Route to the eye of Aitzulo from Araotz.

Route to the eye of Aitzulo, family adventure in Oñati.

Aitzulo, also known as Ojo de Aitzulo, is one of the most visited natural areas of Oñati. A place, which bears some similarity to the relux window that we find in the valley of Karrantza. In this case, the dimensions of Aitzulo are much larger, which makes this place more striking and attractive. Did you know that Haitzulo in Basque means cave or grotto? Hence its name. This window that opens in the rock, allows us to contemplate the flight of griffon vultures that inhabit this area of the Natural Park of Aizkorri Aratz. A magical place. A cave with a “window” in the form of vertical pupil, which every day has more followers. And there have been many people who, after seeing this space on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or YouTube, have decided to go to Araotz to make the route to the eye of Aitzulo. Do you dare to visit the eye of Aitzulo with us?

This route is part of the PR GI 3003 route, also known as the water path. A great option for those people who want to enjoy nature in Oñati and surroundings. Although this route has more attractions (panoramic view of the Urkulu reservoir from the top of Orkatzategi) than the route we recommend, we believe that the 8 kilometers of this route can be a bit heavy for the “txikis” of the house.

Route to the eye of Aitzulo.

The route to Aitzulo begins next to the church of San Miguel de Araotz. We only have to follow the signs of the PR-GI-3003 path (white and yellow marks). The original route (PR-GI-3003) is circular, which is why we could follow the route in 2 different directions. However, we recommend you to follow our indications to make the shortest and simplest route to the eye of Aitzulo. After leaving our vehicle in one of the parking lots next to the church, we head down the street between the fronton and the bowling alley.We descend some stairs and we find a concrete track that takes us directly to the road by which we have arrived (be careful with children). We continue along the road itself for approximately 418 meters before turning left to go up a concrete track.We go up between houses following the yellow and white markings. Once we leave the houses behind, the route is not lost. We will pass through a pine forest where we find a cattle gate, remember to close it after passing through. We continue climbing, bordering another pine forest until we find a shepherds’ hut, we are already close. At about 250 meters, hidden among vegetation, we find the entrance to the cave. After enjoying it (with caution), we have 2 options, follow the route on the way to the top of Orkatzategi or return the same way. We retraced our steps.

Ojo de Aitzulo with children.

As we have already mentioned, there are several routes to reach the Eye of Aitzulo, in fact, most people who visit this area of Euskadi choose to make the circular route that connects the eye of Aitzulo, the top of Orkatzategi and the town of Araotz (8 km approximately). A route, which is known as the way of the water. In case you go with children, our proposal is clear, linear route Araotz Aitzulo. A route of about 5 kilometers, which allows us to enjoy this impressive place without the need to make the full route. Of course, be careful with children for the stretch that runs along the road. On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that in summer, we do not have many shadows during the tour, so we recommend hydrating as best as possible. We should mention that, unlike most of the family routes that we recommend in Euskadi, this time, it is a 100% ascent. That is to say, the route has slopes during the whole route. A feature to take into account. Especially if you are not in good shape.

Video.

As usual in all our publications, we have created a short video with which we intend to show you in a more realistic way what awaits you during the route to the eye of Aitzulo. If you like this kind of videos, we encourage you to subscribe to our YouTube channel to know all the places and experiences that we recommend in Euskal Herria, we are waiting for you!

Family routes in Euskadi.

If you like this kind of routes, if you want to make family tours through different places of our territory, we encourage you to read the article that we dedicate to the family routes of Euskadi. A series of proposals that you can use as an excuse to visit different corners of our geography. Remember that this article is updated every month, so we recommend you to consult it periodically.

What to see in Oñati and surroundings.

We encourage you to take advantage of your getaway to Aitzulo to get to know Oñati and its surroundings. In case this proposal is to your liking, we encourage you to read the article on what to see in Oñati. In addition to the already known Sanctuary of Arantzazu or the historic center of Oñati, this town has other attractions worth seeing and enjoying.

Experiences in the Basque Country.

If you like adventures, we encourage you to discover Euskadi through the different experiences of active tourism that you will find in our reservation center. Here are some of the most popular experiences:

Where to park on the Aitzulo eye route.

Next to the church of Araotz there are several parking lots for all those who want to make the route to Aitzulo. Also for people who make the route to the top of Orkatzategi and Aitzulo, the route known as the water path. Both routes start in the same place. If you do not find room in these parking lots, you should know that shortly before reaching the town of Araotz, on the left hand side, there is another parking lot that is just as valid as any of the previous ones.

How to get there.

In order to make the route to Aitzulo, we must first get to Oñati. Once in Oñati, we must head towards Arantzazu (GI-3591 road) and turn off (after leaving behind the neighborhood of Uribarri) towards Araotz (GI-3592 road). The latter is a road without much traffic but somewhat narrow, so be careful. Once in Araotz, we must go to the upper part, next to the church. It is there, where we find the parking and the beginning of the route.

The route to the eye of Aitzulo is one of the most popular routes in Oñati and Gipuzkoa. A route with charm, which we recommend to all the people who visit Oñati. In case you have any doubts, we encourage you to use the comment system that you will find under these lines to send them to us. We will try to respond as soon as possible. Ondo pasa!