Pagoeta Natural Park

Parque Natural de Pagoeta covers 1,331 hectares in the municipality of Aia, 15 kilometres from the Gipuzkoa coast between the towns of Zarautz and Zestoa. Altitude ranges from 90 metres on the floor of the Agiñaga river valley to 697 metres at the summit of Pagoeta, which gives the park its name. The terrain is typically Cantabrian: gentle slopes clad in forest, damp ravines where streams emerge between ferns, and a mosaic of meadows, scattered farmsteads and forestry plantations that reflect centuries of coexistence between human activity and the natural environment. On autumn mornings, mist pools in the valley bottoms and only the rooftops of the farmsteads poke through the haze, while the forest drips with moisture.

Atlantic woodland is the park's main feature. Pedunculate oaks (Quercus robur), beeches (Fagus sylvatica) and sweet chestnuts (Castanea sativa) form a closed canopy on north-facing slopes where annual rainfall exceeds 1,600 mm. Beneath the trees grow holly, hazel and a thick carpet of ferns, mosses and lichens that give the understorey the feel of primeval temperate forest. The park houses the Iturraran Botanical Garden, a 25-hectare site with over 6,000 plant species from five continents arranged in thematic collections: Pacific conifers, rhododendrons, camellias, bamboos and an oak collection with more than 80 species. The garden was established in 1985 by the Gipuzkoa Provincial Council and serves as a botanical research centre as well as a public park.

The trail network totals 28 signed kilometres at varying difficulty levels. The most popular route is the Botanical Garden loop (3 km, 1 hour, virtually flat), which passes through the main collections and connects with the Iturraran farmstead, where an interpretation centre explains the area's forestry history. For a greater challenge, the ascent of Pagoeta summit (697 m) from the Iturraran car park involves 7 km return with 400 metres of elevation gain, and from the top you can see the Gipuzkoa coastline, Mount Txindoki and, on clear days, the western Pyrenees. Park fauna includes roe deer, wild boar, genet, pine marten and beech marten. Notable birds are the great spotted woodpecker, Eurasian nuthatch, Eurasian jay and red kite.

The park's cultural context is shaped by the Basque farmstead (baserri), the basic unit of rural life that combines dwelling, stable and storehouse under one roof. Several 16th- and 17th-century baserris stand within the park and can be seen from the trails. Aia, population 2,000, keeps traditions such as making Idiazábal cheese from Latxa-sheep milk and natural cider. A 15-minute drive reaches Zarautz, with its 2.5 km beach, surf school and pintxos bars in the old quarter. On the other side, Zestoa has a thermal spa and the Ekain cave, which preserves 14,000-year-old paintings of bison and horses (visitable at the Ekainberri replica).