Discover Zelaia: Trails and San Pedro Church

Trails associated with Zelaia and San Pedro Church add landscape and cultural aspects to the picture of the destination. Which details are most helpful when choosing a destination depends on whether you want to compare location, a route described in terms of time, or architectural and art history.

Accommodation and location

The guesthouse is in rural Mendexa, between Lekeitio and Ondarroa, about 2 kilometres from the beach. The full address is Zelaia Auzoa 1, 48289 Zelaia, Mendexa. These details provide different points of reference: Mendexa, Lekeitio and Ondarroa place the guesthouse in its wider local context, the address gives its location in Zelaia, and the distance from the beach indicates an approximate distance. When planning, you can therefore consider the guesthouse’s location and its distance from the beach separately.

Hiking trails with different points of interest

The LEA09 trail connects Zelaia with Iturreta and passes through a natural, rural setting. LEA10 Mendexa-Leagi is a linear trail, 0.96 kilometres long; the approximate walking time is 13 minutes one way. This time refers to the single direction and gives you an indication of how long this stretch takes.

Behind Leagi Tower, a medieval tower remodelled in the 18th century, the route descends along a forest track between eucalyptus trees and joins the Sendero del Lea. This trail is a variant of the GR 38 “Ruta del Vino y del Pescado”. The tower brings together a medieval origin and a later remodelling; the forest track and eucalyptus trees characterise another aspect of the route described. The Sendero del Lea adds a connection to a named hiking trail.

The GR-123 long-distance trail, known as the “Vuelta a Bizkaia”, also passes through Mendexa and includes Zelaia. This brings three scales together: LEA09 connects Zelaia and Iturreta, LEA10 gives a length and approximate walking time, and GR-123 places Zelaia on a long-distance trail. You can choose the route information that suits you according to whether you want to identify a local connection, a route with a stated distance, or a long-distance trail.

San Pedro Church and local history

San Pedro Church is in the Zelaia neighbourhood, on a hilltop beside the pelota court and opposite the town hall. These two location references provide clear landmarks in the village: the pelota court is right beside the church, while the town hall is opposite it. This places San Pedro in relation to its immediate surroundings and its position relative to the town hall.

San Pedro is a Baroque church built between the 16th and 18th centuries. Inside is a 13th-century Romanesque sculpture of the Virgin Mary. The dates refer to different things: the 13th century dates the sculpture, while the period from the 16th to the 18th century dates the church’s construction. This distinction is useful for understanding the art history: the statue of the Virgin Mary is older than the Baroque church’s construction period.

Discover more destinations: Gaztelu-Elexabeitia, Getxo, Lezama, Etxebarria, Arantzazu, Altamira-San Kristobal, Amorebieta-Etxano, Lekeitio

For the main travel overview: Bizkaia.