Logbook · 10 places

What to see and do in Oñati

What to see and do in Oñati (Debagoiena / Alto Deba, Gipuzkoa): 10 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 6 Monuments · 2 Activities · 1 Historical milestones

When to go to Oñati: festival calendar

June: Corpus Christi de Oñati (mid- June)
September: Fiestas de San Miguel de Oñati (September)

How far each place is from the centre of Oñati

Towns near Oñati

What to see in Legazpi 6.7 km · 6 places
What to see in Arrasate/Mondragón 7.3 km · 9 places
What to see in Aretxabaleta 7.5 km · 7 places
What to see in Antzuola 7.8 km · 7 places
What to see in Bergara 9.4 km · 12 places
What to see in Zumarraga 9.5 km · 7 places
What to see in Eskoriatza 9.6 km · 6 places
What to see in Urretxu 10 km · 8 places

Spain › Basque Country › Gipuzkoa › Debagoiena / Alto Deba › Oñati

What to see and do in Oñati

Oñati
Village
Municipality of Debagoiena with 12,497 inhabitants (INE, 2025; other 2021 sources give 11,367), with the town center at 230-231 m altitude, in a municipal area that reaches 1,368 m at Mount Artzanburu.
Universidad de Sancti Spiritus de Oñati
Monument
Founded in 1540 by Bishop Rodrigo Mercado de Zuazola, it was the first university in the Basque Country, operating until 1901. Since 1989 it has housed the International Institute for the Sociology of Law.
Iglesia de San Miguel Arcángel de Oñati
Monument
15th-century Gothic church with a 16th-century Renaissance cloister.
Monasterio de Santa Clara de Bidaurreta
Monument
Isabelline Gothic-style monastery founded in 1510.
Casa-torre de Zumeltzegi
Monument
Tower house from the late 12th or early 14th century.
Corpus Christi de Oñati
Activity
Mid-June celebration with a procession and traditional dances through the streets of Oñati.
Santuario de Arantzazu
Monument
According to tradition, the Virgin appeared around 1468 to the shepherd Rodrigo de Baltzategi among thorn bushes, on Mount Aloña, putting an end to a drought. The current basilica, by architects Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oiza and Luis Laorga, began construction in 1950; the first mass was held on 20 August 1955 and it was consecrated in 1969, the fifth centenary of the apparition. The facade is the work of sculptor Jorge Oteiza and the bronze doors are by Eduardo Chillida; the apse was painted by Lucio Muñoz and the crypt by Néstor Basterretxea. It is listed as a Bien Inventariado del Patrimonio Cultural Vasco (an inventoried asset of Basque cultural heritage).
De señorío a condado y anexión a Gipuzkoa
Historical milestone
Oñati was founded in 1467 as a seigneurial town, which later became a county; it remained an independent entity until its annexation to the province of Gipuzkoa in 1845.
Claustro fluvial de San Miguel de Oñati
Monument
The Gothic church of San Miguel Arcángel in Oñati is unusual in having a cloister that overlooks the river directly, an uncommon arrangement.
Fiestas de San Miguel de Oñati
Activity
Patron saint festival of Oñati in honour of San Miguel, held in September.