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Route 10. Lea-Artibai

Industrial landscape of the Lea River.

The Lea route is 23 kilometres long and showcases nature – Mount Oiz, forests, riverbanks and sea – and engineering works built between the 16th and 18th centuries to harness the power of water in industry. You will find mills, shipyards and forges (such as the Antsotegi Errota, which is today a restaurant and hotel that preserve all the local history), together with the Lekeitio Lighthouse visitors’ centre on Santa Catalina headland. This trail shares part of its route with the Wine and Fish Long-Distance Route GR38, which runs across the Basque Country from south to north, starting in the Rioja Alavesa.

We recommend going by

  • coche

  • bizkaibus

There are different Bizkaibus lines from Lekeitio to Bilbao, but it is easier to go by car, as you can take in different coastal and inland towns (Bermeo, Ondarroa, Munitibar, Aulesti, Gizaburuaga, Ispaster, Amoroto, Mendexa). One of the ends of the route, Lekeitio, is reached by the BI-3238 from Gernika; and the other, Munitibar, along the BI-3231 (also from Gernika).

Points of interest

  • The River Lea trail

    The River Lea trail

    A trail with high heritage value linked to the ironworking, milling and shipbuilding activities that took place in this area in the pre-industrial era. It ...

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  • Santa Catalina Lighthouse

    Santa Catalina Lighthouse

    The first lighthouse in the Basque Country open to visitors with an interpretation centre inside that takes us on a journey through the world of navigation.

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Good Idea

A Good Idea

Antsotegi Errota

If you want to discover what an ancient 17th-century forge was like, you should visit the Antsotegi Errota forge in Etxebarria. It is now a hotel and restaurant, but its walls still ooze the history of the birth and boom of Bizkaia’s traditional industry of working iron and making tools. It is undeniably one of the best preserved forgers’ enclaves; apart from the forge building with is now the hotel, there is also the mansion (currently a private home), part of its hydraulic infrastructure, a mill and a bridge. A Good Idea to enjoy traditional, regional homemade cuisine, which uses top quality and locally sourced ingredients.

Guide in pdf format

Download the Iron River guide.

Downloadguía en formato pdf