Nautilus Hours: What to Check Before Visiting

Nautilus stood at Jose Antonio Ezeiza kalea, 3, in Mutriku. The centre focused on fossils from the town’s Black Flysch, including ammonites, and its collection mostly belonged to Jesús M. Narvaez Amasorrain and Esperanza Azkarraga.

Mutriku’s Black Flysch is the oldest flysch in the Basque Coast UNESCO Geopark, and some of its geological features are visible at low tide. For context on the fossils and the area’s geology, read about the geological story behind Nautilus.

Nautilus is about a 42-minute walk or a 3-minute drive from Hotel Arbe, which offers rooms for your stay.

The stated travel times do not provide a walking route or local bus connection, so don’t treat the walking time as turn-by-turn directions.

Nautilus is permanently closed, and its former opening hours no longer apply. Before it closed, the centre opened intermittently on weekends, selected dates and during high season; visits could also take place when a guided tour was confirmed.

While it was open, internal guided visits were listed at 12:00 and 17:30 during opening hours and usually lasted one hour. The former admission price was €2, or €3 for an internal guided visit. These are historical details, not current ticket options. For current information about local attractions, check the official site before you go.

Nautilus focused on Mutriku’s fossils, while the wider coastal setting offers another way to understand the geology: the Basque Coast Geopark runs guided tours throughout the year. A former Nautilus-and-fossils activity combined a centre visit with a boat trip to the cliffs where the fossils were found, but that activity and its reservations are not current visit options.

For a town-focused outing, Mutriku’s centre provides a different stop from the former museum. Get practical orientation with this guide to Mutriku town centre.