Gorbeia

With 20,016 hectares spread across Bizkaia and Álava, Gorbeia is the largest natural park in the Basque Autonomous Community. It was declared in 1994 and is organised around the bulk of Mount Gorbea (1,482 m), whose summit, crowned by a large metal cross visible from half of Bizkaia, is probably the most popular mountaineering destination in the territory. The massif acts as the divide between the Atlantic and Mediterranean basins and separates the humid Biscayan side from the more open landscapes of the Álava plain.

The park combines two clearly different settings. On one hand, the great blocks of woodland: extensive beech woods covering the middle slopes, oak woods at lower altitudes and mixed woodland on the ravine floors, among which drop waterfalls such as Gujuli and Uguna. On the other, the limestone world of the Itxina massif, a karst complex ringed by rock walls and riddled with shafts and caves, reached through the natural arch of Atxulaur and one of the most singular spots in the park.

The high pastures still support traditional grazing by latxa sheep, with their folds and huts, and are an essential part of the massif's cultural landscape. Griffon vulture and Egyptian vulture breed on the limestone crags, and the woods give shelter to wildcat, pine marten, roe deer and wild boar. The park has several interpretation centres at its main access points and a dense network of paths linking the two sides.