Castro Urdiales, Spain

Castro Urdiales, Spain

Castro Urdiales Spain

Castro Urdiales is located on the easternmost coast of Cantabria, surrounded by spectacular scenery with steep cliffs and beautiful beaches. Although there are prehistoric remains of great interest, the town’s most important history spans more than two thousand years and is linked to the Roman Empire, when what is now Castro Urdiales was the colony of Flavióbriga. A traditional port for fishing, whaling, and trade, the fishing village of Castro has grown into one of the most dynamic towns in Cantabria. The sea may play a smaller role in the local economy than it once did, but the maritime spirit is still the town’s most distinctive feature. In its streets, especially near the port, you can still feel this seafaring atmosphere and enjoy many of its culinary specialties, all drawn from the sea. As an important summer destination since the late 19th century, the town offers modern infrastructure that blends perfectly with the charm of the old quarter and its historic Puebla, with lovely promenades, arcades lined with traditional bars, and noteworthy buildings that rise like stately sentinels over the town. Castro Urdiales is home to the largest Gothic church in the region, the Church of Santa María, dating from the 13th century and displaying all the characteristic features of classic Gothic design. Inside, it preserves magnificent carvings from the 13th to the 17th centuries, an outstanding collection of late Gothic metalwork, and even a painting of the crucified Christ by Zurbarán. At the end of the promontory, next to the church, stands the medieval castle, a massive fortress guarding the sea entrance, now converted into a lighthouse. The castle’s lantern was lit for the first time in 1853 and has operated as a lighthouse ever since. In front of it, and joined by the so‑called medieval bridge, is the hermitage of Santa Ana. Together they form the last remains of a larger architectural complex that had to be altered when the breakwaters were built. Around the harbor basin, the Gothic church of Santa María and the lighthouse in the castle are the main landmarks of this seaside town and a popular meeting place for both visitors and locals. Among its civic heritage, the town hall building stands out, along with a group of Modernist buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which make up an urban area declared a Historic Site in 1978.
Recommended airport
Bilbao (BIO)
Nearby destinations
  • Bilbao, Spain a 26.93 km
  • Bizkaia a 22.87 km
  • Cantabria a 49.88 km