Starting point Salto del Nervión viewpoint

Our starting point will be the Salto del Nervión viewpoint. To get there, you can park your vehicle in any of the three car parks within the Monte Santiago Natural Area. From the first outer car park to the viewpoint, it’s 4.7 km , about an hour on foot, and from the third and nearest car park, it’s 2 km, around 20 minutes on foot. In snowy or icy conditions, access to the two inner car parks isn’t permitted.

The Salto del Nervión waterfall, 223 metres up, is the highest one on the Peninsula. Set in an exceptional natural environment between the borders of the Basque Autonomous Community and Castile and Leon, it’s very close to Orduña, the only city in Bizkaia and listed as a Historic and Monumental Complex. The waterfall can be enjoyed from the viewpoint over the Delika Canyon, which offers a spectacular panorama, especially during the rainy months when the water flows more freely. Accessed via the Orduña pass, you’ll find the turn-off on the left after around two kilometres once you reach the top.

Once we’ve enjoyed this magnificent experience, we’ll continue with our itinerary in Orduña, but first we’ll head to the Sanctuary of La Antigua. We can do this before reaching the Historic Quarter, or with a short ten-minute walk once we’ve parked in it.

La Antigua is the patron of Orduña and of Arrastaria, the villages that share the valley. The Otxomaio festivities are celebrated in honour of the patron saint (8 May), commemorating the appearance of the Virgin. The first Orduña settlement was located around this emblematic sanctuary. The sanctuary is open every day of the year and also offers guided tours that must be booked in advance.

After visiting the sanctuary, it’s time to get to know Orduña, visit the city and recharge in any of its bars and restaurants. Located in Bizkaia and surrounded by Alava and Castile, it becomes a geographical island. Orduña’s Historic Quarter preserves traces of its important customs and trading past between Castile and northern Europe from its foundation in the 13th century until the early 19th century.

In the heart of the city, the Plaza de los Fueros, the largest medieval fair square in the Basque Country, stands out for its arcaded architecture. There we’ll find the Sagrada Familia Church and the former Customs House (now a spa hotel), and less than 100 metres away, along Calle Burdin, we’ll reach the fortified church of Santa Maria.

You can end the day at its spa hotel, where you can rest and switch off in a monumental 18th-century building listed as an Asset of Heritage Interest.