Deba >> Markina (Bizkaia)

In Deba we must highlight the 16th century church of Santa Maria, with its fascinating portico and cloister. In the Town Hall we can see a niche with a statue of St. James. At one time, the town had up to three pilgrims hospitals, and its port received many travellers ready to start the pilgrimage on foot to Santiago. From Deba the path temporarily abandons the coast and enters Biscay.

The path from Deba to Markina starts out with two options: either through Astigarribia or via the Mutriku Calvary. The first option is the more traditional route, which took advantage of the original river crossing, while the second is shorter and less hilly, thus more often used by pilgrims. Both meet up at Apain pass, just before Olatz, a quaint secluded country hamlet near the border with Biscay. After a stretch of wooded hilly terrain we reach the town of Markina-Xemein.