Discover Otxandio: Old Town, Mountains and History

Otxandio combines impressive buildings with paths through the old town and countryside. The San Martín Hermitage is Otxandio’s oldest building and dates from around 1500. Otxandio Town Hall was built in 1742 and declared a national monument. The Church of Santa Mariñe dates from the 16th century. At the Vulcano Fountain, another site commemorates Otxandio’s historical importance for the blacksmithing trade.

Culture and Remembrance

The historic sites span different periods and themes. Sacred architecture stands alongside the town hall as a national monument and the testimony to the blacksmithing trade at the Vulcano Fountain. An itinerary also commemorates the events that took place in Otxandio during the Civil War. Remembrance culture is therefore also among the themes that become visible during a walk through the town’s history. For historical visits, current opening hours and special visiting times can be checked in advance.

There are four palaces in the surroundings of Otxandio: Palacio Arespakotxaga Azkarraga, Palacio Urkizu Aldatsekua, Palacio Esteibar-Arauna and Palacio Lariz. Each of these palaces is a separate historical site in the nearby area. Historic buildings may have different visiting rules; current opening hours can therefore be checked before a visit.

Routes and Distances

The walk through Otxandio’s old town is a circular route of approximately 1 km. For cycling, there is the OTXANDIO-BARAZAR route, a family bike tour between Otxandio and Puerto de Barazar. A considerably longer hiking connection is the GR-38 stage from Estibaliz Monastery to Otxandio, with a length of 37 kilometres. The short old-town walk, bike tour and long stage therefore clearly differ in terms of mode of transport and route length. The route lengths help with planning the time needed for a day with short and longer sections.

For circular routes and longer stages, checking current route conditions is part of the usual preparation.

Surrounding Landscape

The PR-BI 51 hiking trail leads to the end of the Urrunaga Reservoir. This is a Site of Community Importance. The Oketa summit is located in the surroundings of Otxandio. Alluitz is also considered a summit in the surrounding area. Anboto and Untzillatx are mountains near Otxandio.

At the Urrunaga Reservoir, a body of water and a specific hiking trail meet several named elevations. The landscape therefore includes paths by the water as well as summits and mountains in the nearby surroundings.

Getting There

Otxandio can be reached by bus services operated by Bizkaibus and Alsa. On the road, the N-623 connects Durango with Gasteiz and passes through Otxandio. When travelling by public transport or by road, current travel and road conditions should be checked before the day of travel.

Other places: Barakaldo, Plentzia, Erandio, Lanestosa, Portugalete, Elexalde, Urduliz, Sopuerta

To the main travel overview: Bizkaia.