What you can see on the Lekeitio webcam
The camera looks over the harbour square to the inner harbour and its moorings, out to the island of San Nicolás and the beaches on the far side of the bay. It is live video, so you can watch the boats come and go, the tide rise and fall against the quays and the crowds gather on summer evenings.
Lekeitio live: the harbour and San Nicolás island
Lekeitio Town Council streams this camera live on YouTube from a building above the harbour. It looks north-east across a broad paved square, with café terraces on the left and a large tree on the right, to the inner harbour packed with small fishing boats and yachts on their pontoons. The harbour wall runs out towards the green island of San Nicolás, which sits in the mouth of the bay and can be reached on foot at low tide. On the right, sandy beaches lead to the foot of a wooded headland. It is the camera to check the tide, the state of the sea at the harbour mouth and how lively the waterfront is; during the San Antolín fiestas in early September it shows the harbour on the day of the traditional goose contest, Antzar Eguna.
Island, basilica and geese
The island of San Nicolás sits in the middle of the bay, and at low tide you can walk out to it from Isuntza beach. Lekeitio has two beaches, Isuntza in the town and Karraspio across the river Lea in the neighbouring village of Mendexa. Fishing has always been the town's living, and the church of Santa María, a 15th-century Gothic basilica, rises just behind the harbour. Lekeitio's biggest fiesta is San Antolín, in early September, and its best-known moment is the goose day, Antzar Eguna, a contest held over the harbour itself.
When to watch Lekeitio
Lekeitio is one hour ahead of the UK and Ireland. The coast here faces the open Bay of Biscay, so the weather changes quickly and the tide rises and falls by several metres, which is what makes the walk to the island possible. Check the state of the tide on the camera before you set out. Summer evenings are long and light, and in winter big seas break over the harbour wall.
Around Lekeitio
Ondarroa, Mutriku and the beach of Saturraran lie along the coast to the east, and Mundaka, famous among surfers for its left-hand wave, is about 20 miles (32 km) to the west. The Urdaibai biosphere reserve and Gernika are a short drive inland.
Getting to Lekeitio
Bilbao airport, with regular flights from the UK and Ireland, is about 41 miles (66 km) away by road. Brittany Ferries sails to Bilbao from Portsmouth and Rosslare.
