Elogio del Horizonte stands on the tip of the Cimadevilla headland, an open rectangular frame in poured concrete positioned so that the Bay of Biscay fills it completely when you stand in the right place. Eduardo Chillida — one of the major sculptors of the 20th century, known for his massive works in iron and stone — designed it as an encounter with open space rather than a traditional object to be looked at. The opening in the frame is roughly two metres square and set at head height; you look through it to sky and sea. The sculpture works exactly as intended and works better in person than in any photograph.
The setting amplifies everything. The headland drops away to the sea on three sides; the town is behind you; and when the Cantabrian weather is doing what it normally does — low cloud, swell on the bay, wind coming off the water — the combination of sea, sky, and concrete frame produces something genuinely affecting. The path to the sculpture from the Cimadevilla quarter takes about ten minutes of uphill walking; it can also be reached from the road along the headland's southern side. There's no charge and no entry gate. Go at dusk or in bad weather; the sunny tourist photograph misses the point of it.