Urdaibai West Coast

The Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, a protected natural area that has one of the most important marshes on the Cantabrian coast. The Urdaibai marshes are formed by the Oka and Golako rivers, which at their mouth form an extensive valley that opens towards the sea in a wide estuary, covering a great variety of landscapes such as grasslands, countryside, Cantabrian holm oak forests, marshes and river plains, cliffs, beaches and dunes. It is this landscape mosaic that makes it a space with the highest levels of biodiversity in the entire Basque Country.

The peoples of Bermeo and Mundaka have lived their entire history fighting for the island of Izaro that is in front of them, welcoming the mouth of Urdaibai. Towns with a long maritime history where you can breathe the atmosphere of what was once a glorious era. Bermeo, as the former capital of Bizkaia, the head of the province, is a symbol of maritime tradition and Mundaka is a key place for surfers from all over the world who come to surf the best left-hand wave in Europe.

The Romans already knew that enclaves near water were essential for a safe and effective trade deal for their interests. Although the Roman conquest was not such in the north of the peninsula, they did leave remains of their civilization and that is seen very clearly in the settlements of Forua and Sukarrieta, where both a town and an old port help us understand the importance of these routes through Urdaibai.

Many of the marshes of the nature reserve are on this coast and getting closer to the heart of them is possible through the town of Murueta and the old tejera where the large companies of the 19th century. XIX they used the natural resources of the area for their international trade. A route crossed by a train that brings us closer to the heart of Urdaibai.