Urdaibai is a natural gem of the Basque Country, declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1984. Its core is the Oka estuary, which forms an extensive system of marshes where thousands of birds find refuge during migration. The Urdaibai Bird Center allows you to enjoy this ornithological treasure from a slightly elevated area overlooking the Orueta wetland.
The natural area is also home to holm oak groves, oak forests like the Arratzu forest, beaches like Laida and Laga, unique geological formations, a wealth of fossils, and spectacular cliffs, along with a valuable cultural heritage. Villages like Bermeo, Mundaka, and Elantxobe, as well as the surroundings of Gernika and the Santimamiñe Cave, complete a landscape where nature and history intertwine. A visit to the Ekoetxea Urdaibai environmental center is ideal to learn more about all this.
Urdaibai is a perfect destination for birdwatching, geotourism, boat trips, landscape photography, and visits to archaeological sites. A vibrant and diverse area that can be enjoyed year-round.
Urdaibai is an ideal place to visit year-round thanks to the diversity of experiences it offers in each season. Spring is notable for the awakening of the landscape, with blooms, mild temperatures, and the arrival of summer birds.
Autumn is the best time for birdwatching, as it coincides with the migration period and the greatest number of species in the Reserve.
Winter makes the estuary and marshes a key spot for observing wintering birds, such as waders and ducks, in a peaceful and serene environment. Among the notable species, the osprey—a frequent wintering migrant—is the focus of an important reintroduction program, with nesting platforms where intensive monitoring is carried out in the hope that it will reestablish itself as a breeding site in this area.
And summer, although busier in coastal areas, allows you to enjoy the coastline, water sports, and livelier fishing villages, making Urdaibai a destination of sustained interest year-round.
Urdaibai offers a wide range of possibilities for those seeking nature, culture, and scenery in a unique setting. Birdwatching is one of the most outstanding activities, especially in the marshes of the Oka River and the Orueta Wetland, with specialized facilities such as the Urdaibai Bird Center. The landscape can be enjoyed from numerous natural viewpoints and chapels along the coastline, as well as on the beaches of Laida and Laga, or in enclaves such as Ogoño Rock. Not to mention the therapeutic haven of the Arratzu Forest, or the Ereño Rock, a limestone reef teeming with fossils. Visiting charming fishing villages such as Elantxobe, Mundaka, or Bermeo—from where whale-watching boat trips depart—adds cultural value to the tour.
The reserve also offers a comprehensive geological guide that allows visitors to explore the different environments of the natural area, as well as archaeological resources such as the Santimamiñe Cave and the Roman settlement of Forua. Nearby, the Oma Forest, designed by artist Agustín Ibarrola, adds an artistic dimension to the tour through the natural environment. This combination of geological, archaeological, and cultural heritage makes Urdaibai an ideal destination for active and respectful ecotourism.
La Urdaibai Basque Reserve It offers an excellent combination of nature, landscape, heritage, and wildlife observation. One of its main attractions is the Urdaibai Bird Center, a modern bird-watching center with observatories overlooking the Oka marshes, allowing visitors to enjoy the estuary's ornithological wealth at different times of the year. Also noteworthy are the views from the Church of Santa Catalina in Mundaka, with privileged panoramas of the estuary's mouth and emerged sections of the ancient coral reef.
For those looking to enjoy the coastline, Laga Beach, at the foot of the Ogoño massif, is one of the most spectacular spots in the Cantabrian Sea. Further inland, the Arratzu oak grove allows you to explore native forest environments. Meanwhile, the Balcón de Bizkaia, on the road between Mendata and Usparitxa, offers a panoramic view of the reserve's interior, with the estuary framed by wooded hills and scattered villages. These places provide an insight into the ecological and cultural diversity of Urdaibai, a reserve where landscape and biodiversity are intertwined with history and traditional rural life.
A pioneering study was conducted in the Arratzu Forest on the impact of forest bathing on the health of people with mental illness. This oak forest received the Busturaldea-Urdaibai Nature and Forest Bathing Tourism Destination Certification and became one of the first entities in the world certified as a Forest Bathing and Nature Destination by the FTI and the Forest Bathing Institute (IBB).
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The Green Spain Ecotourism Reserve is an invitation to experience northern Spain in a different way. It's not a network of accommodations.
