The coastal town of Zarautz is located in the province of Gipuzkoa, some 20 kilometres west of the city of Donostia (San Sebastian). Presently, its population hovers around some 22,000 people but is constantly heading upwards. In the summertime, the number of people living in Zarautz nearly triples the permanent population thanks to a huge influx of tourists who come to enjoy Zarautz's beautiful beach, which is one of the longest in the Basque country, as well as its beautiful surroundings and excellent restaurants.
Zarautz was settled even in Roman times as evidenced by recent excavations of Roman graves in the town. There are also Roman-built cobblestone roads (galtzadak) that still wind their way to the nearby town of Getaria.
Zarautz was officially founded in 1237 when the King of Castile Ferdinand III granted it a charter. The lineage "Zarautz" is proven since the motto "Zarautz before Zarautz" is inscribed on the coat of arms at the Narros Palace, indicative that it predates the town.
Zarautz started off as a coast town dedicated to fishing and whaling until the 16th century. The sea made its way even further inland than now which explains the origin of one of the quarters of the town, Azken Portu (Last Harbour), even though it is now far from the sea. After the 16th century, Zarautz's seafaring tradition went into sharp decline but the town switched to other activities such as iron works, shipbuilding, furniture manufacturing, textiles, and agriculture.