Gorliz lighthouse, the highest lighthouse in the Basque Country.

Gorliz lighthouse, family route on the coast of Biscay.

 

The Gorliz Lighthouse is the highest lighthouse in the Basque Country. Located 165 meters above sea level, on the cliffs, the Gorliz Lighthouse has the honorary title of the highest lighthouse in the Cantabrian Sea. An emblematic structure of our coast, which can only be reached on foot or by bicycle. That is why today we would like to present the route to the Gorliz Lighthouse, a route of great beauty that we are sure you will love. The nature and the views that accompany us during practically the whole route, offer us a familiar route with a great relation between effort and reward. Although comparisons are odious, the route to the lighthouse of Gorliz reminds us a lot to the route to the lighthouse of La Plata (Gipuzkoa). Another of the great coastal routes of Euskadi. A marvel. A route to recommend. The route of the Lighthouse of Gorliz has a great historical and scenic heritage. Some characteristics, which have made us include it in our article on the best family routes of Euskadi. Do you dare to travel the route of the Lighthouse of Gorliz with us?

The Gorliz Lighthouse is located on Cape Billano, one of the most striking natural environments of the region of Uribe, a space that invites us to enjoy wonderful views over the Bay of Plentzia and the coast of Bizkaia. This lighthouse was built in 1990 in a strategic location. An area that has been used since ancient times as a watchtower for whale watching. The route that we present today helps us to know and enjoy the beach of Gorliz, Astondo, the farm of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, the castle and the lighthouse of Gorliz among others. Places of great interest that give us amazing panoramic views.

 

Gorliz Lighthouse.

Gorliz lighthouse is one of the most modern lighthouses in the Basque Country. Currently, in the province of Bizkaia, we have such important structures as the Santa Katalina lighthouse in Lekeitio (the only visitable lighthouse on our coast), the Matxitxako Lighthouse (former school of lighthouse keepers), the Getxo Lighthouse or the Gorliz Lighthouse (the highest in the Bay of Biscay). The latter consists of 2 cylindrical and parallel structures attached to each other. The small one, houses in its interior a spiral staircase that allows us to reach its highest point, while the building of greater capacity has in its interior all the necessary facilities to emit the light that guides our sailors back home. We must indicate that the lighthouse of Gorliz is not visitable, the entrance is limited only for authorized personnel (port authority of Bilbao). A pity.

 

Gorliz Lighthouse Route.

There are 2 paths that lead to the Gorliz Lighthouse. One, along the coast, between cliffs. The second, runs along a paved road that winds its way through the green pastures of the Wildlife Recovery Center of Bizkaia, inland. Our recommendation is simple, merge both routes creating a circular route. Going up along the asphalt, among Pyrenean cows, deer and pottokas (Basque horse breed) and then going down among cliffs. It doesn’t sound bad, does it? We encourage you to enjoy this circular route with your family, we are sure you will love it. The route begins in front of the entrance of vehicles of the Hospital of Gorliz, in one of its sides. Next to the Astondo parking lot. A few meters from the beach of Gorliz. It is here, where the road begins that takes us to the Wildlife Recovery Center of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia and later to the Lighthouse of Gorliz. The smooth profile of this road is altered when we pass by the farm, about 800 meters from the beginning. The route begins to gain altitude while we enjoy the company of deer and Pyrenean cows. At the same time, we begin to contemplate the town of Gorliz at our feet. A delight. Soon, we find a detour to the left, a dirt road that we will use on the way back. We follow the road. Without turning off. The road leads us to trace a couple of consecutive curves, we begin to glimpse the lighthouse of Gorliz in the distance. We cross the bridge that was built to reach the lighthouse comfortably, avoiding the many landslides that have existed throughout history. There is little left. Before facing the last slope, before reaching the lighthouse, there is a narrow path that crosses the oak forest that we find next to the lighthouse, on the left. This is one of the paths that takes us to the defensive complex of Gorliz, to the cannons and bunkers. Of course, it is not the only one, there is another dirt road of greater difficulty and unevenness, which takes us from the base of the lighthouse to the bunkers. That said, we have several options.

In any case, we will reach the batteries of the coast. To go through its tunnels and enjoy the views they offer us, is a must on any route to the Gorliz Lighthouse. On the way back, we recommend you to do it by the coast, by the dirt track that we mentioned before. Of course, it is also possible to return by the same way by which we have arrived. You choose. If you choose to follow our indications, you will see that the return route perfectly complements the route that we have made until the arrival to the lighthouse. Following this track, we will find historical spaces and of great relevance as the so-called small castle, the Askorriaga Fortress. A small military structure that was built in the 18th century for the defense of the Bay of Plentzia. The return route is much wilder, much more authentic, more natural, but be careful with the cliffs. We follow the path, soon the low forest of Astondo will welcome us inside. At this point the leaves of the trees prevent us from enjoying the breathtaking views we have had so far. But do not worry, there is still a gap through which we will glimpse the always impressive coast of Barrika. Simply amazing. We follow this path until we connect with some stairs that lead us directly to the Astondo breakwater. Once next to the beach, we only have to walk along the promenade until we reach our starting point.

 

Recommendations for the route to the Gorliz Lighthouse.

After doing this route several times, we believe it is convenient to indicate some recommendations. We are sure that they will contribute to improve your experience during this route.

 

How to get to Gorliz.

There are several options to get to the starting point of the route that we present today. Here are the most comfortable and used ones. We hope you find them useful.

 

Billano Island.

Billano Island is located in front of the cape of the same name, next to the Gorliz Lighthouse. In a stretch of our coast where the cliffs, the Bay of Biscay and Billano Island itself make us appreciate one of the most striking landscapes of the Basque coast. The inhabitants of Gorliz themselves say that this island of less than 2 hectares of surface has the shape of a dragon. A silhouette that, with some imagination, can be distinguished from a distance. Curious, isn’t it? On the other hand, we must emphasize that this area is very popular with diving enthusiasts. And the fact is that here, underwater, is the so-called wreck of Billano Island, a ship carrying ore that ran aground in 1952 due to fog. Today it rests on the seabed, about 15 to 20 meters deep.

 

Gorliz Lighthouse defensive batteries.

The defensive complex of Gorliz had 3 batteries connected to each other by subway galleries. The batteries were located on the slope of Cape Billano, in the lower part of the lighthouse, next to the sea. While in the upper part, a few meters from the lighthouse, there was a guard post. These batteries and subway galleries were built by prisoners of the Republican side in the 40’s, after the Civil War. This project was Franco’s response to a possible declaration of war by the Allies after World War II. Its objective: to prevent any maritime offensive by the Allies. Today it is possible to tour the rooms where the shells were stored, the firing positions themselves and even contemplate the last cannon still standing. A small labyrinth of subway tunnels that we recommend you to visit with caution. Although nowadays the colorful graffiti has eliminated most of the military engravings that we could read on the reinforced concrete itself, it was not always like that. Witness of it are the photographs that the gorliztarra Carlos Zorrilla has sent us. On these walls we could read indications, distances and other useful information for the defense of this strategic line. We take this opportunity to publicly thank him for his collaboration, eskerrik asko! The defensive batteries that we find in the lower level, under the Gorliz Lighthouse, have 3 platforms located at different heights. All of them are connected by subway tunnels. In this sense, we must indicate that, although all of them can be visited without going through these tunnels, the charm of this space resides (in great part) in going through these old trenches nowadays abandoned. A historical visit.

 

Farm of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia.

The Wildlife Recovery Center of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, popularly known as the “Provincial Council Farm”, has extensive fields where deer, cows and pottokas graze peacefully. During the first part of the route to the Gorliz Lighthouse, we have the opportunity to walk around the grounds, observing all kinds of animals. This center was created in 1999 to rehabilitate injured wild animals and recover native species in danger of extinction. In this sense, we must mention the Karpin, the Wild Animal Shelter Center of Bizkaia. Although the work and purpose of these 2 centers cannot be compared, we can say that both take care of the local fauna. In addition, in the case of the Karpin, the center can be visited. Highly recommended.

 

Petrified dunes of Gorliz.

The Gorliz dunes are more than 6,000 years old. A unique phenomenon in the whole Basque coast. These dunes are located in Astondo, next to the Hospital. A space that has been declared a Point of Geological Interest by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia (1990) and a Special Area of Conservation by Europe. These petrified dunes are the result of sand accumulations sedimented thousands of years ago. It is very curious how different layers and shapes have formed over time. Fossils have been found in its interior that have contributed to determine the antiquity of this geological phenomenon. In order to protect this area, the dunes are fenced, so we have to be content with watching them from afar. When talking about the geological phenomena that have formed the petrified dunes of Gorliz, it is impossible not to mention areas such as the Flysch of Getxo, Geoparkea or the Cave of Harpea, places where geography is very present.

 

Gorliz Lighthouse video.

As usual in our articles, we have accompanied these lines and photographs with a short video showing some of the most striking areas of the route to the Gorliz Lighthouse. We hope it will help you to get a more realistic idea of what awaits you in this impressive spot on the Basque coast. If you like this kind of videos, we encourage you to subscribe to our YouTube channel, you will surely find videos of experiences and destinations that catch your attention.

 

Gorliz Armintza Lighthouse Route.

If the route that we have presented is insufficient, if you want to extend the 6 km long route to the Gorliz lighthouse, we encourage you to continue the coastal route until you reach the charismatic town of Armintza. A route of great interest, which leads us to enjoy one of the most welcoming ports of the entire coast of Biscay. The route is not lost, runs along the coast for the most part before descending to the vicinity of Armintza. If you do not have enough time, we recommend you to take the bus that connects Armintza with Gorliz, line A3451 of Bizkaibus.

 

What to see in Gorliz and surroundings.

Although the route to the lighthouse of Gorliz represents one of the biggest attractions offered by this small and cozy town of Bizkaia, it is not the only attraction available. And as we anticipated in our article on what to see in Gorliz, there are many places of interest in the vicinity. Here are some examples.

As you have been able to verify, the Lighthouse of Gorliz hides many secrets. A space of great interest, that we recommend you to visit making this pleasant familiar route that today we have presented to you. In case you have any doubt, we encourage you to use the comment system that you will find under these lines, we will try to answer you as soon as possible. Ondo pasa!