Route: Bakio, Bermeo, Gernika, Lekeitio.
The bell tower of the Church of San Pelayo proudly tolls from the hillside overlooking the ocean.
So closely tied to the sea and fishing tradition we are invited to visit the emblematic monastery of San Juan de Gastelugatxe. The monastery is surrounded by water and connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land carved with a steep and seemingly endless stairway.
Practically without even noticing, we leave the town of Bakio behind and enter Bermeo, different places but all born and bred on the Bay of Biscay.
As we take in the deep blue panoramic views, we find ourselves drifting toward Lekeitio. This town, both port and gateway to the interior, boasts one of the most representative examples of late Gothic Basque architecture - the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción.
Heading inland, off in the distance sits Gernika, a town which today has very little to do its medieval origins. A place of symbols and deep-seated traditions, here we find the medieval Church of Santa María de la Antigua, where authorities would make their solemn oath.
