Antoñana, what to see and do.

Antoñana, what to see and do in this ancient fortified village in the Alavese Mountains.

Antoñana, one of the most charming towns in the Alavese Mountains, encourages us to enjoy its incredible natural and historical heritage. Located on a high and walled, this medieval village located on the banks of the river Ega is listed as a National Monument of Euskadi. An urban center located 30 minutes from Vitoria Gasteiz, it was created by King Sancho of Navarre (the Wise) in 1182. Today, this town still preserves much of its medieval structure, which is why it is considered one of the most beautiful villages of Araba and Euskadi. We encourage you to walk along its main street, the road that connects what were the 2 entrance gates of the town. We are sure that during your visit, its solid walls and historical buildings will make you travel back in time. Remember that Antoñana was a strategic urban center located on the border between the kingdoms of Navarre and Castile. A place of great importance. Would you like to visit Antoñana with us?

Remember that in addition to offering all kinds of tourist services in Antoñana, we also offer the possibility of guided tours and experiences throughout the Basque Country. We even organize complete trips for groups. If you need help, do not hesitate to contact us.

What to see in Antoñana.

The town of Antoñana and its surroundings leave us a good handful of places to see and enjoy. We leave you a summary with some of the most important ones so that you can visit all of them. We hope you like them.

Historical center: The 3 main streets and the cantons that unite them, are together with the small and narrow passages, one of the greatest charms of this urban nucleus. A small labyrinth of narrow streets, protected by the ancient walls, offers a place of great beauty. Although the walls were once a defensive element, with the passage of time they were used as another wall when building the houses of the town. We must mention that the only medieval gate that is preserved today is the south entrance. An authentic marvel.

Church of San Vicente: This Christian temple, was built over the old fortress church of Antoñana. A church built in the eighteenth century in honor of St. Vincent Martyr, which is located inside the walls, next to one of the old entrances of the town. A strategic place, which can be seen from almost any corner of Antoñana.

Walk along the river: The banks of the Ega River provide a short but pleasant walk to contemplate Antoñana from the outside. One of the best points from which to observe the wall. Although nowadays different openings have been created in the form of windows and balconies, the wall of Antoñana is still imposing from the riverbed.

Tower houses and palatial houses: The urban center of Antoñana is full of coats of arms and historical buildings that show us the importance it had in the past. Structures created with stone and wood that offer us an urban nucleus full of charming corners. Among all these structures we must mention the tower house of the Hurtado de Mendoza family and the palace house of the Elorza family.

Hermitage of Nuestra Señora del Campo: On the outskirts of the town of Antoñana, on the way to the Aguake waterfall, we find the hermitage of Nuestra Señora del Campo. A temple built in 1951, which hides inside the remains of the original hermitage of the thirteenth century.

Sculptures: Among the streets and squares of Antoñana we find 2 works of the Navarrese artist Xabier Santxotena. Iditu and Lamia. Sculptures in honor to several characters of the Basque mythology. The first one, Iditu, is located next to the health center, while the second one, Lamia, is in the center of the washhouse cistern. Xabier Santxotena, author of both works, has a museum workshop in the town of Artziniega in Alava and a museum park in the Navarrese Pyrenees. Undoubtedly one of our great artists.

Interpretation Center of the Navarrese Basque Railway: This space is located outside the walls of Antoñana, crossing the road that connects Vitoria Gasteiz and Estella Lizarra (A-132). Remember that there are 2 crosswalks that pass under and over this road. This interpretation center has a small collection of objects exhibited inside 3 wagons. In the first carriage is the tourist office of the region of Montaña Alavesa while in the rest are displayed all kinds of objects of the Basque-Navarre railroad, the railroad line, which, between 1927 and 1967, linked Estella, Vitoria Gasteiz and Bergara.

Greenway of the Basque-Navarre Railway: The route that the Basque-Navarre railroad used to follow, also known as “el trenico”, is nowadays the Greenway of the Basque-Navarre Railway. If you would like to ride this greenway, you should know that we offer guided bike tours for groups. This is one of the most requested experiences in the mountains of Alava by companies, associations and schools. We also offer bike rental service.

Ignatian Way: This route recreates the journey that Ignatius of Loyola made from Azpeitia to Manresa in 1522. Although the 5th stage (Alda – Santa Cruz de Campezo) is the only one that passes through Antoñana, this great route attracts thousands of people to this area of Euskadi. If you are interested in doing the complete Ignatian Way, you should know that TurismoVasco offers all the necessary services to complete it successfully, from accommodation to experiences. From accommodation to experiences. Are you up for it?

Aguake waterfall: The Aguake waterfall is one of the most attractive areas of Antoñana and surroundings. A place, which we recommend you to reach enjoying a nice walk. This tour is one of the many routes with children in Euskadi that we recommend on our website. A family walk, that encourages us to know the forests and rivers of the mountain of Alava. If you want more information we recommend you to read the article that we have dedicated to it in our web page: route to the waterfall of Aguake.

Izki Natural Park: Antoñana is located on the border of the Izki Natural Park. An area of great natural wealth, which encourages us to explore its mountains, rivers and forests in search of some of the most incredible corners of the Alava Mountains.

Cárcel de Antoñana: The old jail of Antoñana is located in the basement of the wall. A small local of the XVII century, in which nowadays ethnographic objects are exhibited. A small exhibition hall or museum, which aims to highlight the history of Antoñana.

Video of Antoñana.

As you already know, we like to complement the photographs and text of all our publications with a short video. An audiovisual, with which we intend to show you Antoñana in the most real way possible. We hope it will be of help to you. In case you like this kind of videos we encourage you to subscribe to our YouTube channel to discover all the places and experiences that we recommend in Euskal Herria. We are waiting for you!

Guided tours in Antoñana.

Although there are no regular guided tours, groups visiting this area of the Basque Country have the opportunity to take guided tours in Antoñana at any time of the year. Remember that this is a service that can be customized to suit the needs and tastes of the group. In this case, the most demanded option is the one that takes us to know the urban center, the center of interpretation of the Navarrese Basque Railway and the Aguake waterfall. A very complete guided tour, which allows us to enjoy Antoñana in style. Do you dare to know Antoñana with us? Remember that you can use our contact form to book your guided tour in Antoñana.

What to see near Antoñana.

In the vicinity of Antoñana we find a good number of places to see and enjoy. Among them the capital of Alava. We leave you some examples to give you an idea of the places you can visit during your trip to Antoñana. We hope you like them.

Experiences in the Basque Country.

If you like adventures, if you want to discover the rest of the areas that make up Euskadi in a fun and original way, we encourage you to take a look at our reservation center. A section in which we mention some of the best experiences of our land. Here are some examples to give you an idea of the possibilities we offer.

History of Antoñana.

This urban center was one of the most important in the area in the Middle Ages. Its location on the border between the kingdoms of Navarre and Castile made it a politically and militarily strategic space. It was also one of the most important routes for the passage of goods and people in the Basque Country. All those materials and people who wanted to reach the coast from the interior passed through here. For all these reasons, in 1182, the Navarrese King Sancho the Wise decided to wall the urban center and give it its own entity. So it was until 1200, when King Alfonso VIII of Castile conquered the Campezo Valley annexing most of its villages. Although King Alfonso VIII wrote in his will to return this town to the kingdom of Navarre, this never happened. In 1367, King Henry II gave the town to Don Ruy Diaz de Rojas, who in turn gave it to the Hurtado de Mendoza family (Counts of Orgaz) years later. After years of litigation with the Counts of Orgaz, in 1635, Antoñana managed to free itself from the yoke of the Counts of Orgaz, acquiring its own civil and criminal jurisdiction.

Antoñana, is one of the most beautiful villages of Araba and Euskadi, a small town located in the mountains of Alava that we hope you like. If you have any questions about what to see in Antoñana, we encourage you to use the comment system that you will find below these lines to let us know. We will try to respond as soon as possible. Remember that we offer all kinds of tourist services in Antoñana and surroundings. If you need help, do not hesitate to contact us. Ondo pasa!