Wine and Fish Route – Basque Country Walks

From the vineyard lands in Oyón to the port of Bermeo, the GR 38 Wine and Fish Route crosses the Basque Country from south to north. Beginning in the 13th century, muleteers set out from the ports of the Cantabrian Sea with fresh and salted fish. They returned with wheat, salt, vinegar and wine.

Oyón to Laguardia

Thursday 01 June 2023

Click here for day one of the Wine and Fish Route from Oyón to Laguardia (and two days in Laguardia).

Laguardia to Laño

Sunday 04 June 2023

Distance: 21.3 km Time: 6:15 Ascent: 810m Descent: 770m – Wikiloc

With a long day ahead and a crossing of the Cantabrian Mountains we left early, at 6:30 am in the fog. From Laguardia there’s a 600m climb in 4 km followed by a similar descent, then another smaller hill. It’s a hard but beautiful walk.

There’s no accommodation at Albaina at the end of this stage. We planned on taking a bus from there 4 km off route to Argote but we met two ladies in Laño who stopped a car and insisted the driver take us to Argote for which we were very grateful. (We returned to Laño next morning to continue).

The day’s profile

As we climb we start to emerge from the fog

Suddenly in the clear and we can see what lies ahead

The road runs out but the old muleteers path continues

*Puerta del Toro* at 1202m, the top, looking back

Descending on the northern side, it’s much wetter and the vegetation is different

A house uses a wall of the Laño Parish Church

We went for lunch at Taberna Dulanto in Argote, typical country food
Thinking this is plenty for two when another plate the same appeared

Laño to Okina

Monday 05 June 2023

Distance: 15.3 km Time: 4:30 Ascent: 330m Descent: 190m – Wikiloc

A man from Argote kindly drove us back to Laño where we finished yesterday so we were fresh when we visited the caves of Las Gobas.

Today’s walk was steadily uphill but easy. We left the roads and followed grassy paths dotted with wildflowers. There’s villages to take a break every hour too. The highlight was the Ayuda River Gorge walk on a good quality path from Sáseta to Okina, about 5 km. High humidity, partly sunny and partly shaded have encouraged an unusual variety of trees and bushes.

The 13 Las Gobas caves became a Visigoth settlement in the 7th century and were abandoned in the 9th century

Serving as a necropolis until the 11th century then they were used for grain storage

GR38 waymark with the symbols of wine and fish

Dew glistening on plants in the early morning

There’s no grapes on the northern side of the mountains, wheat predominates
We left the roads and followed grassy paths …

The 11th century Church of Sáseta (pop 10) is badly damaged and in danger of collapse. Every weekend dozens of people visit the town, for the beautiful walk through the Ayuda River Gorge from Okina

The path is a few meters above the Ayuda River

High humidity supports a variety of mosses, ferns and other plants

Our Lady of the Assumption of Okina, 13th century

Okina to Argomaniz

Tuesday 06 June 2023

Distance: 17.2 km Time: 5:00 Ascent: 220m Descent: 430m – Wikiloc

Stage 3 is from Albaina to Estíbaliz, a distance of 23 km with 4 km on both ends to the nearest accommodation. We split it in two with a night in the small village of Okina where we stayed at the newly refurbished CASA RURAL KAÑIKO. Although the bar was closed the owners made us a tasty filling meal. We continued on past Estíbaliz to Argomaniz.

Straight into the forest which continued for almost 10 km
Wet and muddy after last nights rain, it was slippery in places but rain is what gives the forest its beauty

A brightly coloured lizard running across the leaves

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Estíbaliz, 12th century Romanesque

We stayed at the Parador in Argomaniz where we had the *Menú Sidreria*, a 5 course meal of local specialties
The bottle of cider has a special cork to allow it to be poured in the Basque manner to preserve the flavors

Argomaniz to Amárita

Wednesday 07 June 2023

Distance: 13.3 km Time: 3:20 Ascent: 130m Descent: 180m – Wikiloc

We split the 35 km published Stage 4 from Estíbaliz to Otxandio by walking 13 km to Amárita then taking a taxi to Vitoria for the night.

No rain overnight so the path and grass was dry, first time in 3 days we’ve finished with dry feet.

Church of San Martín de Tours in Arbulu; inside a series of mysterious reddish 15th century paintings were discovered in 2004 (closed when we were there)

Wheat fields and mountains in the morning

Path along the Ullíbarri-Gambo Reservoir, constructed in the 1950s

When the Reservoir was created Azúa inhabitants lost much farmland and had to emigrate, leaving it uninhabited

16th century postmedieval Church in Arroiabe, slightly off our route

We finished today at the Church of San Pedro Apóstol in Amárita which was built in the 19th century with a house attached, then taxied to Vitoria
There’s a village with a large church every kilometer or so in this region

Vitoria’s old town has 2 Cathedrals and 5 Churches

Amárita to Otxandio

Thursday 08 June 2023

Distance: 21.9 km Time: 6:00 Ascent: 440m Descent: 410m – Wikiloc

After a night in Vitoria, we returned to Amárita by taxi to continue the Wine and Fish Route.

From Amárita a long but not too demanding ascent rewards with views of the Ullíbarri-Gamboa Reservoir. After Legutio another climb totalling about 500m for the day.

16th century Church of San Andrés, on the Ullíbarri-Gamboa Reservoir
The town center (with the church) was saved from the waters; the cultivated lands were flooded and its inhabitants had to emigrate to the city of Vitoria

The old Villareal Railway Station on the Rail Trail we followed for a short distance

… where there’s plenty of bars for a coffee and tortilla

If it’s flooded, forget it! Luckily there’s a path around

From the Reservoir, a climb and descent through a beautiful pollarded beech forest
In the middle ages these trees provided the charcoal for the iron forges of Otxandio

Church of Santa Marina in Otxandio, 16th century
Otxandio is a lovely Basque village with flower filled balconies

There’s an unusual passageway through the church connecting the Plaza to the street opposite

Otxandio to Durango

Friday 09 June 2023

Distance: 20.9 km Time: 5:50 Ascent: 300m Descent: 740m – Wikiloc

The climb up to Urkiola, 250m in 9 km, was easy enough and a delight walking through the Natural Park on a good track. The descent on the other side was not so nice, very steep with loose gravel in places. It took us 2 hours to descend 550m in 6 km.

Urkiola Sanctuary could have been built between the 8th and 11th centuries

At the bottom of the valley, Malaria is 550m below and 6 km away

The descent is through some beautiful forest but at times very steep

Down in the valley, could be in Switzerland

Entrance to Durango via Arch of Santa Ana, all that remains of the city walls

16th century Durango City Hall, painted in the 18th century

Durango to Bermeo (Guernika to Mundaka)

Saturday 10 June 2023

Distance: 14.9 km Time: 4:00 Ascent: 140m Descent: 130m – Wikiloc

Section 6 of the Wine and Fish Route goes from Durango to Gernika, 28 km. Although the official description sounds enticing, a Basque local report on this stage says that the waymarks cease to exist for much of the way and you walk through eucalyptus and brambles; “unbearable for us”. So we decided our time would be better spent elsewhere and took a taxi from Durango to Gernika.

Also acting on local advice we used the GR98 to walk from Gernika through the marshes and then more or less along the estuary to Mundaka, one of the fishing ports used in olden times by muleteers who loaded their mules with fish and headed south. We travelled on 5 minutes by train to Bermeo, a much larger fishing port for the night.

We walked alongside the Gernika Canal 4 km from the town to the estuary
The channeling of the Gernika River was started in the 15th century

The GR98 continues through the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve

Txakoli (Basque young white wine) vines growing over a “Roman Road”

Chapel of San Antonio on the beach of the same name
According to local tradition, San Antonio can intercede to help find lost objects

Mundaka is a tiny town centered around its fishing port

Bermeo is typical of coastal towns: steep streets, tall narrow houses
Due to a drop in the number of fishing boats, the old port has been turned into a marina

Since we left Oyón, in 8 days of walking we’ve done 156 km, climbing 3,000m and descending 3,300m to cross the Basque Country from La Rioja to the Cantabrian Sea. Following in the footsteps of the muleteers who brought fish south and returned north with wine, it’s been challenging at times but always beautiful.