A journey to the past in Bilbao Biscay
Thanks to the geological transformations that have taken place throughout millions of years in Bilbao Biscay, the region is now home to spectacular landscapes.
The cliff faces and wave-cut platforms found along the Biscayan coastline boast incredible formations that will take you back in time; its caves, decorated with intricately shaped stalactites and paintings made by our ancestors, will make you dream; and the old vestiges that crown the summits of our mountains will get you closer to the clouds.
Rock formations in Bilbao Biscay can tell lots of stories about how planet Earth has changed since its origins. Here, its major geological events have left an important imprint which, apart from being necessary to understand the forces of nature, have given shape to unique landscapes and natural corners all over the region.
In Barrika, for instance, you can see surprising shapes sticking out of the sand when the tide is out, as if a sleeping dragon was outlined against the sky every time the waters of the Cantabrian Sea recede into the distance. These rocky formations, capable of firing anyone’s imagination, belong to the Flysch of Biscay, and they are the amazing result of thousands of years of creation. Dotted with beaches and cliffs, this stretch of Biscayan coastline between Getxo and Bakio is like an open book on the history of the Earth. Its distinct scenery is created by fascinating rock folds that serve also as a refuge for the abundant wildlife that thrives on our coasts.
At Punta Galea, near the Bilbao Abra, the effects of the collision between two the tectonic plates that caused the creation of the greatest mountain ranges in Europe are still visible. Between Arriatera and Atxabiribil beaches in Sopela, you can see at a glance the thin layer formed when the asteroid responsible for the extinction of dinosaurs impacted on our planet 66 million years ago. In Meñakoz, there is an entire 15-metre wall made up of pillow lava–lava that cooled down rapidly after coming out of the volcano. In Gorliz, sand dunes fossilised 6 billion years ago forming slopes made of fine layers of sand. Meanwhile in Armintza, flysch rocks are characteristically black in colour, which reveals their volcanic origin.
Carved on its stones by the passing of time, inland Biscay keeps many a secret, perfectly illustrated in the small causeway of giants in Fruiz. Here, almost-regular heptagonal and hexagonal basalt columns–formed when the magma that emerged from the depths of a formerly existing sea solidified–protrude from the greenery of the hills in the area.
Pozalagua, located in the heart of Enkarterri, is another one-of-a-kind natural beauty. It houses the largest concentration of eccentric stalactites. These bewildering and unpredictable formations defy all laws of gravity as they grow, twisting on the ceilings of the cave like mysterious plants. The peculiar union of stalactites and stalagmites inside the cave creates enormous columns that offer an extraordinary spectacle. Especially sublime is the view in the so-called Versailles Hall. The cave can be compared to an underground cathedral, sculpted in the darkness of the mountains by the water that has been filtering in through the rocks over the millennia.
The passage of time has also left an imprint in places like the Santimamiñe cave, situated in the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve. Over 14,000 years ago, sheltered among its stalactites and the stalagmites, our ancestors started capturing the world around them in cave paintings. Considered the most important archaeological site in Biscay, this prehistoric sanctuary has World Heritage Site status due to the charcoal drawings and carvings of bison, goats, horses, bears, deer, and other incredible figures preserved on its walls.
The summits of the mountains in the region had special importance for our ancestors too as they were thought to have mystical powers. Not only the crests of Mount Gorbeia and Mount Anboto have been surrounded by mysteries and legends; many of our sky-high mountains have had a particular significance throughout the years as well. The megalithic site of Katilotxu, for instance, comprised of a series of funerary monuments, dates to the Neolithic and the Chalcolithic ages. Its dolmens and other structures still lie scattered around Mundaka, Sukarrieta and Busturia.
