About the destination
Urdaibai is the only Biosphere Reserve in the Basque Country. A destination where people, nature, culture, water and mountains form a landscape full of life.
The region stands out for its high variety of landscapes and landmarks shaped over 14,000 years of balanced coexistence between people and nature. From the medium height peaks covered by forests, the valleys are shaped by traditional farmlands and small rural villages. The estuary opens up the landscape to reach the imposing limestone formations that shelter the extensive Cantabrian oak forests to reach the coast, dotted with capes, coves, beaches and seaside towns.
Urdaibai is a destination bursting with biodiversity. It is home to more than 3,300 species and subspecies in its different habitats: coastline and cliffs, marshes and sandbanks, forests and the Atlantic countryside.
Ecotourism experiences
There are plenty of ecotourism experiences in Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve to be discovered with your local hosts. You can join a boat to sail over the Mundaka estuary and across the villages of Sukarrieta, Busturia, Murueta, Ibarrangely and Gautegiz Arteaga to learn about natural and cultural heritage, geography and geology.
For wine and food lovers, there are plenty of opportunities to taste local produce in well-known Basque restaurants and family wineries that make aromatic txakoli (white wine from the Basque Country). In the Bodega Berroja, you can enjoy a guided tour of both the surroundings and the winery itself to learn about sustainable agriculture techniques in the vineyard and the cultural and gastronomic tradition of the area.
Another recommended stop is to visit the Urdaibai Birding Centre in Gautegiz-Arteaga, a fantastic museum showcasing local and migrating birds. You can also take a walk to see their hide over the marshes and try your luck for bird spotting.
For further information and bookings
You can live this experience together with our local ecotourism host. Please enquire to GenuineSpain on WhatsApp +34 677 658 595 or by email at info@genuinespain.es to check availability and your preferred dates.
This experience is part of the 2022 Ecotourism Escapes Brochure (only in Spanish)
The Ecotourism Club in Spain groups together destinations and companies which guarantee, by fulfilling a series of requirements, their commitment to conservation and local sustainable development. That is why it has created its own brand “Ecotourist in Spain” and the website www.ecotouristinspain.com, where you can find protected areas, accommodation and companies which offer their tourism services, as well as experiences and activities committed to the preservation of the area in which they take place.
