Discover Muskiz: San Julián and Coastal Trails

Culture

In Muskiz, construction of the parish church of San Julián began at the beginning of the 16th century, and it is built largely from ashlar sandstone blocks. The church has a single-nave layout, a rectangular tower and a ribbed vault. San Julián was formerly the municipality’s only parish and served as a venue for neighbourhood meetings and important public acts. Maritime graffiti on the doors depicts ships, names and symbols from the 18th and 19th centuries. Damage to the apse caused by bombing during the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939 led to an unusual interior design. In front of the church stands a sandstone cross dating from the mid-16th century. The church stands on an elevated vantage point above the mouth of the Barbadun River. The historic ship graffiti on the church doors is considered unique in Bizkaia and is rare elsewhere along the Cantabrian coast.

Trails and Coast

The 3.88 km circular San Juan–San Julián route connects Muskiz town centre with San Julián. In the area around San Julián de Muskiz, the 3.5 km Vía Verde de Itsaslur runs from Pobeña to Kobaron and is suitable for walking or cycling. Along the coastal route of the Camino de Santiago, the route leads from La Arena via Pobeña to the Vía Verde de Galdames, which ends in Kobaron at the border between Bizkaia and Cantabria. The historic centre of San Julián de Muskiz is listed as heritage element 140 of the Camino de la Costa. In the area around San Julián de Muskiz, activities offered at La Arena beach include surfing, windsurfing and canoeing. Surfing courses are offered in the central area of La Arena beach.

You can find more destinations here: Mimetiz, Getxo, Galdakao, Basauri, Butroi, Lezama, Orduña, Elorrio.

History

Casa González Sota is a palatial house that stands out for its façade and monumental entrance and is located about 150 m from the parish church. Casa de Villar is one of the palatial houses dating from the 17th and 18th centuries next to San Julián Church. In the area around San Julián de Muskiz, Muñatones Castle was built in the 14th and 15th centuries and is considered an outstanding example of Bizkaia’s architectural heritage. The San Julián washhouse has been restored as a public space. Hotel Palacio Muñatones is a late-Baroque palace from the late 18th century, more precisely from 1777. Hotel Palacio Muñatones is also catalogued as a monument of special architectural value and as a cultural heritage site on the Camino de Santiago.

Chapel

In the area around San Julián de Muskiz, a maritime legend says that fishermen built the Nuestra Señora del Socorro chapel around 1768 after surviving a severe storm. The Nuestra Señora del Socorro chapel has a rectangular floor plan and a single-nave layout. It can be reached via the Paseo de Pobeña or from La Arena beach.

To the main travel overview: Bizkaia.