IZKI NATURAL PARK
Forests, rivers and cuttings
Did you know that this park was originally water? Between 40 and 100 million years ago this area was covered by a shallow sea, as you can see by the presence of fossilized bivalves, corals, algae and other marine life within the rocks of this natural park. Fossilized remains of large vertebrates, such as dinosaur eggs, have also been found.
The Izki Natural Park, located in the southeast of Alava, is home to an enormous diversity of landscapes and is the fourth largest park in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, behind Gorbeia, Aizkorri-Aratz and Aralar.
The Izki Natural Park is essentially forest and rock. Mainly an oak grove of marojo oak, but also beech groves, holm oak groves, alder groves, gall oak groves, mixed forests, birch groves, aspen groves? cover a large part of this natural space. Small rivers - Izki, Molino, Berrón - flow through the valley.
At some points the water outcrops forming ponds, traps and incipient peat bogs. In these wetlands, apart from an interesting fauna of amphibians and birds - little grebe, great crested grebe... -, a valuable flora develops, such as the white water lily and a rich variety of carnivorous plants. In the sky, gliding above the forest, the slender figures of the golden eagle, the peregrine falcon, the Egyptian vulture and the vulture stand out, resting and breeding in the majestic limestone cliffs of the Izki peaks. The ample pastures of the high areas, where cows, mares and sheep feed, reveal the presence of human beings.
An extensive cultural heritage conveys the history of these valleys and mountains: artificial caves, hermitages, fortified villages, burial mounds, lime kilns, castles, archaeological remains... and to top it all off, the medieval village of Korres, the only inhabited village in the interior of the Park . Gastronomy, handicrafts, traditional festivals, pilgrimages and the existence of cozy rural houses dotted around the villages near Izki increase the interest of the Natural Park.
The Izki Natural Park Interpretation Center is located in the council of Korres, belonging to the municipality of Arraia-Maeztu, and the only town located within the boundaries of the protected area.
- Address: Calle Afuera s/n - 01129
- Telephone: +34 945 410 502
- E-mail: parqueizki@parques.araba.eus
- Web: www.izkiparkea.eus/es/