Mundaka

Mundaka is a fishing village at the mouth of the Urdaibai estuary, in Bizkaia, within the boundaries of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve. Its position at the river mouth, facing Laida beach, shapes both its landscape and its identity.

The harbour is the centre of village life. The old town spreads around it, with a maze of narrow streets and buildings of interest including the Renaissance-style parish church of Santa María, the Larrinaga palace, and the former municipal library, which once served as a hospital along the Way of Saint James. A short distance from the centre, the hermitage of Santa Catalina looks out over the estuary mouth and the natural surroundings of Urdaibai. The Atalaya and Portuondo viewpoints offer further vantage points over the coastal landscape.

Mundaka is also a global surfing reference: its left-hand wave, formed by the sandbar at the estuary mouth, is one of the longest and most consistent in Europe and has hosted major international competitions. Alongside this, the Aratuste — Mundaka's carnival — is one of the most celebrated in the Basque Country, with its Atorras and Lamias filling the old town streets.