Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve

The Biosphere Reserve of Urdaibai extends itself on both sides of the estuary of the Oka River.

This protected space of great beauty and rich in fauna covers the sea board of the ria of Mundaka, the immense sandy areas and the earth that surrounds it. Gernika, the main city of the reserve is found at the end of the ria. From there begins the adventure of discovering the rural interior of the valley and the sea shore.

On the right sight of the ria, Urdaibai shines in all its splendor. You only have to surround the coast to discover the marshes torn by winding canals –today it is the most important humid area of Basque Country-, the landscape full of crops on its soft hills, the scattered villages, and the Cantabrian oaks next to the empty hills of sand.

A complex ecosystem formed in the estuary of the Oka River, with an exit to the Bay of Biscay, united to the mounts that surround it.
The access to any of the two strips of the ria can be reached from Gernika, taking the road of Bermeo to travel the western shore, or the road of Laga to travel the eastern one.

The main ecosystems are: the coastline (highlighting the cliffs of Ogoño and the Island of Izaro), estuary and marshes (housing numerous birds, especially in periods of migration and hibernation) with beaches like Laga and Laida, Cantabrian oaks, the Atlantic forest and landscape,

The biosphere of Urdaibai is a reserve where humanity and nature interact. Its main attraction is the estuary of the Oka River, where every year many species of birds gather, both migratory and non migratory.

Urdaibai also has numerous archeological sites and historical remains, many of them of extreme importance when trying to understand the first human presence in the area and to unravel its capacity of transforming the landscape.

As an important nucleus of Bizkaia, this area has had an important role in the social and economical development of the Basque Country (Spain), making

It is hard to express your feelings when you walk through the streets of Mundaka early in the morning. A time when silence invades your soul and the lights illuminate your way. Empty streets flooded with light and shadow, color spectacular sunrises implausible