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Painted forest of Oma, a magical forest in Urdaibai.
The forest of Oma, also known as the painted forest of Oma, “Baso Margotua” in Basque, is one of those places where culture and nature merge thanks to the works of art that we find inside. Taking the trees as a canvas and the landscape as a guest element, Oma’s paintings have crossed borders to the point of becoming one of the great attractions of Bizkaia and Euskadi. A space that perfectly complements other experiences such as the visit to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe or the boat routes in Urdaibai. Remember that TurismoVasco offers guided tours for groups in the Oma Forest. Do not hesitate to contact us, do you dare to visit the Oma Forest with us?
Information about the Oma Forest.
- Group quotes: Contact us.
- Free tickets: Here.
- Duration: 3 hours approximately.
- Experiences in Euskadi: Reservation center.
- Price: 0€ (free visit).
- Location: Oma neighborhood, Kortezubi, Urdaibai.
Route to the new Oma Forest.
The route that we show you today starts from the parking that we find next to the Caves of Santimamiñe to take us to the Oma Forest itself. A linear route that leads us directly to our destination. You can’t miss it. We start from the neighborhood of Basondo, where we find many indications that show us the way.
As you know, the PR (Pequeño Recorrido) trails are marked with two parallel white and yellow stripes, we recommend you to follow them at all times. The route starts with a small climb on an asphalt road, but soon becomes a stone path with less unevenness that runs through a pine forest, which makes the path becomes a more pleasant and enjoyable route.
The route that separates the Basondo Parking (where the route begins) and the Oma Forest is about 50 minutes. Once we get to the vicinity of the original forest (it is closed with a wooden fence), we must turn right.
It begins a short climb that will take us to a kind of hall where we find some benches where we can rest. We have arrived at the new Bosque de Oma.
The forest has 34 works of art. In order to enjoy all of them and not leave any of them on the way, we recommend you to follow an orderly route following the numbers that you will find on the floor. In our case, we spent more than 1 hour visualizing and taking pictures and videos of the works.
Once we have enjoyed the new Bosque de Oma, it is time to retrace our steps, the way back has no mystery, as it is where we have climbed.
Video.
As usual in all our publications, we have created a short video of the new Oma Forest so you can get a more realistic idea of what awaits you in your next adventure in Euskadi. In case you like this kind of videos we encourage you to subscribe to our YouTube channel to discover all the places and experiences we recommend in Euskal Herria. We are waiting for you!
Excursion to the new Oma Forest.
From TurismoVasco we offer excursions for groups to the Oma Forest. A beautiful experience that, together with the visit of other emblematic places of Urdaibai, represents a great option to get to know this incredible corner of Euskadi. Do not hesitate to ask for a quote. And we are sure that on more than one occasion you have seen a photo on social networks in which you could see some painted trees. Well, it is time for you to know them in first person. Are you ready to walk through the Oma Forest with us? Urdaibai awaits you with open arms. Ongi etorriak izan, welcome!
Entrances to the Oma Forest.
To visit the Oma Forest it is essential to get a ticket. You can do it from here. As in San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, the Provincial Council of Bizkaia has decided to control the capacity of this magical place through a ticket system. On the day of the visit, before starting the route to the Oma Forest, we must validate the tickets at the information point of Santimamiñe (next to the parking lot) one hour before. This last nuance is very important, if our ticket is for 12:00, we must validate it at 11:00. The route from Santimamiñe to the new Oma Forest lasts approximately 50 minutes. For now, the tickets must only be validated at the beginning, during the route there is no control whatsoever. Remember that the free tickets have no cost, they are free.
Location.
The Oma forest is located in the Oma Valley, in the town of Kortezubi, in the heart of Urdaibai (Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO). A place that stands out for its incredible natural value. In this sense, we must emphasize that the new Oma forest is located in front of the original forest, just a few meters away. A strategic location that allows us to enjoy nature while we make a journey of about 3 hours approximately.
How to get there.
Getting to the Oma Forest is a simple task if you have your own vehicle. Otherwise, if we depend on public transport, we must make some effort to reach our destination. Although there are a couple of options, all of them involve using several means of transport and walking for more than 3 kilometers.
Public transport: If we decide to reach the Oma Forest by public transport there are 2 possibilities: train and bus. However, both leave us more than 3 km from our destination, so we have to walk.
- Train: The company Euskotren, in charge of managing the Basque railway transport, is in charge of taking us to Gernika. Once here, we must take the bus (line A3513) to get to Kortezubi. Then we must walk for more than 3 km to reach our destination.
- Bus: Bizkaibus, the public bus company of Bizkaia, takes us from Bilbao to Kortezubi. From here, we must walk 3 kilometers to reach the Oma neighborhood.
Private transport: In this case, private transport is the most comfortable and practical way to get to the Oma Forest. To reach the Oma Forest by private transport we must take as a reference Gernika-Lumo. The most important urban center of Urdaibai. Once in the vicinity of Gernika (we do not have to go into the interior but surround it) we must head towards the beaches of Laga/Laida and Lekeitio using the BI-2238 road. In about 5/10 minutes approximately, we will arrive at Kortezubi, at this point we only have to follow the indications that we will find on our right to turn towards the Caves of Santimamiñe and the Forest of Oma, there is no loss.
Frequently Asked Questions.
After visiting the new Bosque de Oma we wanted to create a section with some of the questions you ask us the most. We hope you find them helpful. In case you don’t find the answer to your questions, we recommend you to use the comments system at the end of this article to send them to us. We will try to respond as soon as possible.
- Where to park in the Oma Forest? Next to the Santimamiñe caves, near the Lezika restaurant, there is a parking lot where you can park for free. Do not confuse the parking lot of the restaurant with the parking lot that we indicate.
- Are there fountains during the tour? No. Once we start the route there are no fountains. We recommend carrying water.
- Do you do joint guided tours of the Oma Forest and San Juan de Gaztelugatxe? Yes, of course. We offer excursions for groups all over the Basque Country.
- Is it possible to access the Oma Forest with child seats? The road is NOT suitable for children’s wheelchairs. Neither for wheelchairs. There are architectural barriers that prevent it.
- Is there a fee to access the Oma Forest? No, access is free of charge.
- Is it necessary to have a ticket to visit the Oma Forest? Yes. It is mandatory.
- How long does it take to see the Oma Forest? It depends on the physical condition of each person and the time dedicated to each work of art. But the usual is about 3 hours.
- Is it possible to eat in the Oma Forest itself? In the vicinity of the Santimamiñe caves, near the starting point, there are recreational areas where you can eat.
- What to see near the Oma Forest? Its location, in the heart of the Urdaibai reserve, offers us a thousand and one plans to make and places to visit. We recommend reading our article on what to see in Urdaibai.
- Is it possible to access the Oma Forest with private vehicles? No. Motorized vehicles are prohibited.
- What is the Oma Forest route like? It is a linear route of approximately 3 hours.
- Is it possible to go with our dog to the new Bosque de Oma? Yes.
Original Oma Forest.
The original Bosque de Oma is the result of the work that the artist Agustín Ibarrola carried out since 1982 in one of the forests of the Oma neighborhood, in Kortezubi. Hence its name. A cultural network, which gives us a great outdoor art gallery. A unique space in the world. These works of art (like the current ones) are formed by the visual that offers us to see several trees painted from a particular point of view. It is always fun and educational to play with the different points of view to make the tree trunks fit together like a puzzle. Unfortunately, the original forest cannot be visited. It is closed.
New Oma Forest.
The Oma Forest, the one painted by Agustin Ibarrola himself, has been closed since 2018. The disease known as “brown band” has taken its toll on this forest leading to its closure. Reason, for which the Provincial Council of Bizkaia has reproduced this work in a new location. Thus, a new Oma Forest has been created a few meters from the original stage. At present there are two Oma woods, the original and its replica. Unfortunately, the original one cannot be visited. Throughout this publication we will talk about the new Oma Forest, the only one we can visit at present.
Agustín Ibarrola.
The Oma Forest is the work of the Basque artist Agustin Ibarrola. Born in Basauri, Bizkaia, in 1930, Agustin Ibarrola always bet on noble materials of great durability. This is the case of the 800 pine trees that house his work. These trees, together with the painting and the perspective, are the conductors of the different social feelings that Ibarrola tried to show through this work. Thanks to the dimensions of the space in which we find ourselves and the composition of his works, we can say that this is the largest open-air museum in the Basque Country.
Perspective.
The perspective with which we visualize each of the works of art in the Oma Forest is very important. So much so, that we have marked the exact points from where each one of them should be appreciated. Remember to play with the height to fit the different trees that create the image. We leave you a beautiful sequence of images of the original Oma Forest that show perfectly the importance of perspective. In it, you can see the same group of trees seen from different perspectives.
Experiences in Urdaibai.
The Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve offers us endless experiences. Active tourism activities that allow us to know Urdaibai from a different perspective. Remember that you can book all of them from our reservation center. We leave you a short list with some of the most demanded experiences. We hope you like them
Works of art.
The works of art of this peculiar open-air museum have as their canvas the bark of the trees (mostly pine trees) of the Oma Forest, different works of art for a different museum. The figures that occupy this forest, geometric shapes, silhouettes of people and body parts mostly, are drawn on several trunks and can only be seen from certain positions. A nice and fun family plan in which perspective, colors and shapes play a fundamental role. The arrows that we find marked during the tour, on the ground, indicate the places from where it is recommended to observe each of the murals, but let’s not put barriers to the imagination, surely you will observe some new form. In total, there are 47 works of art that inhabit the Painted Forest of Oma, we attach a small map of the Forest of Oma created by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia in which you can see the location of each of the works. Did you know that the Forest of Oma responds to the current of Land art, Earth art or earthwork? Agustín Ibarrola is part of a large list of artists who use the trend known as Land art. This contemporary art trend originated in the deserts of the western United States in the 60’s, uses the landscape, nature, as a material on which to work.
Where to eat near the Oma Forest.
After the route, it is always good to get your strength back, either eating homemade food in one of the restaurants in the area. Some good options are the restaurant Lezika, the restaurant Atxoste jatetxea or Arita Berri. The first 2 are good options if you are looking for a good menu of the day, while the last one is a great option to enjoy more elaborate dishes.
What to see near the Oma Forest.
A few minutes drive from this unusual place, we find plans for all tastes. The beaches of Laida and Laga, the caves of Santimamiñe, Ogoño, Basondo or San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, are some of the most popular places for those who visit us, but they are not the only ones, there are hundreds of plans for people who want to enjoy this earthly paradise called Urdaibai. We propose some of the most outstanding so that you can combine your route through the Oma Forest with some of them:
The Oma Forest represents one of the many plans that we recommend you to do in Urdaibai, a perfect plan to learn more about the culture and traditions of the Basque Country taking nature as a central axis. We are sure you will not regret it. By the way, the eyes and figures of Oma are watching us, let’s respect the forest and the works of art. As always, we look forward to your comments, suggestions and doubts, all are welcome. Ondo pasa!
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