The hiking route through a gorge in the Basque Country with Visigothic hermitages and a medieval monastery
Located between Burgos and Álava, we find an ancient road that connects the Tobalina Valley and the Valderejo Natural Park through the narrow gorge of the Purón River. This privileged enclave provides habitat for numerous animal and plant species, and offers a route approximately 10.4 kilometers long.
A route around mountains and waterfallsThe tour begins in Lalastra, a small town in Álava, where the first thing you'll visit is the Casa del Parque, a cozy building dominated by wood and glass, where you'll find all the information on the hiking trails that traverse the natural area.
The 10.4-kilometer trail is well signposted throughout its entire length. At no point will you stray from the Purón River, eventually crossing a wide pasture and the striking rock formations of the limestone cliffs of Peña de Carrias. The route runs through a microclimate that has fostered the development of a unique botanical garden with species such as beech, linden, strawberry trees, holly, yew, juniper, and savin.
The area is not only home to spectacular flora; the southernmost trail is adorned with waterfalls and a forest home to around 108 species of animals, including squirrels, wild boars, mountain lions, and the Iberian wolf. But to see the park's emblematic animal, you must look up and pause to observe the more than one hundred breeding pairs of griffon vultures that live there.
Toward the end of the trail, the Purón River enters the province of Burgos through the Montes Obarenes-San Zadornil Natural Area. There, you can see unique and valuable heritage sites, such as the remains of several Visigothic hermitages carved into the rock and a monastery founded in the 9th century by medieval settlers. We'll end at the hamlet of Herrán after about four hours of hiking.
20minutos
