Discover Sunbilla: Culture, Nature and Trails

Sunbilla reveals its history through stone connections: the Puente de Sunbilla was part of the King's Road to Gipuzkoa and onwards to France. In Sunbilla, the Bidasoa forms a natural dividing line between the two parts of the town; they are connected by the stone bridge built in the mid-16th century. The stone bridge was restored in 1987; in 1992, a second bridge was built to improve the connection between the two parts of the town and preserve the historic bridge.

Culture

Casa Meharbaita etxea, a 17th-century palace, stands at Calle Mayor 14. The palace, known as San Tiburcio, was completely rebuilt around 1662 next to the ruins of the church of the same name. Sunbilla also has an old stone washhouse that was recently renovated.

The townscape features a succession of traditional houses with plastered façades, stone ground floors, reddish dressed-stone quoins at the corners and three- or four-storey structures. On the last weekend of March, Sunbilla hosts a gastronomy competition, a communal meal, rural sports, a craft fair and a cheese competition.

Landscape and Nature

Small mountains surround Sunbilla; their peaks reach elevations between 100 and 740 metres. The flora mainly consists of walnut and oak trees, while pines and Japanese larches are also common. The Bisusta waterfall in Sunbilla is designated both as a Site of Community Importance (LIC) and as a Special Conservation Area (ZEC) because of its animal and plant life.

The range of peak elevations and the tree species mentioned provide different factual perspectives on the landscape. Length, surface characteristics and individual structures each serve a different orientation function when planning routes.

Trails and Experiences

The Vía Verde del Bidasoa connects several trail sections with different lengths and characteristics. Between Doneztebe/Santesteban and Sunbilla, there is a 3.5-kilometre section connected to EuroVelo 1. The Vía Verde del Bidasoa reaches Sunbilla via the well-known medieval bridge.

The 11.5-kilometre section between Sunbilla and the area around Igantzi includes fish ladders, small weirs, a lit 208-metre-long tunnel, the Zubigain footbridge and the former railway station of Igantzi. Between Sunbilla and Oronoz-Mugaire, the surface is stable; the section has no inclines and no difficult crossings.

The different kilometre figures help you compare the sections by length; tunnels, footbridges, weirs and bridges identify additional specific trail features. Another activity is the Sunbilla Escape Room: this 75-minute, themed escape game deals with the area's smuggling history and takes place in the Guardia Civil barracks in Sunbilla.

When planning a holiday apartment in Sunbilla, you can compare travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions on the respective offer pages. Depending on your own travel plans, these three fields can be weighted differently and considered separately from the characteristics of the town.

Other places: Aranarache, Adiós, Ardaitz, Araitz, Javier, Acedo, Arce, Berrioplano

For the higher-level travel overview: Navarra.