Going through Gorliz

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Gorliz

In the Biscay coast, Gorliz shows up to the equally named natural bay, which Gorliz and the neighboring Plentzia share. Gorliz is a traditional space for walks and holidays due to its beach and the beautiful cliffs of the lighthouse area. There is an empirical fact that can be blame for it too: Gorliz enjoys a microclimate that gives it the highest number of sun hours of all Biscay.

We will start our route near the Busterri Bridge crossing the Txatxarro irrigation channel, which separates the beaches of Gorliz from those of Plentzia. We will walk towards the urban area, where the Culture House is located, together with the Tourism Office and the Purisima Concepcion Church. Founded at the end of the 10th century, the architect Martín de Uribeondo completely rebuilt it in the 17th century. Its five Churrigueresque altars and its barrel vaults stand out in its only nave.

Back to the beach, we will walk through the maritime promenade to the North, leaving aside the Gorliz Hospital building. It was founded as a Heliotherapeutic Marine Sanatorium at the beginning of the 20th century on Dr. Areilza’s initiative. It was the first building in Spain entirely built with reinforced concrete.

In the Astondo area, at the back of the beach, there are many restaurants inviting you to recover your strength. Moreover, there you can also watch the petrified dunes. These geological formations, caused by the accumulation of sand, are six thousand years old. The petrified dunes of Gorliz are unique in the Basque Country.

Leaving the urban area of Gorliz, the near mounds deserve to climb, falling over the Cantabrian Sea through cliffs. There are magnificent views from this area towards Gorliz and towards the sea.

The Azkorriaga fort ruins and the farm where ‘pottokas’ (native equine species) are raised can be stopping places in a path that will lead us to the Gorliz lighthouse, from where we can look over the little Billano Island. During the 17th century, this fort protected the Gorliz bay. It is located on a rocky projection called the Uztrikotzek point, and its ruins are popularly known as "the broken little castle".