Busturialdea-Urdaibai

Busturialdea-Urdaibai is the most important wetland area in the Basque Country.

The river Oka, which becomes the Mundaka ria at its mouth, is the bedrock of the Biosphere Reserve in Urdaibai. This natural space, which spans 230 square kilometres, was declared as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1984. Urdabai is quite possibly home to the greatest landscaping and ecological diversity in the Basque Country.

Here, culture and art also enjoy great prominence. In Kortezubi, we encounter Agustín Ibarrola's Oma Painted Forest, a place that is full of magic in which each painted tree has its own history. We also discover the Santimamiñe cave, declared as a World Heritage Site in 2008 by UNESCO. The interior of the caves house Magdalenian paintings.

In Gernika the Casa de Juntas (Assembly House) and the Gernika Tree are unmissable. One of Bizkaia's major fishing ports is located in Bermeo, as well as the picturesque San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, which has become a favourite spot for visitors and which is accessed after climbing 231 steps.

Beaches are another of Busturialdea-Urdaibai's attractions, and visitors, in addition to discovering charming fishing villages, will also come across attractive rural villages.