Itziar

Itziar is a small locality in the municipality of Deba, in Gipuzkoa, situated on a hillside above the coast between Zumaia and Deba. The village is defined by the sanctuary church of Santa María de Itziar, a Romanesque-Gothic structure housing a venerated image of the Virgin of Itziar, which has been a centre of local Marian devotion since the medieval period.

The church occupies an elevated position with wide views over the Basque coast and the flysch cliffs below. The sanctuary was an important stopping point on medieval pilgrimage routes through this part of the Basque Country.

The Camino del Norte climbs to Itziar from the coast before descending into Deba, making the sanctuary approach and the coastal panorama one of the more memorable sections of this stage of the route.