Gorbeia is the Green Heart of the Basque Country: a natural, cultural, and authentic territory where Basque identity, mountaineering traditions, and sustainability are experienced firsthand.
Gorbeia is a natural and cultural destination located between Araba and Bizkaia, encompassing the Gorbeia Natural Park, the largest in the Basque Country, and the surrounding villages. Its landscape combines peaks, pastures, and pollarded beech forests, along with key areas such as the Itzina Biotope, the Saldropo Wetland, the Goiuri Waterfall, the Mairuelegorreta and Baltzola caves, and the reservoirs that make up the “inland sea”: Ullíbarri-Gamboa, Urrunaga, Undurraga, and Albina. This combination creates an ideal destination for hiking, cycling, caving, and active wellness year-round.
Basque identity is experienced in the Basque language, in its traditions and in a heritage that includes the Sanctuary of Oro and museums dedicated to trades and rural life, such as traditional pottery, ethnography or Basque domestic culture.
The destination offers authentic experiences for all tastes: be a shepherdess or beekeeper for a day, participate in interpretive trails, craft workshops, family activities, climbing, or caving. Traditional Basque cuisine—Idiazabal cheese, honey, cider, txakoli wine, beer, jams, chorizo, and local meats—and the establishments of Euskadi Gastronomika complete the offerings.
Gorbeia is committed to sustainability: as part of the España Verde Ecotourism Reserve and with businesses certified by the Natura 2000 Network’s Sustainability Recognition System, it invites you to reach the summit in every experience that connects you with its nature, its culture, and its Basque essence.
| Joining the Smart Destinations project | The destination begins its participation in the Smart Tourism Destination (STD) program in the 2024/2025 edition, developing diagnostic work and action plans throughout the year. These documents are expected to be finalized in December 2025, reinforcing Gorbeia’s commitment to its evolution towards becoming a Smart Tourism Destination. |
| Outstanding initiatives
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The tourism development of Gorbeia is the result of more than a decade of collaborative work between the Gorbeialde Rural Development Association (Bizkaia) and the Gorbeialdea District Council (Álava), constituting a unique model of inter-territorial cooperation in the Basque Country.
This work is based on four fundamental pillars: • Organization and governance for joint decision-making and improved coordination between public and private stakeholders. • Competitiveness to consolidate and develop business structures and ensure their long-term sustainability. • Product development to identify market positioning and consolidate the tourism image and model. • Marketing to strengthen the positioning of the destination and the businesses and stakeholders that operate within it. Y dos ejes trasversales como son la cooperación-colaboración y la sostenibilidad. A partir de esta estructura surgen todas las iniciativas que creamos y desarrollamos: • Official Destination Website A comprehensive portal with information on resources, must-see places, events calendar, natural areas, recommendations, and a direct option to book experiences. • Advanced Digital Presence Continuous maintenance of the Wikiloc profile, online campaigns, and use of digital tools such as Google Maps to improve digital accessibility to the destination’s resources. • Gorbeia Cycling A structured cycling tourism offering—road and mountain biking—based on routes adapted to different skill levels, linked to the Gorbeia Bira Bike Tour project. • Gorbeia Trail Network More than 50 marked trails on Wikiloc, available for free download, with updated technical assessments to enhance their quality and safety. • “Gorbeia Central Park” Nature, gastronomy, and cultural experiences available year-round (guided tours, cheese dairies, workshops, interpretive trails, etc.). Already integrated into advanced marketing systems such as Bookeo. • Ecotourism Membership in the RN2000 Network of certified businesses and the Ecotourism Club, participation in the Green Spain Ecotourism Reserve, and development of the Basque Country Ecotourism Network. • Gastronomy – Gorbeia Zure Etxean (Gorbeia at Home) A program to showcase local products, strengthen a sense of belonging, and position Gorbeia as an authentic, sustainable, and cohesive destination. • Discover Gorbeia Training for tourism professionals in the region to learn about Gorbeia’s resources firsthand and become ambassadors for the destination. • Technical Visits Annual organization of these trips, which represent a crucial opportunity to inspire and enrich the Gorbeia tourism destination by studying successful case studies from other destinations. • Gorbeia’s Highlands and Gorbeia Experience Cultural, gastronomic, and nature-based activities to revitalize the destination’s municipalities and strengthen its territorial identity.
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