Birding Gorbeia

The forest and the water / The mountain and the cliff

We offer in the Birding Gorbeia experience two guided routes to learn about the birds and nature of Gorbeialdea. Participants will choose which route they want to do of the 2 possibilities:

Route 1: The forest and the water. Guided route to know the birds and nature of Gorbeia through its beech and oak forests. In addition, we will observe the Gujuli waterfall, a waterfall of more than 100 meters high, the second highest in the Basque Country, and we will reach the Lamioxin lagoon, a magical place for the Basque mythology.

The starting point is the recreational area of the Ostuño forest, in Izarra. We will visit an amphibian breeding area, among which is the agile frog, one of the most endangered and scarce frogs in the Iberian Peninsula. We will walk through part of the immense forest of Ostuño and Altube, formed by beech and oak trees of great size and where we can observe forest birds such as the black woodpecker, bullfinch, coal tit, coal tit, crested tit, nuthatch, treecreeper, Iberian chiffchaff, mistle thrush, goldcrest, goldcrest. We will enjoy the Basque countryside landscape in Gujuli, where the pastures for cattle alternate between the woods and we can observe the Cirl Bunting or the Red-backed Shrike. We will enjoy the Gujuli waterfall of more than 100 meters high and where on the ledges of its vertical walls we can observe rupicolous birds such as the Egyptian vulture, the peregrine falcon, the griffon vulture or the red-billed and yellow-billed choughs. And we will arrive among beeches, yews and holly trees to the Lamioxin lagoon, where a lamia, a being from Basque mythology, dwells and will show us the depths of the forest.


Route 2: The mountain and the cliff. Guided route to learn about the birds and nature of Gorbeia and its surroundings through its majestic mountains and cliffs, where we will observe the two highest waterfalls in the Basque Country, the Gujjarati and the Gujarati.The Gujuli waterfall, a waterfall of more than 100 meters high, and the Nervion waterfall, 220 meters high, which forms a spectacular canyon, an ideal place to observe rupicolous birds.

The starting point is the parking lot of the Gujuli waterfall (Urkabustaiz). We will enjoy the Basque countryside landscape in Gujuli, where pastures for livestock alternate between the woods and we can observe the Cirl Bunting, Red-backed Shrike, Bullfinch, Marsh Titmouse, Nuthatch, Short-toed Treecreeper, Iberian Chiffchaff, Mistle Thrush or Firecrest. We will enjoy the Gujuli waterfall of more than 100 meters high and where on the ledges of its vertical walls we can observe rupicolous birds such as the Egyptian vulture. We will visit an amphibian breeding area, among which is the agile frog, one of the most endangered and scarce frogs in the Iberian Peninsula. Finally, we will visit the mountain moors where we will be able to observe birds such as the Mountain Bunting, Alpine Pipit, Tawny Pipit, Towhee Lark, Alpine Accentor and Alpine Accentor. And we will get to look at the cliffs, the home of rupicolous birds such as the peregrine falcon, griffon vulture, choughs, red-billed and yellow-billed choughs, raven, king swifts, rock thrush, solitary rock thrush and rock thrush.