Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve

In the province of Biscay, between capes Matxitxaco and Ogoño, there is a 12-kilometre stretch of sandbanks that UNESCO has declared a world Biosphere Reserve (1984), along with many other ecosystems. Holm oak forests emerge just a few metres from the aquatic vegetation, giving an idea of the richness of the environment in which this estuary is located. One of its main attractions is the diversity of birds that inhabit it. You can learn all about them in the Urdaibai Bird Centre.

The Urdaibai Estuary is one of the most richly diverse natural landscapes in the Basque Country. Low altitude mountains with steep slopes give way to a valley that leads to the Cantabrian Sea, forming a wide estuary. The floodplain turns into marshland, while also shaping cliffs and beaches. This leads to the coexistence of a plethora of biotypes and ecosystems, including the wetland area that forms part of the Ramsar Convention and is a Special Protection Area for birds. The diversity of the area is reflected in the abundance of holm oak forests, bushes, heath, crags and aquatic plants. In the areas where man has intervened, forest plantations, pastures and crop fields can be found, which also form the habitat of other flora and fauna. It is home to more than 600 species, including the Cantabrian holm oak. In terms of fauna, the largest group is made up of birds, as this wetland is a stopping point for many migrating birds. Both sedentary and breeding avifauna form part of this ornithological richness. More than 300 vertebrates are catalogued in this Biosphere Reserve, but it is the European mink that stands out the most due to its scarcity in the Basque Country.