Arantzazu combines clearly marked routes with contemporary Basque art and a landscape shaped by karst terrain, pastures and shepherding. During your stay, you can focus on a route, the Santuario or the interpretation of the surrounding area at the Parketxe. The routes differ in their destinations and landscapes; visits may require a reservation or advance enquiry.
Routes through forests, pastures and traces of culture
The Ruta de los Tres Templos follows the GR-120 between Loiola and Arantzazu and passes the Ermita de la Antigua. The Camino Ignaciano Arantzazu-Araia starts its stage at the Santuario de Arantzazu. From there, it climbs through dense beech forests to Urbia. These routes offer different points of interest: the named stops between Loiola and Arantzazu, or the ascent through the forest to Urbia.
Several mountain trails lead from Arantzazu to the pastures of Urbia and onward to the limestone ridge of Aizkorri, an exceptional natural landscape in Aizkorri-Aratz Nature Park. The Senda de Urbia PR-GI 3006 also passes prehistoric burial mounds. Alongside forest and pastureland, the limestone ridge and traces of prehistory offer different themes to consider when planning your route.
The PR-GI 3004 Caminos del contrabando links parts of the Arantzazu and Araotz neighbourhoods and passes through Jaturabe. Check trail conditions locally before planning this route.
Understanding the karst landscape and nature
A path from the Arantzazu car park leads to the Iritegi spring, where water emerges from inside the rocks. In Aizkorri-Aratz Nature Park, the Arantzazu gorge is one of the park’s well-known karst landscapes. The spring draws attention to water emerging from the rock, while the gorge forms part of the wider karst landscape in the nature park.
The Parketxe de Arantzazu is located in the Gandiaga Topagunea building of the Santuario de Arantzazu. Permanent exhibitions, educational spaces and interactive media equipped with new technologies present the area’s main features. These include karst formations, pollarded trees and pastureland. The Parketxe organises activities for all audiences exploring local flora and fauna, landscapes, and traces of human life from prehistory to the present day. Nature and human use of the land are thus brought together under a shared theme.
Art, shepherd life and visits
The Santuario de Arantzazu is one of the most significant expressions of contemporary Basque art. Guided visits to the Santuario can be reserved. As dates and booking procedures may change, check the latest information in advance.
The Sendero accesible de Arantzazu links the Santuario with the shepherd training school at Caserío Gomiztegi. It is universally accessible to people of all ages and with any functional limitation; confirm the specific access conditions locally.
The Majada de Duru shepherds’ pasture is another cultural highlight along the Senda de Urbia. With its huts and flocks, it makes a good stopping place to observe shepherding life up close. At Caserío Gomiztegi, guided visits with tastings of dairy products can be arranged by prior enquiry, including Idiazabal cheese and blue cheese.
For the wider travel overview: Oñati.
