Baia river route in La Encontrada, family route in Lukiano.

Baia river route in La Encontrada, a pleasant walk in Lukiano.

The route of the Baia river in La Encontrada, one of the most familiar and curious routes we have done so far, has led us to travel this small corner located in the northwestern region of Araba. A 100% family tour, which attracts thousands of people every year thanks to the beauty of the Baia river and its suspension bridge. We recommend that you pay special attention to all the sections of this article, we are sure that our photographs and videos will be sufficient argumentation to encourage you to take this beautiful route that runs along the riverbed to take us to an old tower house and its bridge. Araba has been, is and will be one of the Basque provinces with the greatest number of natural resources. Its capital, Vitoria Gasteiz, has received several certifications in this regard throughout its history. So much so, that in 2012 and 2019 it was crowned European Green Capital and World Green Capital (Global Green City Award) respectively. These facts make clear the great natural heritage of Araba and its capital. A small sample of the values for which the institutions and inhabitants of Araba are committed. Are you ready for a walk through nature?

This simple route takes us to enjoy the La Encontrada suspension bridge over the river Baia. An idyllic setting that in summer becomes one of the most popular places to spend the day with the family. Are you up for it?

Route along the Baia river in La Encontrada.

One of the most important aspects of this route is to correctly take the path that leads to the Baia River. Once on this track, the route is not lost. To do this, we recommend that you look at a small forest track that begins next to the church of San Juan and the bowling Lukiano. We recommend you to take as reference the canopy and the fountain that we find at the beginning of the village, in San Juan street. From this point, we take the first street on the right, a small climb that leaves the church on our left. The road continues by means of a crow that turns to the left, well, we must deviate at this point to the right, by the forest track. Once on this path, the route is not lost. Straight on.Walk about 100 meters until you reach a trough with a fountain, follow the path, gradually losing height towards the river Baia, between trees. We continue straight on until we find the first crossroads, we must take the detour to the left.Once we cross the cattle fence that we find in the middle of the road, we find another fork, this time we take the option on the right, we continue down to the river. Remember to close this gate. Respect the environment.We follow the path until we reach the riverbed of the Baia. Here, to our right, hidden under the trees, we find the stairs that lead us to the suspension bridge. To our left, we find the point where the Baia River is more accessible. It is a passage for vehicles that people take advantage of to cross the river in times when the flow allows it.Crossing the suspension bridge, we enter the forest on the right bank of the Baia River. After approximately 400 meters, we leave the protection of the trees to go out into the open. We can now visualize our objective. At the end of the road is the hamlet and the bridge of La Encontrada (XVIII century). If we look closely, even today we can still see the remains of the forge and the dam that existed in this place. Although there is the possibility of a circular route, our recommendation is to retrace our steps. The circular route is not signposted and can lead to misunderstandings.

Suspension bridge over the Baia River.

We are sure that when you read suspension bridge you have thought of the Bizkaia Bridge, one of the most emblematic buildings in the Basque Country. Well, this bridge is much more humble, but just as striking. The pedestrian suspension bridge over the Baia River is one of the main attractions of this route. An unusual metal structure that attracts the attention of young and old. This bridge joins the two sides of the river making it easier to reach La Encontrada by a route of only 30 minutes. A few meters downstream, parallel to the bridge, we found a step so it is also possible to cross the riverbed, yes, you have to get wet. In any case, crossing this suspension bridge has become one of the most demanded plans by the Basques themselves. A curious attraction to say the least.

The legend of the found.

Behind this route hides a very interesting legend. It is said that the baserri (farmhouse in Basque) that we find at the end of the road, in La Encontrada, on the banks of the river Baia, was once a forge and tower house with great historical relevance. It was the medieval tower of the Gereña lineage. A noble building, where the lords of the valley lived. The same, in which Princess Blanca, daughter of the Queen of Navarre, decided to take refuge while her brother, Prince Charles, heir to the throne, was imprisoned by his father, Juan “the usurper”. Blanca, a supporter of Charles’ cause, waited in Araba until her brother came looking for her. When they found themselves near the tower of Gereña, Prince Juan shouted “found! From that day on, the lord of the tower decided to change the name of Gereña to “La Encontrada”, a name that survives today in honor of that encounter. Curious, isn’t it?

Baia River.

The river Baia (Bayas in Spanish) rises on the Alava side of the Gorbeia mountain and flows into the Ebro, at the height of Miranda de Ebro. Its waters come from different tributaries such as the Añana or Ugalde rivers. Waters that, in the rainy months, make the course of the river grow easily, irrigating towns such as Zuia, Pobes or Kuartango. A river, that in many occasions, represents one of the best options to cool off in the hot summer days. In any case, according to the theory of the outstanding Basque linguist Koldo Mitxelena, the name Baia comes from Ibaia, river in Basque. Another curiosity to take into account in this beautiful family outing.

Where to park in Lukiano.

There is no parking for the route of the river Baia in La Encontrada, so we must park in one of the streets of the village itself. Lukiano is a small and quiet village, please respect the entrances to the houses and allow the passage of cars, tractors and other vehicles through all its streets. For this, we recommend you to park in the vicinity of San Juan Kalea, next to the car shelter that we find at the beginning of the village. In case this space is full, we recommend you to go to San Roque Kalea and park in those sections where the road is wide.

Sanctuary of Gold.

A little more than 5 minutes by car, in Bitoriano, we find the Peñas de Oro and the sanctuary of the same name. A small oasis of peace, which, on summer days, is altered by the hundreds of mountaineers who decide to visit this emblematic Basque watchtower. The grayish color of the limestone rock, the main protagonist of this enclave in Alava, merges with the intense green of our forests and fields to give us wonderful views. A perfect place to admire the beauty of the interior of Euskadi. Remember that in case you want to visit its interior and see the image of the Golden Virgin (13th century) it is necessary to book in advance.

Gorbeia Natural Park.

The Gorbeia Natural Park is one of our most important natural areas and one of the cradles of Basque mountaineering. The cross, located at the top of Gorbeia, at an altitude of 1,482 meters above sea level, is one of the emblems of Euskadi. An icon of our land. A space that unites the lands of Alava and Bizkaia through pastures, rocky areas and magical forests. An environment in which the Protected Biotope of Itxina or the fields of Arraba play an essential role as far as landscape stamp is concerned. A perfect place for hiking, mountain biking, caving or simply contemplate the always amazing Berrea.

What to see near Lukiano.

Lukiano, a small village of less than 50 inhabitants, awaits our arrival in the shelter of the mountain. An environment of great natural wealth that transmits peace and tranquility. Not far from here, less than an hour’s drive away, we find places of great interest such as the Salto del Nervión or the Botanical Garden of Santa Catalina. Here is a small sample of some of the attractions that surround this Basque town:

Other family routes in Euskadi.

As many of you know, in TurismoVasco.com we have a large number of family routes to do. Routes of great attraction, which have a nice effort / reward ratio. We encourage you to choose one of the family routes in Euskadi that we have published during all this time to enjoy the great natural heritage that we have.

Video of the Baia La Encontrada river route.

Once again we wanted to accompany the words and pictures of this article with a short video. The goal is to show you as real as possible what you will find at your destination. In case you like this kind of videos we recommend you to subscribe to our YouTube channel, you will surely find inspiration to prepare a getaway in Euskal Herria.

As you have been able to see, the route along the Baia river in La Encontrada is an attractive route that encourages families to cross one of the few suspension bridges that we find in Euskadi. A perfect route to do in the company of the youngest members of the family. Ondo pasa!