Zumaia, another gorgeous Game of Thrones location in Basque Country

Zumaia is the small Basque town where Daenerys lands on Dragonstone in Game of Thrones season 7. That scene was filmed on Itzurun beach, below a wall of rock layers stacked like the pages of a book. We came here with the kids at Christmas 2019, after a morning in San Sebastián. Damian was 6 and Marc was 3.

Honest disclosure first: we climbed to the San Telmo hermitage and saw the flysch from above, but it was getting dark and we never went down onto the beach. So this guide tells you what we did, and what you should do that we didn’t.

Quick answers

• Game of Thrones spot: Itzurun beach, below the San Telmo hermitage. It’s Dragonstone’s shore in season 7.
• The flysch: vertical layers of rock laid down over roughly 60 million years, part of the Basque Coast UNESCO Global Geopark.
• Go at low tide. That’s when the rock platform below the cliffs is exposed. Check a tide table before you drive.
• Time needed: half a day. It’s an easy add-on to San Sebastián.

Where is Zumaia, Spain?

Zumaia is on the Gipuzkoa coast of the Basque Country, between San Sebastián and Bilbao. From San Sebastián it’s about half an hour by car along the motorway, and the Euskotren line between the two cities stops in the town. We drove over from San Sebastián after lunch and headed back east along the coast through Getaria and Zarautz.

Zumaia and Game of Thrones: which beach?

The Game of Thrones beach is Itzurun, the one directly below the San Telmo hermitage. In season 7 it plays the shore of Dragonstone, where Daenerys arrives home. The steps up to the castle in the same scenes were filmed at San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, just over an hour west by car. One is a beach, the other a chapel on a rock. If your kids are into the show (or just into dragons), do both on the same trip.

Zumaia was also a film location for Ocho apellidos vascos, the Spanish comedy that had half of Spain quoting it in 2014. The San Telmo hermitage appears in it.

What is the Zumaia flysch?

Flysch is sea-floor sediment that has been folded upright, so you see millions of years as stripes in the cliff. Zumaia’s is one of the most complete sequences in the world, which is why this coast is part of the Basque Coast UNESCO Global Geopark. At low tide the sea pulls back from a flat rock platform (the geologists’ “abrasion platform”) and you can walk out among the ridges.

For kids, the simplest explanation works best: “each stripe is a slice of time.” Damian was 6 and still found that fascinating from the viewpoint alone.

San Telmo hermitage: the best view in Zumaia

The little white hermitage of San Telmo sits on the headland above Itzurun. It dates from the 16th century and was built for the town’s sailors. The walk up from the old town is short and steep but fine for small legs. We did it with a 3-year-old without a carrier. From the top you get the whole picture: the cliffs, the stripes, the beach and the Atlantic.

This is where we stood. And standing there as it got dark, I promised myself I’d come back at low tide.

Zumaia at Christmas

We walked into the old town during the Christmas celebrations: singing in the streets, people handing out sweets to the children, and dark-red roofs and painted wooden balconies all around us. The boys still remember the sweets. It wasn’t planned, and it’s one of my favourite moments of the whole Basque trip.

Is Zumaia good for kids?

Yes, if you plan around two things: the tide and the steps.

• Toddlers: the San Telmo viewpoint is easy. The paths down to the rock platform are steep and slippery, so use a carrier.
• School-age: the best age for Zumaia. Rock pools, stripes you can touch, and a dragon-queen backstory.
• Teens: the geopark boat trips along the flysch coast (they run in the warmer months from Zumaia’s port; check the geopark’s official site for dates) and the coastal Flysch Route walk towards Deba.

Safety: don’t walk under the cliffs on a rising tide, and keep kids away from the cliff base. Rocks do fall.

What we’d do next time

• Arrive two hours before low tide and walk the platform first, then climb to San Telmo for the view.
• Visit the Algorri interpretation centre in town before the beach, so the kids know what they’re looking at.
• Stay the night. Watching the sun go down over the flysch is the thing everyone photographs, and we left too early to see it.

Where to stay near Zumaia

Zumaia itself is small. The obvious family option is Hotel & Talasoterapia Zelai, right by Itzurun, which has triple rooms. Otherwise, do what we did and treat Zumaia as a day trip. NH Collection Aránzazu in San Sebastián has family rooms for up to six. We slept in an apartment in Hendaye, just over the French border, which was cheaper.

Zumaia was day 3 of our four-day trip. The full route is in our Basque Country with kids guide, and the morning before is in San Sebastián with kids.

Zumaia: FAQ

Which beach in Zumaia was used in Game of Thrones?

Itzurun beach, below the San Telmo hermitage. It appears as the shore of Dragonstone in season 7, when Daenerys arrives.

Is Zumaia worth visiting?

Yes. The flysch cliffs are among the most striking rock formations in Europe, and Zumaia is only about half an hour from San Sebastián, so it fits easily into a Basque Country trip.

When is the best time to see the Zumaia flysch?

At low tide, when the rock platform below the cliffs is exposed. Check a tide table before you go and avoid walking under the cliffs on a rising tide.

Is Zumaia good for kids?

Yes. The San Telmo viewpoint is an easy walk even for a 3-year-old, and school-age children love the rock pools and stripes at low tide. Use a carrier for toddlers on the steep paths down to the beach.

How do you get to Zumaia from San Sebastián?

By car it takes about half an hour. Without a car, the Euskotren line between San Sebastián and Bilbao stops in Zumaia.