Route 9: Between whaling ports, vine arbours, and natural reserves
This route through Urdaibai will take you through extraordinarily beautiful natural environments, where you will witness the commitment local residents have to sustainability and their respect for nature.
Urdaibai is the only natural area in the Basque Country that adheres to the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism, which demonstrates its commitment to sustainable and responsible tourism development. Honoured with being the Basque Country’s only Biosphere Reserve, Urdaibai stands out thanks to its natural, cultural and gastronomic heritage. Wineries that offer wine tourism are strongly committed to sustainability, ensuring that the production of txakoli is carried out in harmony with nature.
Route map
Route 9: Between whaling ports, vine arbours, and natural reserves
Stages of the route
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Stage 1 Bermeo
The itinerary begins with a lovely route touring along the coast, starting with the picturesque town of Bermeo that is considered to be one of Bizkaia’s most beautiful and important fishing ports. With its lively activity, the port is the heart of the town, and has shaped the charming historical district that surrounds it.
Explore the historical district on foot, diving into its maritime atmosphere and soaking up the essence of Bermeo. You can learn about this coastal town's fishing traditions at the Fisherman’s Museum, and find out more about its rich history.
The connection between whalers and txakoli can also be found in another curious fact. Many of the region’s wine producers used whale bones that sailors brought back to land as vine arbours.
Curiosity: Did you know that whaling boats would typically bring abundant amounts of cider and txakoli along with them aboard in the past? During the 16th and 17th centuries, Basque fishing and whaling boats would make months-long crossings to places like Greenland and Canada’s Newfoundland to hunt whales and fish for cod. At the time, water couldn’t be properly stored and so it was quickly contaminated, spreading a multitude of diseases. The safer solution was to drink wine and cider, of course.
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Stage 2 Mundaka
Our second stop is the charming town of Mundaka, another picturesque fishing village that also had a prosperous txakolinera tradition in the past.
In addition to passing through its welcoming historical centre and port, we recommend you make a stop at Santa Catalina hermitage, which can be found in a small promontory next to the sea. Enjoy a spectacular view from this exceptional location.
Mundaka is particularly well-known for its famous left break wave, which has made it a world-renowned destination for surfers around the globe.
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Stage 3 Viewpoint of the Island of Txatxarramendi
Continuing on your trip along the coast, you will reach Sukarrieta, where we invite you to enjoy one of the most breathtaking views of the Biosphere Reserve from the Txatxarramendi Island Viewpoint.
From this privileged spot, you can marvel at the beauty of the natural landscape that surrounds you.
By taking in this panoramic view, you will be able to appreciate the immense beauty of Urdaibai and understand the importance of caring for and protecting this extraordinary natural space.
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Stage 4 Urdaibai Interpretation Centre in Busturia
If you’ve started out early and have time, we suggest continuing on to Ekoetxea Urdaibai in Busturia to become better acquainted with the Biosphere Reserve.
Ekoetxea Urdaibai is a centre dedicated to the Biosphere Reserve’s biodiversity. Here we can appreciate and value the natural richness that it holds, and understand the importance of conserving and protecting its unique biodiversity. This is an opportunity to reconnect with nature and increase awareness about the need to preserve it for future generations.
One of Ekoetxea Urdaibai’s gems is its observation tower, where you can enjoy panoramic, 360-degree views of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve.
This centre also holds frequent workshops and activities that include txakoli tastings, so we recommend you check out their calendar.
In Busturia, we can also find a quite unique architectural element whose characteristics are directly connected to txakoli. These are the vine arbours of Busturia: curious tapered pilasters built along rural public paths used to support the txakoli grape vines.
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Stage 5 Visit to a Txakoli winery (Multiple options to choose from)
Once you’ve explored the environment and its particularities, the time has come to visit a txakoli bodega. Apart from the characteristics of this wine and its production, there you can learn about the singularities that this special region provides the grape.
We have a few different options for regularly-scheduled visits offered at various txakoli producers in the region:
Bodega Berroja is a bodega surrounded by spectacular mountain vineyards in Muxika’s Berroja neighbourhood. Apart from wine tasting, your visit includes exceptional views of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve from its “Urdaibai Balcony”, where you can observe all of the reserve’s most important sites. The bodega also offers wine pairing with its fine cuisine.
More info: More information: https://bodegaberroja.com/enoturismo/
Bodega Talleri Berria was built in 2011 as Bizkaia’s first cooperative of txakoli producers. With its innovative design and avant-garde architecture, this bodega in Morga also sits on a convenient location along the Way of St. James.
More information: https://bodegatalleri.com/enoturismo/
Bodegas Itsasmendi is an innovative, constantly evolving bodega in Gernika that even has an R&D space. They produce a wide range of wines, and offer a great variety of wine tourism activities along with a full calendar of special events.
More information: https://bodegasitsasmendi.com/
These three bodegas dot a special landscape in this spectacular environment, and offer diverse options for visits, tastings, and even culinary experiences. Have a look at their websites to see which one best suits your needs.
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Stage 6 Gernika - lunch
After an interesting morning along the coast, it’s time to eat! We suggest heading to have lunch in Gernika, another town with an important txakolinera tradition.
Here you will find many restaurants to choose from. Don’t forget to try out the authentic Gernika peppers. Fried and with a touch of salt, these pair deliciously with a nice txakoli.
Every Monday, Gernika has a special market for Bizkaia’s most important and traditional local and seasonal products.
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Stage 7 Gernika - Visit
Once you’re rested up and ready to finish up the route, visit Gernika and some of its most important assets, like the Casa de Juntas, the Gernikako Arbola, Euskal Herria Museoa, the Peace Museum, or the reproduction of Picasso’s Gernika.
If you're interested in learning it all, we recommend you book one of the four thematically distinct “Memori Tour” guided visits at the Peace Museum. More info: https://www.museodelapaz.org/visitas.php?visit=2
Alternatives
In Gautegiz-Arteaga, you can visit the Urdaibai Bird Center, a living museum of nature known as the bird airport. https://turismourdaibai.com/es/birding/
If you’re a more active person, there are plenty of options for outdoor activities, like surfing, canoeing, biking, sailing... More info: https://turismourdaibai.com/es/actividades-acuaticas-y-deportivas/
If you have more time to explore the area, we invite you to discover the right bank of the estuary: Ea, Elantxobe, the beaches Laida and Laga…
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