Zarautz
| Zarautz | ||
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| Municipality | ||
Zarautz
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 Zarautz
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| Coordinates: 43°17′11″N 2°10′29″W / 43.28639°N 2.17472°W | ||
| Country | Spain | |
| Autonomous Community | Basque Country | |
| Province | Gipuzkoa | |
| Comarca | Urola Kosta | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Xabier Txurruka Fernández (Basque Nationalist Party) | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 14.8 km2 (5.7 sq mi) | |
| Elevation(AMSL) | 4 m (13 ft) | |
| Population (2012) | ||
| • Total | 22,650 | |
| • Density | 1,500/km2 (4,000/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (GMT +2) (UTC+2) | |
| Postal code | 20800 | |
| Area code(s) | +34 (Spain) + 943 (Gipuzkoa) | |
| Website | Official website | |
Zarautz (Spanish: Zarauz) is a coastal town located in central Gipuzkoa, in Spain. It is bordered by Aia to the east and the south and Getaria to the west. It has four enclaves limiting the aforementioned municipalities: Alkortiaga, Ekano, Sola, and Arbestain. It's located about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) west of San Sebastián. As of 2014[update], Zarautz has a population of 22,890, which usually swells to about 60,000 in the summer.
The Palace of Narros, located adjacent to Zarautz's 2.8 km long beach, is where Queen Isabella II and Fabiola of Belgium once spent their summer holidays. The beach is known for being the longest in the Basque Country and one of longest of the Cantabrian cornice.
The Mayor of Zarautz since 2015 has been Xabier Txurruka (Basque Nationalist Party).
At the end of the 19th Century and beginning of the 20th Century, the popularity of Zarautz as a luxury tourist destination grew, and many well-known people began to holiday there. A number of lavish houses and mansions sprang up, particularly along the beach. Nowadays, many of these buildings have become public buildings or have been demolished and replaced by chic apartment buildings.
During the 70s and 80s Zarautz became a more affordable destination, and is now perhaps best known for its surfing and water sports.
Zarautz is connected to the European road network and to the rest of Spain by the A8 motorway.
As it is tradition in the Basque Country, gastronomy is a very important part of Zarautz. Many restaurants can be found in Zarautz, offering traditional as well as modern fine cuisine. Zarautz is home town of one of the most famous cooks in Spain, Karlos Arguiñano, whose restaurant can be found right in front of the beach. He also created a prestigious cooking school called Aiala. As in all cities around The Basque Country there are a lot of gastronomical societies in Zarautz. They are very traditional and called Txoko in Basque.
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Wikipedia