Gorbeia Natural Park is a large limestone and forest massif in the Basque interior, shared by Alava and Bizkaia, with 20,016 hectares and a main summit of 1,482 meters. Its relief combines rocky ridges, high pastures, beech and oak forests and a highly developed karst, with almost 500 catalogued cavities. It was declared a natural park in 1994 to protect its natural heritage and encourage public use and rural development. From the surroundings you can appreciate a very varied mountain landscape, with gentle hills that contrast with walls and ravines, as well as wide views towards the Cantabrian-Mediterranean divide. The park is a classic reference point for Basque mountaineering and also stands out for its very recognizable elements such as the Gorbeia Cross, located at the summit, the Gujuli waterfall and the Itxina protected biotope. Its interest is not only scenic: the park concentrates hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and caving, and has public facilities and visitor centers in Alava and Bizkaia. The Alava side occupies a majority of the protected area, which reinforces its role as a large natural area of reference in the region of Gorbeialdea. The best time to visit it is usually from spring to autumn, when the forests show more contrast and the high altitude accesses are more comfortable. In winter, snow, mud and fog can appear, especially at high altitudes and in the interior passes of the massif.
