Centro de la Interpretación de la Pesca Agurtza

About the museum

The Agurtza is a wooden tuna boat built in 1968 at the Murelaga shipyards in Lekeitio. In the second half of the 20th century it was used for surface fishing, both in the Cantabrian Sea and in distant fishing grounds. When it was about to be scrapped, Santurtzi acquired it and converted it into a fishing interpretation centre. It is one of the last wooden boats of traditional fishing on the Basque coast and, according to the municipal website, the only one of its kind that can be visited in Bizkaia.

The boat is preserved under a wooden shed that recalls the old slipway shipyards of the Cantabrian coast. The guided tours explain the fishing of albacore and how it was preserved, life on board (the txos, or cabin boys, the engine room and the bridge) and the work of the women on land, who sold the fish, mended nets and unloaded the catch. Two fishing techniques are shown, including the purse seine used to catch the live bait needed for the pole-and-line fishery.

The Agurtza is part of the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH), the Basque industrial tourism network and the Basque Coast Museum Network.

Highlights

• Wooden tuna boat built in Lekeitio in 1968
• Bridge, engine room and crew quarters
• Explanation of albacore fishing and its preservation
• Wooden shed evoking the traditional slipway shipyards
• Panels and audio guides in Spanish, Basque and English

Permanent exhibition

• El atunero Agurtza – Guided tour of a wooden tuna boat from 1968: life on board, the bridge, the engine room, albacore fishing and the work of the women on land.

Operated by

Ayuntamiento de Santurtzi

Admission & discounts

Free admission for children under 5, people registered in Santurtzi and holders of the Nekatur card or the Bilbao Bizkaia Card. 50% discount for members of the Basque Coast Museum Network.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Adapted visits are offered for groups with special needs.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Family visits include a game to build a model of the boat.

Getting there & parking

The boat is on the seafront, halfway between the fishing port and the Puente Bizkaia, overlooking the Abra bay. The Santurtzi Tourist Office shares its address with the museum.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit