The iron mountains of Bizkaia

This is a short but demanding route for advanced cyclists, that leads us through the Enkarterri, to learn about the iron mining landscape, so important in this area just a few years ago.

Leaving Bilbo, we will arrived by train at Trapagaran and will take on the spectacular cable railway with our bikes to Larreineta. Once up there we will wander through the village of La Arboleda, built for workers of different mines. After a stop at the Peñas Negras Visitors Center, we will descend to Artzentales where we spend the night. On the next day, starting from Traslaviña train station, we will pedal all the Iron mountains greenway. Along the route we will visit the El Pobal foundry and find out how ore was worked in pre-industrial times. From Gallarta we will follow the bike lane that takes us to La Arena beach and from there ride along the banks of the estuary up to Portugalete, where we will admire the famous suspension bridge.

Since 2006 the Bizkaia Bridge is a World Heritage Site.

The city of Bilbao was designated a UNESCO City of Design in 2014.

This route runs through the Barbadun estuary, a site classified as SCI (Site of Community Importance) in the Natura 2000 network.