Arrazola greenway, family route in Axpe Atxondo.

Get to know the Arrazola greenway, a pleasant and grateful route that runs along the slopes of Mount Anboto.

The Arrazola greenway, located in Axpe Atxondo, the old Arrazola railroad track, runs under the slopes of the emblematic Basque summit Anboto, parallel to the Arrazola river, along the backbone of the valley of the same name. This route, formerly used for industrial purposes (mining), is a very simple and pleasant route in which the rural environment is the main protagonist.

The steam locomotive Aurrera, was in charge of extracting the mineral from the valley to the urban center of Apatamonasterio, located about 5 kilometers away, a fact that is remembered in the final section by means of a wagon in which the mineral was transported. At present, the environment has been converted into a leisure area, changing the old railroad track for a compacted gravel track accompanied by green spaces with tables for eating and all kinds of amenities.

Nestled in the valley of Atxondo, in Bizkaia, the greenway of Arrazola is one of the most used family plans by the Biscayans, a very recurrent natural resource, which stands out for its views over the Anboto massif (Urkiola Natural Park) and the rural environment that surrounds it. This Basque area is not exempt of magic. Anboto mountain is the abode of Mari, one of the most important mythological beings of our land. Anbotoko Mari, goddess of nature, a mythological being prior to the Christian religion, was one of the great mystical icons of the Basques, and still is. A character, that together with the akelarres and the sorginak (witches in Basque), makes us immerse ourselves fully in an epic environment, in a magical atmosphere. ¡Aupa sorginak!

The greenway of Arrazola is used daily by people who want to enjoy nature without making long journeys, and is that, Axpe Atxondo is located just 25 minutes from the center of Bilbao. It is in this same locality, in the fields of Elizondo de Axpe, is where the championship of Euskal Herria of Shepherd dogs was disputed, a very traditional event of which we recommend you to enjoy and of which we already spoke to you in our article of championships of Shepherd dog of Euskal Herria. We must remember that in this greenway only walking is allowed, being forbidden any other type of transport such as bicycles or skates.

Euskal Herria is full of places like the greenway of Arrazola, old sections of disused roads that have been converted into real leisure areas. In this case, the valley of Atxondo welcomes us with the imposing figure of the Anboto massif, a perspective that imposes, and much, to anyone who visits it for the first time.

Surroundings: The municipality of Axpe Atxondo, a town of great natural value formed since 1962 by the parishes of Atxondo, Arrazola, Axpe and Apatamonasterio, offers us a family plan certified with the “3B” (good, nice and cheap). This village of just over 1000 inhabitants, is part of the Duranguesado region, a region of Bizkaia that gives us neighborhoods scattered throughout the mountains of its territory in which the Urkiola Natural Park can be appreciated to perfection. The urban centers through which the Arrazola greenway passes (Marzana, Arrazola, Axpe and Apatamonasterio) stand out for the imposing baserris (Basque for farmhouses) of stone and wood surrounded by herds of sheep and cows. Typical pictures of the Basque Country, which give us postcard photographs. The vast majority of the Atxondo Valley is set in a natural setting in which rural life marks the character of its inhabitants. We must emphasize the heritage that we find in the valleys of Atxondo and Axpe, historical treasures, which are shown before us in the form of mills, hermitages and many other types of buildings.

History: The history of this route began to be written in 1903, when the railroad reached the urban center of Apatamonasterio coming from Durango. This first section was full of business intentions, and although it was not until one year later (1904), when the section linking Apatamonasterio and the Arrazola mines was completed, it was of great importance in the logistics of the mines. This railway made it possible for the ore coming from Arrazola to reach the large iron and steel industries that were located on the left bank of the Greater Bilbao, the economic core of the Basque Country at that time. Although the railroad that originally operated this section of track was steam-driven, the evolution of this sector caused it to be modified and migrate to an electric line, a method that is still widely used today. Unfortunately, the crisis in the iron and steel sector dragged with it everything that surrounded it, including the Arrazola railway. Thus, when in the 1930s the mine saw its production decline, this section of track began to enter a clear decline, coming to an end in 1935, the year in which the last train ran along the tracks in these parts. In 1959, its official closure was certified, thus closing the golden age of the iron and steel industry in the Duranguesado area.

Anbotoko Mari: Also known as Anbotoko dama, Mari was, is and will be the most important mythological character of Euskal Herria. This figure is the legacy of the pre-Christian culture of the Basque people, a kind of witch, deified by many, who represents the earth, nature and the animal world in general. The stories say that this woman dwells in one of the caves on the east face of Anboto, a cave that bears her name and around which there are several climbing routes.

Greenway of Arrazola: Our adventure in the greenway of Arrazola started next to the Apatamonasterio fronton, in the small square that we find in the town center, to the right of the BI-4332 road. From there, we cross the road to go to the beginning of the route. After leaving behind a neighborhood of houses and passing a stone bridge, we find the beginning of the compacted gravel track that takes us directly to the old Errotabarri – El Tope station, in Atxondo. Be careful, after crossing the bridge the road forks, we must take the route on the right because the left is part of a GR (Gran Recorrido) route that has nothing to do with the family plan that we propose. This route enabled by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, runs parallel to the river Arrazola, a fact that makes us walk between whispers of water and the bustle of the trees. In the first part of the greenway of Arrazola, as in other sections of the road, we find cows and horses, a picture that enchants the little ones of the house and that reaches its climax with the pigs that we find next to the town of Arrazola. As you can see, this greenway offers the possibility for children to learn with the animals of the baserris while exercising in a 100% natural environment. A luxury proposal to spend the day with the family. In this first part of the Arrazola greenway, the landscape opens up, revealing the great massif of Anboto (1,331 meters) located in the Urkiola Natural Park. In addition, at this same point, we find some fields that shelter a herd of Pyrenean cows, pure spectacle, especially the bull, a specimen of epic size and proportions. Shortly before reaching the Martzaa / Marzana neighborhood, an urban center that formerly had a railroad loading dock, the set of medieval buildings that were formed around the Tower of the Marzana draws our attention. Among the buildings are the church of San Martin of 1550, the baserri Etxezarra of 1924, the Renaissance tower of the sixteenth century or the mill that is located across the road.

Just past Marzana we find the first of the road crossings of this route, undoubtedly the only black spots on the Arrazola Greenway.In this case, the road to cross is the BI-4332, the busiest road in the area, so be careful with children. Passing the road, at kilometer 1.6, we find a recreational area with toilets and tables on the left hand side, while on the right hand side a herd of horses delights the whole family. From this point the path enters wooded areas where we lose the view of the wide valley while we recover the company of the Arrazola River, which is again parallel to the road.The road sees the sunlight again as it surprises us again with the intense greens of our land. We reach the intersection between the greenway of Arrazola and the road down from the neighborhood of Axpe, home of the famous restaurant Etxeberri (one of the few steakhouses in the world with Michelin star) and space in which the annual championship of Shepherd dogs of Euskal Herria is held. We continue our way until we reach the Urrutia farmhouse, one of the oldest in Bizkaia (XVI century), a real treat. A postcard. It is here where we find the pigs that we have mentioned before, on the right hand side, before arriving at the stairs that lead us to the Arrazola neighborhood, next to the fountain. A special place to look up and enjoy Anboto, Mari’s home. We arrived at the end of the greenway of Arrazola, to the hermitage of San Roque, from here we begin to gradually enter the gorge where the valley begins. There are many recreational areas, tables, fountains, toilets… next to them, the bar El Topo, the end of the road for all those who wish to do the 5 km of the greenway. For those who think it is not enough, they can choose to go along the forest track that joins the final stretch of the greenway from Arrazola (Atxondo) to the mythical Besaide summit (555 meters), where 3 Basque territories (Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa) merge. Also along the way, we will observe the mines from which the ore was extracted (iron and copper9 until 1920. As we have mentioned during the tour there are rest areas, public restrooms and fountains, all perfectly signposted. Even so, we recommend that you bring your own water bottles. In summer the sun is strong and water never hurts.

Restaurants and bars: Both at the beginning and at the end of the route, at both ends, in Apatamonasterio and Atxondo respectively, there are bars and restaurants where it is possible to take a break and recharge your batteries. Although the Arrazola greenway is not one of the most demanding routes (it has no slope), it never hurts to have a pintxo pote. Although, as we mentioned above, you can also take it from home, the prefabricated wooden tables that we find in several areas of the road offer us a space with a lot of tranquility and comfort to take a break along the way.

Where to park: At the beginning of the Arrazola greenway, in Apatamonasterio, next to the BI-4332 road, there are many parking spaces. If you cannot find space in this area, we recommend going up to the area near the cemetery, another good place to park at the beginning of the Atxondo greenway.

How to get there: Although public transport does not have very good frequencies in the vicinity of the greenway Arrazola is still a very good way to get to the beginning of our route today. We recommend consulting the Bizkaibus website to find the line and frequency that best suits your needs. People who want to use private transport to get from Bilbao to Apatamonasterio should use the AP-8 freeway and take exit 84 towards Elorrio, you can’t miss it. The Arrazola greenway is a fun way to get to know the environment surrounding Axpe Atxondo and the natural wealth of the Urkiola Natural Park. A nice, easy and beautiful plan, with which to enjoy a family weekend following in the footsteps of the old mining railroad. Are you up for it?