Ecological Agriculture Fair in Bakio BAKIO - BIZKAIA

Bakio celebrates next July 26 an ecological agriculture fair organised by Ekolur, Bizkaia's Association for Agriculture and Cattle Ranching. Forty stands will be placed along Avenida de Sabino Arana Avenue enabling visitors to acquire vegetables, different sorts of cheese (of cow, goat...), honey, marmalade, bread, Basque cake, biscuits, cider, talo, plants, cold meat, yoghurts, pintxos, oil or liquors (wine, txakoli). As the name of the fair says, all products have a common characteristic: they are ecological. Besides, there will be activities for the smallest ones of the house and a good atmosphere and the music will delight visitors during the whole morning.

Guided tours in Iruña-Veleia IRUÑA OKA/IRUÑA DE OCA - ALAVA

Once again, guided tours commence across Iruña-Veleia, which is considered to be the most important archaeological site of Euskadi. In this way, organisers attempt to turn the archaeological area into an unusual open-air museum. The tours now include visits to the Iruña-Veleia walls, which, without doubt, is one of the most representative elements of the place.

Tours for school children including a Roman themed workshop are also available apart from single and group tours. The routes are scheduled from Tuesday to Friday (11am – 2pm and 4pm – 7pm) and during the weekends and bank holidays (11am – 2pm). For reservation call 945 403 044 or 652 720 947.

Protected Biotope of the Lakes of Laguardia (LAGUARDIA - ALAVA)

This Protected Biotope is located right in the heart of the Rioja Alavesa region, close to the fortified town of Laguardia from where you can admire it. To the north, clearly delimiting the area and imposing itself on the landscape, the high Mountains of Cantabria stretch out from east to west.

The lakes are easily accessible from Laguardia if we take the main road towards Logroño and if we follow the little roads leading through the vineyards to the lakes. This lake complex that includes four small wetlands was given the name of "Protected Biotope" due to its singularity, a fact that it soon becomes obvious as we approach the Carravalseca and Carralogroño Lakes. The resulting landscape has a series of dry, smooth and white depressions: white because of the salty crust formed due to the evaporation of the water that has accumulated during the rainy season. These are in fact
"endorheic pans" that are void of hydrological communication with rivers or streams, and which only catch the rain and the runoffs from the nearby hills. The pans flood during the rainy season and later, they lose their waters due to evaporation, leaving salt on the surface.

In addition to the aforementioned lakes, we encounter the ancient Musco Lake, which was dried out in order to make agricultural use of its soil, although there is a project to regenerate and reintegrate it into the biotope. There we will also find the Prao de la Paul Pond, although the wetland is of artificial origin and it works in a completely different way. A stream is dammed to get the water for this small pond. It is the only of its kind that is adapted for visitors: there is a path that goes along the wetland, which boasts areas specially fitted out for the observation of birds that take a rest in the lakes during migration seasons.

This lake complex is extraordinarily interesting, both from the geological point of view and from the peculiar flora and fauna that it accommodates. Not in vain, the area has been included by the Ramsar Convention on the list of wetlands of international importance. Besides, the complex is located in an almost solely viticultural region and houses significant archaeological treasures: the Settlement of La Hoya and La Hechicera dolmen, among others.

Remarks:

The walkway along the Prao de la Paul Pond covers 2.5 km and is accessible to disabled people, although it is not advisable during rainy season.

The bird observatory holds 18-20 people (ask for the keys at the tourist information centre).

A series of signposted hiking and biking routes take the visitor all over the Rioja Alavesa area. These include the fish and wine route (GR-38) running from Oyón/Oion to Otxandio that travels through the entire province of Álava from south to north, until reachin the coast in Bermeo or Lekeitio.

Elorrio and the green route of Arrazola (DURANGO; ELORRIO; ATXONDO - BIZKAIA)

Elorrio has the largest density and richness in palace-like houses in the entire Bizkaia. The Green Route of Arrazola retrieves an ancient railway nowadays ideal for walks and bicycle rides. We gather both pleasures in a route characterised by the mystery of beauty, the same mystery and beauty that says farewell to the mythical Anboto Mountain, the background curtain of the zone.