Elexalde: Coast, Culture and Holiday Apartments

Those who choose Elexalde for a stay can get to know the area through tangible traces of history and landscape. Andra Maria, also known as Santa María de Barrika, in Elexalde preserves 12th-century remains in the Romanesque style. This single building provides a clear focal point for a trip in which you want to discover not only coastal scenery, but also older heritage and distinctive forms of the surrounding area.

Architectural history with different highlights

The architectural history includes several notable sites. Several wall sections of a trapezoidal structure remain from the Fortín de Barrika. The rubble masonry walls are approximately 80 centimetres wide and no more than half a metre high. The Ermita de San Telmo was founded in 1733 by Gabriel de Azcorra on the grounds of Casa de Arambalza. The Iglesia de Barrika dates from 1052. Its only surviving evidence of its original Romanesque character is a Romanesque window in the Bizkaian Basque style in the apse.

Archaeological traces in Arenas de Barrika

The flint workshop of the Kurtzio archaeological site is located in the Arenas de Barrika area. Together with the churches and wall sections, it offers another way to access the past. If you are travelling with your family, you can combine architectural history, archaeology and landscape according to your respective interests. This leaves room for different discoveries without limiting the stay to just one type of attraction.

Playa de Muriola and its bay

Playa de Muriola lies in a small bay facing east and protected by cliffs. It can be reached via a path from the car park and is suitable for diving. This gives you several different aspects to consider when planning your day: the sheltered bay as a landscape experience, the path from the car park as a point of orientation and diving as a specific activity. This combination is precisely what makes Muriola appealing for a stay in which peaceful nature observation and an active day on the coast can both find their place.

Coastal folds and hanging dunes

Numerous different types of folds can be observed on the coastal cliffs of Barrika between Meñakotz and Muriola, including large-radius folds, fold faults, angular folds, zigzag-shaped chevron folds and recumbent folds. The hanging dunes of Muriola in Barrika bear witness to successive climate changes. The tectonic complexity of Barrika's fold formations is unique in Bizkaia. For interested non-specialists, the appeal lies in the fact that the sea, dunes and folded rock formations reveal different levels of the coastal landscape.

Which accommodation suits your plans

When choosing a holiday apartment in Elexalde, you can decide what you want to focus on during your days. Someone who wants to combine religious buildings, wall sections and the flint workshop will plan a different daily rhythm from someone whose priorities are Muriola, diving and geological formations. Elexalde is therefore a suitable search area for travellers who value historical details as much as the coast and geological history. This allows you to choose accommodation according to the character of your planned stay, without every day having to follow the same pattern.

More places for planning your trip

For a broader selection of places, you can also find Arantzazu, Elantxobe, Altamira-San Kristobal, Arrieta, Amorebieta-Etxano, Plaza, Mundaka and Muskiz.

For the overarching travel overview: Bizkaia.