Debabarrena

Our Villages

Towns And Villages That Are Right Up Your Street

In Debabarrena the mountains and the sea, the meadows and saltpeter, as well as rural and urban areas converge.

Get to know first-hand the towns that make up our region: Deba, Eibar, Elgoibar, Ermua, Mallabia, Mendaro, Mutriku and Soraluze.

A little bit of everything, for everyone!

Discover the charm of our villages

Less than an hour from our three capitals. One step away!

Distances in kilometers

  • Bilbo-Bilbao: 48 km
  • Donostia-San Sebastián: 55 km
  • Vitoria-Gasteiz: 55 km
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DEBA

Beaches, nature and age-old secrets.

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MUTRIKU

A vantage point
over the sea.

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MENDARO

Tasty chocolate.

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ELGOIBAR

Where machines
and tools join forces.

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SORALUZE

Dolmen remains.

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EIBAR

A city brimming
with industry, art and sport.

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ERMUA

Enjoy doing
business over a tasty meal.

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MALLABIA

The very essence
of rural Basque Country.

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planning your trip...

How to get there?

Debabarrena, located in the centre of Euskadi, is less than an hour from the three Basque capitals. Everything is within easy reach of between the eight towns in the region.

Start your journey!

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Where to sleep?

On the coast or in the mountains of the region, in Debabarrena you will find all kinds of accommodation. Choose according to your interests and enjoy a comfortable and unforgettable stay.

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Where to eat?

Our region offers different products and gastronomic events throughout the year to delight the palate, and therefore, it has restaurants where you can enjoy unique culinary experiences.

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San Blas

Christmas is over, but in Debabarrena we continue to make winter as sweet as possible. On 3 February, we make the most popular treat in our traditional repertoire of cakes and biscuits: Tortas de San Blas (Saint Blaise biscuits). Come and try them!

The tradition of making biscuits to celebrate the Feast of Saint Blaise is not exclusive to Debabarrena, and is typical also in other parts of the Basque Country, such as Abadiño and Llodio.

In our region, however, many people still make these biscuits at home and then take them to church to be blessed. Saint Blaise is the patron saint of throat-related problems, which is why, according to popular belief, in addition to eating the biscuits, you should also take a piece of string to church to be blessed, and then wear it tied around your neck for nine days before burning it. This will provide protection against colds and other illnesses for an entire year.

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 1 kg wheat flour
  • 6 eggs
  • 125 g pork lard (or butter or margarine)
  • ½ kg granulated sugar
  • 1 sachet of baking powder
  • 15 drops of aniseed essence

For the glaze:

  • 2 egg whites
  • 250 g icing sugar
  • 10 drops of lemon juice
  • 3 drops of aniseed essence

Preparation

  • Preheat the oven to 180º C.
  • Place the flour on a clean worktop and push into a volcano shape.
  • Break the eggs into the dip in the centre and mix with your hands.
  • Add the lard (or butter or margarine) and knead.
  • Gradually add the sugar and aniseed essence.
  • Knead until the dough is no longer sticky.
  • Shape into a ball and leave to stand for at least half an hour at room temperature.
  • Sprinkle the worktop and a rolling pin with flour.
  • Divide the dough into small balls and squash them down to around half a centimetre in thickness.
  • Adjust the shape using a plate or tray.
  • For a fluted border, pinch round the edge.
  • Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for around 15-20 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown but not toasted.
  • Meanwhile, for the glaze, beat the egg whites until stiff.
  • Still beating, add the icing sugar, lemon juice and aniseed essence until you have a dense white paste.
  • Spread the glaze over the still-warm biscuits using a spoon.