Irun

Irun is a municipality in Gipuzkoa located at the mouth of the Bidasoa river, on the border with the French Basque Country. Its strategic position made it a key crossing point between the Cantabrian coast and the Pyrenees since ancient times, and its history begins with the founding of Oiasso, a Roman city active from the 1st century BC to the 3rd century AD and one of the most important ports on the Atlantic arc. The Roman Museum Oiasso and the chapel of Santa Elena, where a Roman necropolis was discovered, are the main surviving traces of that past.

The municipality also encompasses the Plaiaundi Ecological Park, a wetland in Txingudi Bay with a notable variety of fauna and flora. The mountains surrounding Irun — Peñas de Aia, Jaizkibel and the summit of San Marcial — offer hiking routes with views over the coast and the border.

In the Bidasoa river, facing the town, lies the Pheasant Island, an enclave that served as the setting for significant diplomatic meetings in the 17th century.