After the Carlists Wars, Hondarribia was reborn and a new city was built, specifically the Portu neighborhood, which became an urban center. After 140 years, an auditorium has been built for the development of culture in an environment that has become the center. Throughout the year there are many cultural proposals in the town, and so far they were on the street, but with the new building they wanted to open a new path to culture.

These activities began in 2010 with the objective of becoming the scene of the cultural and musical associations of the locality. It will include stage, musical and audiovisual performances. Among others, they offer instrumental and vocal concerts of city associations in the field of music, didactic concerts, theatrical representations directed to adults and children, performances of different dance styles and events based on film and video. For example, 25 years later the film has returned to Hondarribia, giving special importance to Basque film.

Since its opening, the building has hosted all kinds of activities, from theatre performances (Cenizas, premiere of Vaya Semanita, Café Chino, PaGAGnini), children's performances, films, concerts (International Guitar Festival, Euskadi Symphony Orchestra, Ruper Ordorika...) and others such as the Pintxos Championship.

Use of citizenship

According to the municipal representatives, Itsas Etxea will be a space to offer cultural productions and promote creativity in Euskera, therefore, they will take into account every year the programming of shows in Euskera and will make a special effort.
According to the Councilor for Culture of the City of Hondarribia, Txomin Sagarzazu, the objective is that the Auditorio de la Casa del Mar be a cultural reference of Hondarribia. Hondarribia’s cultural agents would like to use this infrastructure as if it were their own home, to offer all kinds of activities. “Itsas Etxea Auditoriuma is a space for the creation and artistic expression of the Hondarribiarras,” says Sagarzazu

Culture also on the street

So far, street activities have been the center of culture in Hondarribia. In addition to the usual activities carried out in Euskal Herria in relation to a given date throughout the year, in Hondarribia other days are used related to the local customs, especially in summer, to promote the culture.In mid-July, this
year between 12 and 15, the Hondarribia Blues Festival is held. Txomin Sagarzazu stressed that this is a "very attractive" act for citizens. Last year, for example, the musician Raimundo Amador was one of the artists who acted in public throughout the year. This will be the seventh edition.

Box delivery

Santiago Day is also deeply rooted in the village. On the eve of Santiago, the fishermen engaged in collecting tuna in summer return to the town and celebrate their festivity. Sagarzazu says they carry out an attractive event, called “The Box Delivery”: the daughters of a fisherman go to church with the box at the head, where they make the annual accounts of the fisherman’s brotherhood. Back in front of the historic Fishermen's Brotherhood, with Kutxa still on his head, the woman turns. Legend has it that the more spins you give, the more prosperous the year of fishing.

In order
to further strengthen the culture of the people, they will open the summer House of Culture in the heart of the Old Town. In turn, the building will be the Music School, the seat of the Music Band and the house of the Txistularis, and will have an auditorium for 100 people.