Hotel Antsotegi, a hotel to dream.

Singular, unique, familiar, historical, attractive, Basque, Hotel Antsotegi.

Stone, wood, history and nature merge in the Hotel Antsotegi to give life to one of the most charming rural hotels in the Basque Country. This hotel, a former medieval forge, has changed the mineral and coal, for 15 rooms and a common space that take away the hiccups, movie. A hotel establishment, which, complemented by the close, familiar and relaxed treatment it offers, becomes the perfect place for getaways to the interior and coast of Bizkaia. The Antsotegi Hotel has provided us with a weekend of unique experiences and unforgettable emotions through nature, gastronomy and history, sensations that we want to share with all of you.

The Antsotegi Hotel is a small jewel that is part of our history, a space that, thanks to the love that those in charge feel for the culture and history of our people, maintains its original structure intact.

In the interior of Bizkaia, in the municipality of Etxebarria, we find the Hotel Antsotegi, a rural hotel that you will fall in love with wherever you look.

Hotel: The building that houses the Hotel Antsotegi surprises all its guests. Its walls of 1.20 meters wide, its common space of 15 meters high, its rural and detailed decoration, its location in the middle of nature and its history as an old forge, make it a unique hotel in the world. The 3 noble materials of the Basque architecture, stone, wood and iron, are the only ones that we appreciate in the whole structure, a design, which turns this rural hotel into a solid holiday refuge. Antsotegi and its wonderful natural environment offer us spaces where sheep, cows and horses roam freely, peaceful corners that allow us to get close to nature and leave behind the hustle and bustle of the cities. The Urko River surrounds the plot of the Hotel Antsotegi, a resource that not only gives the hotel an extra charm, but also allows us to cool off on hot summer days.

Rooms: The rooms of the Hotel Antsotegi, are decorated with care and detail, a decoration, with great personality and character that has small winks to the rural world. Each element of the rooms of Antsotegi is thought to the smallest detail, making this hotel has nothing to envy to any 4 star hotel.

The 15 rooms that we find along the 2 floors of the hotel, have different names, names that take from the natural elements of the environment, a detail that brings us closer to the geography of the Lea-Artibai region:

We stayed in the Oiz room, one of the 3 rooms with a terrace, a marvel, cozy, spacious, quiet and with views.

Location: Antsotegi is located on the road linking the towns of Markina-Xemein and Etxebarria, its location is marked with a sign that says “Antsotegi Jauregia”, you can’t miss it. The region where the hotel is located, Lea-Artibai, is a region that surprises us with mountainous and coastal areas, a small paradise located 50 kilometers from Bilbao, 60 kilometers from Donostia-San Sebastian and 70 kilometers from Vitoria-Gasteiz. As you can see, this small refuge is ideal to connect with nature and find peace.

Attention: Hotel Antsotegi is managed by the Hernando brothers, Julen, Gontzal and Pello. A welcoming family, which offers us a luxury, attentive, discreet, home attention. We must mention Emilio Hernando, father of those responsible for the hotel and creator of the same, and it was he who fell in love with this old forge, a building in which he wanted to give shelter to those who wanted to get closer to nature. Emilio, was the youngest mountaineer of the first Basque expedition that achieved the ascent to Everest in 1980 and creator of the first mountain equipment store in Bilbao, Mendiko Etxea, a true nature lover.

Experiences: Thanks to the alliance created between Sustraiak Natura and Hotel Antsotegi, we find the Wonderful Packs (W-Packs), packages of experiences based on active tourism and nature, a perfect option to get to know the environment and its most striking corners by the hand of local guides.

Our choice, hiking, our guide, Julen. Based on our experience and fitness, he recommended the ascent of Mount Kalamua (767 meters), amazing. The circular route that he planned, turned out to be a success, little effort and a great reward, a 360 degree view that shows us the interior and the coast of Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa and Iparralde (French Basque Country). The route of approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes took us to the summits of the Kalamua (also known as Max) and Akondiagana mountains. At the top of Kalamua, next to the mailbox, the typical hamaiketako (eleven o’clock lunch in Basque) took place, a traditional moment, in which Julen surprised us with Santamañe cheese, a local cheese, of Idiazabal Denomination of Origin that has been categorized as Super Gold in the International Cheese Awards 2016. Good cheese, good views, good company and many sensations to internalize.

During the tour, Julen made clear his passion for nature and history in the form of anecdotes and historical facts, a very educational and entertaining morning suitable for all audiences. Although we opt for hiking, Sustraiak Natura offers all kinds of experiences (All activities include qualified instructor and liability insurance):

Choose yours and dive into the world of adventure!

Ironworks: One of the most striking attractions of the hotel is its history. The old Antsotegi forge was a great boost for the region, a building that dates back to 1413 and that we can still enjoy today thanks to the Hernando family. This medieval forge, closed at the beginning of the 19th century, remained active until the 50’s, a work of engineering of which the original structure, the moat, the dam, the mill and many other details that you will find during your visit are still standing.

The Antsotegi forge used one of the best minerals in Bizkaia, the Triano mines, an area where the Mining Museum of the Basque Country is located, a museum that perfectly complements the Antsotegi Hotel and that we recommend you to visit to get an idea of the rise and fall of the golden age of industrialization in Bizkaia.

Gastronomy: The Hotel Antsotegi, has a restaurant that, managed by the older brother, Pello, gives life to traditional dishes of Basque cuisine and international dishes. We had heard very good things about Antsotegi’s pizzas, so we decided to try them, the result, amazing (pardon the expression), reminded us of those thin crust pizzas that we had enjoyed in Florence and Venice, a dough that was accompanied by homemade products. The final touch was the authentic wood-fired oven in which they are cooked, a touch that won the respect of our stomachs.

Camino de Santiago: The Camino del Norte, one of the busiest roads to Santiago de Compostela, crosses the Hotel Antsotegi. Aware of the hardness of the stretch, the hotel has special packages for all pilgrims, making it the ideal hotel for all those who make the Camino de Santiago and are looking for accommodation between Markina-Xemein and Etxebarria.

The history, the place and the familiar treatment turn this small corner of Bizkaia into one of the best rural hotels we have ever visited. A hotel that already has our accreditation “TurismoVasco Tiketa” and you? Do you know it?