Route through El Regato, the green lung of Barakaldo.

This beautiful family route through El Regato is one of the best ways to get to know the historical, natural and gastronomic richness hidden in this corner of Bizkaia.

The route through El Regato that we show you separates the neighborhoods of Gorostiza and El Regato by approximately 3 kilometers, a family route, which enlivens our stay with the marshes, rivers, museums and restaurants that we find on our way. Barakaldo, one of the most important urban centers of the Left Bank of the Nervión, finds in El Regato one of the most beautiful areas of its territory, a small valley, in which the water is one of the great protagonists. Rivers and marshes emanate water throughout the tour, and if we go up the valley to its highest area, we would enjoy a beautiful view where the water marks the way forward. The Regato and the marshes that surround it (Gorostiza, Etxebarria and Oiola) are a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle that is created in the urban center, just 4 km from these natural places. A highly demanded family plan, in which the photos in the marshes, the visit to the Historical and Environmental Interpretation Center of El Regato (CIHMA) and the tasting of a good ration of beans or rabas (depending on hunger and intentions) is practically mandatory.

The characteristics of El Regato, rural, quiet and dotted with the industrial character of Barakaldo, make this space has everything you need to spend a nice day with the family. Although the route we propose is part of the PR-BI-210, a walk of 15 km long and 3 hours long, we recommend you to do only a part of it, the most beautiful and interesting section. So, instead of walking the entire PR-BI-210, the so-called “route of the marshes”, we only recommend walking the distance between the neighborhood of Gorostiza and El Regato, enjoying all the charms of both while doing some sport and also leaving time to visit other places in the area such as the Mining Museum of the Basque Country.

El Regato is along with other places like La Arboleda or Serantes, one of the great green spaces of the left bank, a rural environment, where the sound of water calls our attention as we walk along the banks of the Gorostiza reservoir. Although there is the possibility of walking along both banks, we choose the reconditioned area, a pleasant walk, with beautiful views and easy to walk, which surrounds almost the entire right bank of the reservoir until you reach the town of El Regato. The other option, the left bank, also has its charms and drawbacks, it is a more natural way, in which the trees cover the road as we pass, going deeper into nature but also away from the views over the swamp. There are different colors for every taste. The 2 options are equally valid, so if you have doubts, we recommend to go by one of the banks and return by the other.

Strolling along the Castaños river and the Gorostiza reservoir, while we walk along the so-called water path or the route of the Barakaldo reservoirs, offers us some knowledge about the history of this place that we did not know. Did you know that in the depths of the Gorostiza reservoir there is a district called Aranguren? Nowadays, in years of drought, it is possible to appreciate the tip of his hermitage. Curious truth?

History: According to several historians, the origins of El Regato take us back to almost the year 740, an incredible journey through time in which one could verify the importance that agriculture, ironworks and mining have had throughout history in this incredible valley of Bizkaia. Unfortunately, this neighborhood that once enjoyed an exceptional economic and social health, has been losing purchasing power at the same time that its inhabitants disappeared, people once attracted by the industry today practically disappeared. The existence of the Castaños river, the surrounding mountains and forests, contributed to the fact that El Regato was a perfect place for ironworks and other types of iron and steel establishments, and in its golden age there were more than 70 buildings of this type. Unfortunately, all of them disappeared with the passing of time. The reservoirs present in the Regato were also created for industrial purposes and its waters, previously used to give life to mills and ironworks, were also important for companies such as Altos Hornos de Vizcaya (AHV).

Museum: In the urban center of El Regato, in the old schools, we find the Historical and Environmental Interpretation Center of Barakaldo, a small and interesting museum that shows us the history and character of everything that surrounds it. Aided by models, videos and computer panels, by means of a self-guided visit and free of charge, this Biscayan museum opens its doors during the weekends to anyone interested in visiting it. This space, managed by the city council of Barakaldo, helps us to understand the way of life and the customs of its inhabitants by means of the 2 floors that it has. Very interesting models and videos of the second floor, highly recommended.

Location: El Regato is part of the municipality of Barakaldo, one of the most densely populated urban centers on the left bank of the Greater Bilbao. Barakaldo is internationally known for the BEC (Bilbao Exhibition Centre), Bilbao’s trade fair, an enclosure where some of the most important events in the Basque Country are held. In addition to this great tourist attraction, there are places like the Botanical Garden or El Regato, very different spaces that perfectly complete the typical tour through its streets and squares. In this aspect, El Regato, represents the wildest green area of Barakaldo, one of the largest natural landscapes. The characteristics of the valley in which the urban center of El Regato is located, difficult to access and hidden among mountains, has protected the rural character of this area from the clutches of the real estate bubble.

Nature: Although industrialization damaged part of this area, thanks to the existence of the Castaños river, the Etxebarria (1885) and Gorostiza (1945) reservoirs and the forests that surround them, it has managed to maintain a beautiful biodiversity among which stand out the oak trees and the thorny fish, a very scarce fish in Euskadi that has found in El Regato a perfect environment in which to reproduce.

How to get there: To get to El Regato we can opt for public or private transport. In case of choosing the first one, the public one, we must highlight the services of Bizkaibus and the Metro of Bilbao, while if we choose the second option, we recommend you to leave the car in the parking lot that we find before the Sports Center of Gorostiza (if you do not find a place, the urbanization that we find a little further on, on the left hand side, is the best option).

Gastronomy: Gastronomy, one of the strong points of our land, has good representatives in the urban center of El Regato, specifically in establishments such as the Errekatxo restaurant, a place that does not hesitate to advertise itself as a restaurant of “traditional and homemade cuisine” specialized in beans. In our case, we opted for something lighter, a small hamaiketako (lunch at 11:00 in Basque), some rabas.

Speaking of food, we cannot leave without mentioning the importance that cherries had in El Regato, and is that, this fruit today practically banished, has a great rooting in the slopes that shape the valley. A fact that is represented in Gereziaren jaia (Cherry Festival in Basque) every first Saturday of June. It is said that the cherry harvest was one of the biggest economic injections that El Regato received in the past. A way of life that went into clear decline when the workers left the fields to join the workforce of the mining industries that achieved great strength throughout the twentieth century. This tradition was recovered in 2006 thanks to a request from the association “Roke Deunaren gereziak” with the sole purpose of remembering the rural past of this area of Barakaldo.

Route: This short walk has its origin in the PR-BI-210, the so-called “water path” or “route of the marshes”, a short route from which we have extracted the section that connects the sports center of Gorostiza and the town of El Regato. We start from Gorostiza, next to the sports center of the same name, next to Tellaetxe Park, an area where we can park our car for free and from where a comfortable bidegorri (red path in Basque) begins. A path for pedestrians and cyclists, which, accompanied by the river Castaños, leads us along the right side of the road for much of the route. Although it is possible to walk this walk on both sides of the road, left and right, the right side has been reconditioned and is somewhat further away from the road. Quieter.

At the end of the bidegorri, we return to the road, we begin to come into contact with the Gorostiza reservoir, the reservoir of El regato, built for the exclusive use of the emblematic Biscayan company Altos Hornos de Vizcaya (AHV). Today, the reservoir has no industrial use, but it contributes to create an idyllic place for leisure and recreation.

We continue bordering the reservoir until we reach the town of El Regato, where we find the Historical and Environmental Interpretation Center of Barakaldo, a small and interesting museum that shows us some of the best kept secrets of El Regato.

Although the route that we propose ends here, if this route is not enough, you can cross El Regato and go up around the Etxebarria reservoir, popularly known as the “old reservoir”, making the entire route of the reservoirs. Arrived at El Regato, it is mandatory to do two things, the visit to the Interpretation Center and the tasting of a good hamaiketako (lunch at 11 o’clock in Basque).

The urban center of El Regato represents one of the limits of the Gorostiza reservoir, allowing us to pass from one bank to the other by using the bridge that we find next to the church of San Roque. Therefore, on the return, we have the option to choose the way to follow, to return by the same bank or by the opposite one.

As you can see, the route between El Regato and Gorostiza, pleasant, simple and with many attractions, offers a perfect plan for all those who want to know the rural side of Barakaldo.