As is mentioned when speaking of its ports, and as the reader can verify in the historical section of this article, Hondarribia developed economically as a port located at a strategic point three different economic regions: Aquitaine, Gipuzkoa, and Navarre. In addition to its commercial activity, fishing was also of great importance in Hondarribia, especially whaling. In the 18th century, a memoir published in Brittany states, referring to the boom in sardine fishing, that “a fisherman from Fuenterrabia invented at the beginning of the 18th century a type of net and a style of maneuvering that allowed for abundant catches.”
From the 19th to the 20th century
At the beginning of the 19th century, the main occupations of the population were trade and fishing, both at sea and in the Bidasoa River, where large quantities of excellent-quality salmon were caught. The harbor was shallow and could only accommodate fishing boats and a few small vessels. Larger ships occasionally anchored under the shelter of Cape Higuer. Apples were harvested in abundance, but wheat, maize, and beans were insufficient. Flax was produced for local looms.
One hundred and twenty years later, agriculture had progressed, with marshland reclaimed for cultivation. Maize, apples, and fodder were harvested. Around three hundred fishermen were engaged in tuna, anchovy, and sardine fishing using steam vessels and traineras. Fishing boats and gear were built, especially hooks. There were factories producing pickled and salted fish. Tourism was rapidly developing, with more than 1,500 summer visitors. However, large-scale trade disappeared due to the suppression of the fish market after the abolition of the foral , the small size of the harbor in relation to large ships, the distance from the railway, and the selection of Irun as a stop on the Madrid–Hendaye line.
Tourism in the 1920s
Aurora Lezcano, a long-time summer visitor to the city, recalled in the press the charming Fuenterrabia she had known as a child […] (faithful translation preserving quotations, proper names, and song lyrics).
Present-day economy
Today, a mixed mode of production remains, to which must be added the spectacular growth of tourism, already strong before the war. Atlantic crops—maize, apple trees, potatoes, beans, and market gardening—are overshadowed by fodder crops. Livestock farming is predominantly bovine, with nearly 1,500 head, including notable specimens of the Pyrenean breed. Sheep farming, once very important, has almost disappeared.
Agricultural land covers about 2,184.80 hectares, distributed as follows: forest (1,418.80 ha), cultivated land (193.20), uncultivated land (444.70), vegetable crops (19.00), fallow and stubble (3.90), and unproductive land (105.20). According to the 1962 agricultural census, there are 411 agricultural holdings in the municipality […]
From a commercial standpoint, Fuenterrabia belongs to the San Sebastián commercial area, within the Irun sub-area, and has 100 local commercial licenses (1963). A distinctive feature is its antique shops and art galleries.
Fishing fleet
In 1979 there were 61 artisanal boats with 275 fishermen and 26 offshore vessels with a crew of 302. Total landings reached 4,930.3 tons, valued at 627.3 million. Tuna and bonito fishing stand out […]
Industrial census (1975)
There were 139 companies: 11 in food processing, 3 in textiles, 21 in wood and cork, 2 in chemicals, 62 in construction, and 27 in metalworking.
Municipal budget
1964: 8 million; 1965: 8.4 million; 1966: 9.2 million; 1967: 10 million; 1968: 11.8 million; 1969: 13.2 million.