What to see and do in Añana: 17 plans you can’t miss.

Cuadrilla de Añana, a small natural paradise 30 minutes from Vitoria Gasteiz.

Cuadrilla de Añana, one of the 7 regions in which the province of Araba is divided, is strategically located 30 minutes from Vitoria Gasteiz, 50 minutes from Bilbao and 15 minutes from Miranda de Ebro, in the southwest of the province of Araba. A rural area of more than 690 km², which thanks to its active tourism experiences, its great heritage and its rich gastronomy, offers us a destination to take into account in any getaway to Euskadi. If you like active tourism, if you like nature and adventures, we recommend you to seriously consider visiting the region of Añana. Would you like to join us to get to know the Cuadrilla of Añana?

Hiking, trekking, mountain biking, via ferrata or bird watching are some of the best known experiences in the region of Añana. But there are other less known and more original ones that can be a great incentive for your getaway. In case you want us to help you plan a trip full of adventures, we encourage you to contact us, we are waiting for you!

What to see and do in the Añana region.

Captained by the already more than known salty valley of Añana, this region surprises by the amount of tourist attractions. Places, located in a rural setting, between fields, forests and mountains, awaiting our arrival. Are you in?

Valderejo Natural Park: This natural space is one of the great protagonists of the region, one of the 9 that we can see throughout the Basque Country. A place that is known for its hiking trails, its beauty and the possibility of contemplating some of the most striking birds of our land, the griffon vultures. In this sense, we must remember that there is the possibility of doing the activity of “birding” or “birdwatching”, an experience that encourages us to watch birds to learn about the different species that live among us. This activity is gaining more and more followers, a great example of this is the experience we offer on the Basque coast: birdwatching in Getxo. In the interior of this natural park we find the Purón River Gorge, the space through which one of the most famous and recommended routes in the Basque Country passes. If you dare to do this route, we recommend you to read our article about the route of the Purón river gorge.

Salt Valley: To mention the most attractive places in the region of Añana and not mention the salt valley would be a serious mistake. This salt factory, more than 6,500 years old, offers us the possibility of walking among its threshing floors to contemplate the process of extraction of the white gold of Añana. These salt mines and the urban center of Añana create a truly impressive landscape. Did you know that this salt comes from an ancient sea more than 200 million years ago?

Iruña Veleia Site: This Roman site located 10 kilometers from Vitoria Gasteiz, offers a broad view of the history (1,500 years). The settlement of Iruña, an urban center of the 8th century BC, became one of the most important settlements in the province of Araba. During the visit we have the opportunity to contemplate what was once the walled enclosure and the area outside the walls. Spaces that were declared Monumental Site in 1984. The site can be visited by guided tours or free visits depending on the time of year in which we visit, in our case, we opted for the free visit, approximate duration, 1 hour.

Tower of the Varona: The tower palace of the Varona is one of the most important buildings of Araba and Euskadi. An imposing fortification, which captures the visitor by its exterior framework and the state of conservation of its interior. Thanks to the guided tours, we can learn about the history of this building and its owners.

Botanical garden of Santa Catalina: Located less than 30 minutes from Vitoria Gasteiz, the botanical garden of Santa Catalina encourages us to walk among the remains of an ancient monastery while we contemplate the more than 1,200 species that surround us. An idyllic space with a great history behind it. The garden will be closed for works during the year 2022.

Fontecha Tower: The Fontecha Tower or Tower Palace of the Orgaz, is one of the most striking architectural ensembles of the Añana region. After being abandoned in the 20th century, the wall, the tower (14th century) and the palace of Orgaz (16th century), have been restored by the Micaela Portilla workshop school. The same vocational training school that houses it.

Portilla Castle: Portilla Castle, the castle that appears on the coat of arms of the province of Araba, has been restored so that we can see first hand the importance of this fortress of the Kingdom of Navarre. This free self-guided visit encourages us to enjoy the Monumental Complex of Portilla and the impressive views from its highest point. More information: Portilla Castle.

Castillo de Ocio: This fortress, also known as Castillo de Lanos, is located on a natural watchtower at the highest point of the town of Ocio, at an altitude of 644 meters. This building was part of a series of fortresses that were created as a result of the different conflicts between the kingdoms of Navarre and Castile. It was from here, from this castle, that the roads of merchandise that connected the interior and the coast of Euskadi were controlled.

The hermit caves of Valdegovía: The hermit caves of Tobillas, Corro, San Martín and Pinedo represent the more than 16 caves that we can currently find in the valley of Valdegovía. These caves help us to get an idea of the importance of hermitage in this area of Euskadi in the Middle Ages. More information: Hermit caves of Valdegovía.

Optical towers: The different optical towers built throughout the length and breadth of Araba were part of the optical line in charge of linking Madrid and Irun. A series of towers, which were baptized under the name of the “Castilla line”. In fact, thanks to these structures located in different natural watchtowers of our territory, it was possible to send a message between these two points in a matter of hours. A technology, which in the 19th century was essential for communication. In this sense, we remind you that these optical towers can be visited through different hiking routes. The best known, the route of the 6 churches.

Caicedo Yuso Lake Route: The route between the salt valley and the lake of Caicedo Yuso takes us to enjoy a place of great natural wealth. And it is that, to the already known salt mines of Añana is added the only natural lake of Euskadi. A space, in which we find natural species of fresh and salt waters. If you would like more information about this route, we encourage you to read our article about the route of the lake Caicedo Yuso from Añana.

Medieval village of Armiñón: The ancient medieval village of Armiñón is located on the banks of the river Zadorra. An idyllic space, in which we highlight the medieval bridge, the Palace of the Marquis of Terán or the church of San Andrés Apóstol. A beautiful cultural and historical heritage that together with the recreational areas that we find on both banks offers us a stop on the road to Santiago.

Tower of the Constable: This tower located next to the urban center of Fontecha owes its name to its original owners, the Constables of Castile. A building of defensive character and more than 20 meters high, which was created in the late fourteenth and early fifteenth century. Although this tower is currently completely empty inside, it is well worth visiting its exterior (it is 400 meters from the Fontecha tower).

Singular trees: The region of Añana has hundreds of forests and thousands of trees. But among all of them, 2 unique trees stand out, 2 trees that are protected by law: the Lantarón stone pine (the only place in the Basque Country where this species grows naturally) and the Angosto oak (tree under which meetings were held in the Middle Ages).

Water Museum: Water has been essential for the municipality of Lantarón throughout the centuries. In fact, the waters of Sobrón were of medicinal interest until the 20th century. The current museum is located in a natural space of great value, surrounded by an environment of great beauty, next to the Ebro River. The museum aims to raise awareness of the importance of water as a limited resource.

Video of Añana.

As usual, we have created a short video in which we show you as real as possible what you will find in this corner of Euskadi. We hope it will be helpful. 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!

Trip to the Añana region.

The region of Añana offers endless possibilities, in fact, we offer organized trips to know this area of Euskadi. A region, still unknown to most of the people who visit us, can you imagine 3 days immersed in nature? Hiking trails, mountain bike routes, bird watching, guided tours and much more! If you are looking for an organized trip in Añana, we encourage you to contact us so we can design a 100% personalized getaway for you. Are you up for it?

Where to eat in the Añana region.

The Cuadrilla de Añana has several gastronomic temples. Among all of them, we highlight the Taberna La Era, a place where eating is a real pleasure. But as we have said, it is not the only one, there are many other options. All of them with great guarantees. If you dare to visit the salt valley of Añana or the route to Lake Caicedo Yuso, the Palacio Arana is another great option. We hope you like them. We are waiting for your opinions!

Experiences in the Basque Country.

If you like adventures and active tourism experiences, if you are thinking of visiting other destinations in the Basque Country, we encourage you to visit our reservation center. We leave you a short list with some of the most demanded experiences so that you can get an idea of the different possibilities that we propose. We hope you like them.

What to see near the Añana region.

In the vicinity of the region of Añana we find a good number of places to see and enjoy. In fact, if you are planning a trip to this area of Euskadi, we encourage you to plan a visit to some of the places that we propose below.

As you have been able to see, the region of Añana offers us a small natural paradise 30 minutes from Vitoria Gasteiz. A perfect place to enjoy nature with the family while we know some of its most iconic and emblematic places. Remember that you can use the comment system that you will find below these lines to ask us any questions you have about the region of Añana. We will try to respond as soon as possible. Ondo pasa!