Zarauz (Basque:Zarautz) is a nice holiday resort in Guipuzcoa (Basque:Gipuzkoa) province in the Basque Country of northern Spain.

Zarautz sea view

Get in

It is quite easy to get to Zarauz by different means of transport from the capital of Guipuzcoa province, San Sebastian.

By train

There is a frequent train, Euskotren (usually every 30 minutes), which departs from San Sebastian. Note that this is not the same as the Renfe service which connects San Sebastian with major cities in Spain and France. You need to go to a different station altogether. The journey to Zarauz takes 30 minutes.

By bus

The Euskotren company also runs buses every hour to Zarauz from San Sebastian. There other buses in summer which arrive in Zarauz from Pamplona.

By car

It takes 15 mins by car to arrive to Zarauz from San Sebastian by the highway A-8 or the toll-free N-634 road, which connects San Sebastian and Bilbao.

Do

It has a fantastic beach, the longest on the coast of Guipuzcoa. The waves rolling in from the Bay of Biscay are a big attraction to surfers. Yearly surf competitions of the pro tour are held on that beach.

Zarautz Statue

Zarauz has many parcs like Vista Alegre and Torre Luzea. The parc of Pagoeta is the most famous one and features 341 different flower species.

Eat

Zarauz is a great place for food lovers. There are highly reputed restaurants from world famous cooks like Karlos Arguiñano. There are also many affordable traditional restaurants. In winter time different opening times do apply.

Budget

• 1 Mele-Mele, Nafarroa Kalea, 4, ☏ +34 943504556. You can design your own burger. €10. (updated Jun 2020)

Mid-range

• 2 Baibatzokia Zarautz, Balea Kalea 1-3. Great fish menus 

Splurge

• 3 Karlos Arguiñano Restaurant, c/ Mendilauta, 13, ☏ +34 943 13 00 00. 1.30 to 3.30 pm and 8.30 to 11pm. The view from Karlos Arguiñano restaurant is marvelous directly over the beach with good waves for surfers and a small skate park from a terrasse. As starters while waiting one gets pintxos in a relaxed atmosphere. 

Karlos Arguiñano restaurant

Sleep

Splurge

• 1 Hotel Karlos Arguiñano, c/ Mendilauta, 13, ☏ +34 943 13 00 00. The hotel and restaurant share the same place, see the picture for the exterior. 

Go next

Move along the coast a few miles to the small fishing village of Getaria for wonderful fish restaurants. Everything from grilled sardines, superb turbot to live big crayfish. Well worth a visit.

Cities nearby

• San Sebastian -- Beautiful resort with bar counters full of tasty Pintxos (Tapas)
• Bilbao - home of the famous Guggenheim Museum of Modern Art and other architectural masterpieces
• Mundaka - excellent surf spot and medieval port