Labyrinth of La Arboleda, route in Peñas Negras.

Labyrinth of La Arboleda, family route through the magical karst of Peñas Negras.

The labyrinth of La Arboleda, also known as the labyrinth of Peñas Negras or Peñas Negras karst, is located in the heart of the mining area of Bizkaia (Meatzaldea). A space, which is crossed by the family route that we recommend today. A short and simple route, which surprises us with truly magical corners. Are you ready to know the labyrinth of La Arboleda? The mining exploitation and the erosion of the limestone rock have created a most peculiar landscape. A place full of cavities, which has created a unique ecosystem in the interior of the iron mountains. Today, little remains of that time, memories and history that are kept with great affection in the Mining Museum of the Basque Country. A space that we recommend you to visit during any trip to La Arboleda.

If a few days ago we told you that the Labyrinth of Arno is one of the great treasures of our land, today we show you another magical space, the labyrinth of La Arboleda. This time the formations have a larger size, allowing us to enjoy them more intensely.

Route through the labyrinth of La Arboleda.

This route runs through a place full of contrasts. An area that was drastically transformed by humans as a result of mining. A unique landscape in Euskadi that turns this route into an adventure. Although the labyrinth is a 5-minute walk from the Ekoetxea of Peñas Negras, we recommend a circular route of 2 kilometers in length. A family walk, which allows us to discover the Loiola Valley, the PickWick Mine and the labyrinth of La Arboleda.This route begins on the left side of the Ekoetxea of Peñas Negras. There, you will find different information panels about the recommended itineraries. Ours is the itinerary number 6 of Peñas Negras. A route, which is exposed by an information panel at this point. This route does not have lost, we must advance bordering the interpretation center until arriving to the back part of the building. There we turn left, follow the green markers.After walking about 500 meters, we begin to contemplate to our right the valley of Loiola, a panoramic view, which together with the silence provides us with a peaceful space. We recommend you to enjoy it. On clear days, the view is enough to distinguish the Loiola Reservoir and El Regato.At 200 meters we find another fork, turn left. We cross an old mining area to reach a large field that is next to the road that we have used to reach the Ekoetxea de Peñas Negras. We cross the field in direction to the road until arriving at a source that we will find to our left. It is our turn to go up. We cross a small pine forest and begin to see how the limestone begins to be the main protagonist. We are close to the labyrinth.We follow the path until we reach the bowels of the labyrinth. Countless artificial canyons appear before us. Rock formations, that due to the use of explosives to extract the iron ore have the most capricious shapes. Erosion has also been partly to blame, and rainwater falling on the limestone has also contributed to draw this incredible karst landscape.Here, it is common for children to look for the curly-haired lady. A figure that, thanks to the capricious shapes of the limestone rock and the vines, creates a silhouette that resembles a curly-haired woman. Will you find her? We leave her photo as a clue.We leave the labyrinth and enter a pine forest where horses graze freely. This is a good place to eat a good sandwich or any other hamaiketako (11 o’clock lunch in Basque). Remember not to leave anything in the bush, let’s respect nature. After the technical stop, we continue descending. At about 300 meters, we find the Ekoetxea, straight ahead. Our adventure ends.

Video.

As usual in all our publications, we wanted to accompany the words and photographs in this article with a short video. An audiovisual, with which we intend to show you in a more real way what awaits you in the labyrinth of La Arboleda. If you like this kind of videos, we encourage you to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you can discover all the places and experiences that we recommend in Euskal Herria. We are waiting for you!

Peñas Negras Karst.

The karst landscape of La Arboleda has joined the mining exploitation to draw one of the most peculiar landscapes of Euskadi. Thus, in addition to finding geological formations of great interest such as dolines or lapiaces, we also have the opportunity to contemplate different cavities created as a result of the extraction of iron seams. In fact, experts do not hesitate to qualify the mining area of Bizkaia as the area with the largest number of subway caverns in the Basque Country. And it is here, in the subsoil, where one of the most interesting habitats of the area has been created. Bats, amphibians and birds of prey find refuge in these cavities. These spaces, together with wetlands, forests and fields, have created a great geodiversity associated with karst.

Where to park.

There are several options when it comes to parking, but the best option is to leave our vehicles in the parking lot of the Ekoetxea de Peñas Negras. If you do not find a place in this space, we recommend that you park in any of the existing parking lots between the town of La Arboleda and Ekoetxea. In the last kilometer before arriving, you will find several parking lots along the road. If you park in any of these 2 parking lots, you must remember that the route passes very close to them, so we recommend you to change the point of origin and destination to adapt the route to your needs.

How to get there.

To get to the starting point, the Ekoetxea de Peñas Negras, we must head towards the town of La Arboleda. From here, we will take the road that leads to the public school and continue along the forest track that will take us to our destination. It is time to go up. Remember that this is a double-destination road, narrow and very busy for people who make the route on foot from the center of La Arboleda. Be careful.

What to see in La Arboleda.

La Arboleda represents one of the most important leisure and recreational areas of the Left Bank and Bizkaia. An urban center surrounded by areas of great natural wealth, which we recommend you to visit on any trip to Bilbao. If you want more information, we recommend reading our article on what to see in La Arboleda. We hope it will be helpful.

What to see near La Arboleda.

The different towns that surround La Arboleda offer a perfect complement to enjoy this area of Euskadi. We leave you some recommendations in case they are of help. In case you have any doubt about any of them, we recommend you to use the comment system that you will find under these lines to let us know.

Family routes in Euskadi.

If you like this kind of routes, we encourage you to read our article about routes to do with children in Euskadi. We are sure that you will find routes that suit your tastes and preferences. Remember that in this publication we mention hiking trails scattered throughout the Basque Country, so you can consult it whatever your next destination is. Are you up for it?

Experiences in the Basque Country.

If you want to live new experiences, if you want to enjoy our land, we encourage you to take a look at our reservation center. There you will find activities for all tastes and budgets. We leave you some of the most demanded experiences to give you an idea of the options available to you.

History.

Meatzaldea, mining area in Basque, is the name by which this area of Bizkaia is known. A name, which responds to the mining exploitation that was carried out until the early twentieth century. At the beginning, until the XIV century, the mineral was extracted in small and rudimentary forges, from the end of the XIX century, the industry facilitated the extraction of the mineral creating a great number of infrastructures (mines, loaders, washing places…). Today we can still appreciate the traces of that time through the remains of buildings or abandoned mines. It is, without a doubt, one of the best environments to contemplate the transformation of a natural space as a consequence of the irruption of the human being. Mining marked a before and after in Bizkaia, we recommend a visit to the Mining Museum of the Basque Country to better understand the social, economic and natural impact of this activity.

Ekoetxea.

Currently, Ekoetxea has 2 environmental information and awareness spaces in the mining area of Bizkaia. The oldest one, in Peñas Negras, has only an exhibition room, while the Gallarta center, located on the Corta de Bodovalle mine, better known as Concha II, has a larger exhibition space. The first is located in the heart of the mining area, while the second is at the entrance, in Gallarta, thus welcoming all those who wish to enter this territory. In both you will find information about the extraction of iron ore. As well as everything related to the towns where the mining activity took place.

The route through the Labyrinth of La Arboleda and the Karst of Peñas Negras is one of the most striking routes in the mining area of Bizkaia. A family walk, which encourages us to stretch our legs in a space full of history. We hope you like it. If you have any questions about the labyrinth of La Arboleda, we encourage you to use the comment system that you will find below these lines to send them to us. We will try to respond as soon as possible. Ondo pasa!