Logbook · 12 places

What to see and do in Lekeitio

What to see and do in Lekeitio (Lea-Artibai / Markina-Ondarroa, Bizkaia): 12 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 4 Monuments · 2 Nature · 2 Activities · 1 Curiosities · 2 Historical milestones

When to go to Lekeitio: festival calendar

June: Kaxarranka (29 de junio - 1 de julio (anual))
September: Fiestas de San Antolín (1 al 8 de septiembre)

How far each place is from the centre of Lekeitio

Towns near Lekeitio

What to see in Mendexa 2.5 km · 5 places
What to see in Ispaster 3.1 km · 10 places
What to see in Amoroto 4.2 km · 8 places
What to see in Gizaburuaga 4.5 km · 6 places
What to see in Ea 6.6 km · 7 places
What to see in Berriatua 6.7 km · 8 places
What to see in Nabarniz 8 km · 5 places
What to see in Ondarroa 8.3 km · 14 places

Spain › Basque Country › Bizkaia › Lea-Artibai / Markina-Ondarroa › Lekeitio

What to see and do in Lekeitio

Lekeitio
Village
Villa founded in 1325 by María Díaz de Haro, Lady of Vizcaya; in 1334 Alfonso XI confirmed the charter and ordered its walls to be built. At least three sailors from Lekeitio took part in Christopher Columbus's first voyage in 1492. It has 7,211 inhabitants (INE, 2025) in a municipal area of barely 1.9 km², among the most densely populated in Bizkaia.
Basílica de la Asunción de Lekeitio
Monument
Gothic church built mainly in the 15th century, with a 16th-century Flemish-Gothic main altarpiece. It was declared Monumento Histórico-Artístico (Spain's heritage designation in force between 1931 and 1985) in 1931.
Kaxarranka
Activity
Traditional dance in which a dantzari (dancer) performs balanced on a strongbox (kutxa) carried on people's shoulders, danced during the festivities of Saint Peter, between 29 June and 1 July.
Isla de San Nicolás (Lekeitio)
Nature
Small island off the port of Lekeitio, accessible on foot from the seafront promenade when the low tide allows it.
Cueva de Armintxe
Historical milestone
Cave in which Paleolithic-era rock engravings were discovered in 2016, including depictions of felines, a significant find for Cantabrian prehistoric art.
Torre Turpin
Monument
16th-century urban tower in transition from Gothic to Renaissance style, part of the set of tower houses that line Lekeitio's historic centre.
Torre Zahar
Monument
The oldest surviving building in Lekeitio, a witness to the town's medieval defensive architecture.
Fundación de la villa de Lekeitio
Historical milestone
María Díaz de Haro founded the town of Lekeitio in 1325 through a founding charter, granting it its own fueros. Whaling was for centuries one of the town's economic pillars.
Astillero Mendieta
Monument
Historic shipyard in Lekeitio, proposed for recognition as a cultural heritage asset, a witness to the town's shipbuilding tradition.
Estancia de la emperatriz Zita en Lekeitio
Curiosity
Empress Zita of Austria-Hungary, widow of the last emperor Karl I, lived in the Uribarren palace in Lekeitio between 1922 and 1929 during her exile.
Fiestas de San Antolín
Activity
Lekeitio's patron saint festival, famous for the "geese contest", a test of strength and endurance in which participants hang from a rope over the harbour. It is rounded out by the San Pedro festivities from 29 June to 1 July.
Playas de Isuntza y Karraspio
Nature
Two beaches located on either side of the Lea estuary, around the island of San Nicolás, framing Lekeitio's coastal front.