Valle de Ayala

The Valle de Ayala occupies the far northwest of Alava, bordering Bizkaia and the province of Burgos. The Cuadrilla de Ayala — formed by the municipalities of Ayala, Amurrio, Llodio, Artziniega and Okondo — covers 328 square kilometers of territory where the Sierra Salvada acts as a natural wall to the south, with a limestone escarpment of over 400 meters breached only by a couple of tight-curved mountain passes. To the north, the hills descend toward the Nervion valley, whose upper basin structures the entire comarca.

The Salto del Nervion, at 222 meters of free fall, is the tallest waterfall on the Iberian Peninsula and the second highest in Europe. It forms at the head of the Delika canyon, where water plunges from the edge of the limestone plateau. Flow depends on rainfall: it peaks in spring and after autumn storms, while in summer it may thin to a trickle. The main viewpoint, accessible from the Orduna pass car park along a flat 1.5 km path, provides a frontal view of the falls and the gorge.

The valley's vegetation reflects its position between Atlantic and continental climates. Lower slopes are covered in oak, beech and planted pine forest, while haymeadows and livestock pastures occupy the valley floor, where deep green dominates the landscape for most of the year. Roe deer, wild boar, foxes and squirrels inhabit the woodlands, and griffon vultures soar above the Sierra Salvada cliffs alongside various forest raptors in the beech groves.

The architectural heritage of the valley centres on medieval tower-houses, defensive-residential structures scattered across the territory. The most notable is the Quejana Monumental Complex, birthplace of the Ayala lineage: a compound integrating a Gothic palace, convent, tower and chapel with the alabaster tombs of Chancellor Pedro Lopez de Ayala and his wife Leonor de Guzman. The complex now houses the Quejana Museum of Sacred Art. Other tower-houses of note include Murga, Zuaza, Luiaondo and Aguiniga, spread across the small villages of the Ayala municipality, which has 24 population centres and around 2,500 inhabitants.

Local cuisine combines Basque tradition with valley produce. Idiazabal cheese with Protected Designation of Origin is made in the comarca, and beef, beans and garden vegetables form the basis of traditional dishes. The towns of Amurrio and Llodio, with more infrastructure, serve as a logistical base for exploring the valley, while the rural hamlets of Ayala maintain a pace of life tied to the farmstead and extensive livestock farming.