Santuario de Loyola

The portentous Santuario de Loyola is dedicated to St Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuit order. Its domed basilica, laden with grey marble and carved ornamentation, is decidedly imposing. Preserved in one of the two wings of the sanctuary is the house where the saint was born in 1490. Weekends are the most interesting times to come, as the sanctuary fills up with pilgrims. It's inland of Getaria, 24km to its southwest, off the GI631 just outside Azpeitia.