Fuenterrabía

Hondarribia sits across the Txingudi Bay from Irún and is worth the detour — or makes a perfectly good alternative starting point if accommodation in Irún is full. The old town occupies a fortified hilltop overlooking the bay, and it's considerably more atmospheric than its neighbor.

The Puerta de Santa María is the main gate through the Muralla — the walls that still encircle the old quarter. Inside, the Calle Mayor climbs steeply between stone townhouses with wrought-iron balconies and carved coats of arms. At the top sits the castle of Carlos V, now a parador with views across to France.

The lower town spreads along the waterfront, where the Barrio de la Marina has a different character entirely — brightly painted fishermen's houses, seafood restaurants, and a working harbor. The contrast between the fortress above and the fishing village below gives Hondarribia its particular appeal.

A water taxi crosses the bay to Pasajes, connecting to the camino without backtracking through Irún.