings, the mansion where Balenciaga was born and a starkly geometric monolith inaugurated in 2011. Feast your eyes on ever-rotating couture relics from the foundation's 1,200-item collection, from suits to gowns and accessories that represent his life’s work. “Balenciaga is a couturier in the truest sense of the word,” said Coco Chanel of her rival. “The others are simply fashion designers.”

This sanctuary, about 20 km (12 miles) south of Zumaia in Cestona, is an exuberant Churrigueresque-baroque structure erected in honor of Íñigo Lopez de Oñaz y Loyola (1491–1556) after he was canonized in 1622 for his defense of the Catholic Church against the tides of Martin Luther's Reformation. Almost two centuries later, Roman architect Carlos Fontana designed the basilica that memorializes the saint. The ornate construction contrasts with the austere lifestyle of St. Ignatius, who took vows of poverty and chastity after his conversion. Polychrome marble, flamboyant altar work, and a huge but delicate dome decorate the interior. The fortresslike tower house has the room where Ignatius (Eneko in Euskera) experienced conversion while recovering from a wound received in an intra-Basque battle.

For a look at a working Basque farmhouse, or caserío, where the Urdapilleta family farms pigs, sheep, cattle, goats, chickens, and ducks, take a detour up to the village of Bidegoian, on the Azpeitia–Tolosa road. Pello Urdapilleta (which means "pile of pigs" in Euskera) sells artisanal cheeses and Basque heritage-breed pork sausages.