Santesteban-Elgorriaga-Ituren-Zubieta. The water route

In the Malerreka area, in Alto Bidasoa, the Santesteban valley stands out for the abundance of rivers and brooks that run through its lush oak and beech forests. Following the course of one of these, the Ezkurra river, you can enjoy a beautiful, gentle ride along the Water Route, on a linear path which connects Zubieta and Santesteban, passing through Ituren and Elgorriaga.

If you start the ride in Zubieta, you have to head for the neighbouring village of Ituren along the same path that the joaldunak take to announce the arrival of the carnival with their noisy cowbells. On the way, you’ll find old wash houses and places where you can have a swim. In the next village, Elgorriaga, you can enjoy a thermal bath in the medicinal mineral spring waters at the spa.

The route ends -or begins, if going in the other direction- in Santesteban, where the Ezkurra river joins another stream and then, a little further on, the Baztan, adopting the name of the Bidasoa river. Santesteban, the main village in the district, offers a range of services to meet the needs of cyclists.