NATURE
Talking about beautiful and surprising landscapes in the Urdaibai biosphere reserve is not complicated. There are so many charming areas and corners, brimming with life and greenery that it is difficult to choose one.
Next we suggest you some places in the vicinity that you can not miss. But there are many more that we will tell you about 😉
San Juan de Gaztelugatxe
A must visit if you come to the Basque Country, made fashionable by the TV series Game of Thrones.
Although it is not proven, it is said that he set foot on this island.
More info at https://web.bizkaia.eus/es/gaztelugatxe
Painted Forest
It is also known as “Bosque de Oma”.
An enchanted place, according to some, that Agustín Ibarrola covered with colors. Nearby await the traveler the caves of Santimamiñe, with cave paintings dating back to 15,000 BC.
The painted forest – created since 1984 in the surroundings of Oma, in the municipality of Kortezubi – is the result of Agustin Ibarrola’s passion for his landscape, an artist born in Bilbao in 1930, and also for the search for a synthesis between artistic culture and natural space.
More information: https://www.bosquedeoma.com/
Basondo (ideal for family with children)
“It is a refuge for wildlife, something very different from a zoo.” Located next to the Caves of Santimamiñe and the Enchanted Forest of Oma, Basondo constitutes a refuge for local fauna (wild boars, roe deer, otters, wildcats, birds of prey and migratory birds,…) and migratory birds,…) and also others that once existed and have disappeared or are on the verge of extinction(European bison, Iberian wolves, European lynx,…) as well as wildlife in the area.
Hours: 11:00 a.m. to sunset Open: Weekends and holidays all year round.
Daily at Easter (the 15 days of school vacations) and the summer period from July 1 to September 30. Closed: December 25th and January 1st.
Julio hasta el 30 de Setiembre. Cerrado: 25 de Diciembre y 1 de Enero.
More information: http://www.basondo.com/es/
URDAIBAI’S HERITAGE
The villages, towns and cities that surround the Casas de Ea Astei are small jewels that treasure centuries of history. Monuments, churches and impressive buildings that tell us the history of the Basque Country. A different and welcoming people, owner of one of the oldest living languages on the planet. Get to know it with us.
Casa de Juntas de Gernika
In the shade of the symbolic oak tree, a reflection of the Basque identity that we mentioned before, the general assemblies met. During the Civil War, the village was totally destroyed on April 26, 1937 by the German air force.
In 1988 the monument Gure Aitaren Etxea, by Eduardo Chillida, was inaugurated and has become a symbol of peace.
The Gernika-Peace Museum, which commemorates everything that happened in the town, reminds us of the terrible events that took place and that marked the town of Bizkaia forever.
For information on activities and experiences, contact the tourist office (Tel. 946 255 892).
For more information about the Gernika Meeting House, click on this link.
Santimamiñe Caves
It is the oldest and most important archaeological site in Bizkaia, with remains of human presence dating back more than 14,000 years.
It contains beautiful cave paintings, with deer, bison and other animals represented on its walls.
The painting room is currently closed to the public. Groups limited to 15 people. Telephone: 94 625 2975
More information: http://santimamiñe.com
San Miguel de Ereñozar
Castro de Arrola
This hermitage was the parish church from the 10th century until 1660, when the present one was built in Elexalde.
In its interior on the right hand side there is a stone sarcophagus of great antiquity. According to the chronicles of Alfonso XI in this place was located an old fortress where some Biscayans who opposed the entry of the monarch to the territory in 1334 took refuge.
The hermitage is accessed by taking a track on the right hand side of the fronton of Ereño. You have to leave the car 100 m. from the hermitage to go up a steep path to the hermitage.
In this document you can find abundant information about this beautiful enclave.
Castro de Arrola
Castro de Arrola
The castro of Arrola, a fortified settlement from the Iron Age located at the confluence of the towns of Arratzu, Mendata and Nabarniz. In this page you can find information about it.
