Paseo Itsaslur Greenway

The Itsaslur Greenway, which clings to the cliffs of the westernmost coast of Bizkaia, is a spectacular trail. The old route of the Kobaron to Campomar mining railway has become an elevated seafront promenade and an educational, open air itinerary.

The Greenway offers sweeping views of the Cantabrian shoreline and passes sites of industrial archaeological remains which hark back to the mining activity of bygone centuries. A number of information panels tell us about the fauna and the flora, the ancestral tradition of seaweed gathering and, of course, the old iron ore workings.

TECHNICAL DATA

CONDITIONED GREENWAY

On the trail of a mining train clinging to the cliffs

LOCATION

Between the car park of the village of Pobeña (Muskiz) and the car park of La Juncosa, in the vicinity of the village of Kobaron (Muskiz) BIZKAIA

Length: 2,2 Km. The route can be prolonged another 1 km along the route of the old railway to the village of Kobaron and a further 3 km along the Piquillo Greenway to the old Piquillo loading facility at the village of Ontón (Castro Urdiales. Cantabria)

Users: * * for cyclists, skaters, people with push chairs or in wheel chairs, and persons of limited mobility, access is from the village of Kobaron only, since access from Pobeña is via a steep flight of steps.

Type of surface: Concrete

Natural settings: Marismas de Areño and Pobeña, Barbadún estuary, dunes and sandbanks of La Arena beach, pasturelands and hedges of Campomar, cliffs and marine and coastal ecosystems

Cultural heritage: Mining archaeology (Punta del Castillo Viejo loading facility, La Orconera washing plants at Campomar and Mac Lennan washing plants at La Juncosa, calcining kilns, inclined planes, mining districts…). Seaweed gathering and La Socorro chapel. Coastal Way of St James

Infraestructure: Greenway. Car parks at Pobeña and Juncosa, recreational areas at Pobeña and La Juncosa, rest area, benches, picnic tables, water fountains, signposts and information panels. The entire trail is fenced for safety

How to get there: Railway. San Juan (Muskiz). Renfe. Suburban line. Line C-2. A cycle lane runs alongside the river Barbadún, from the village of San Juan to La Arena beach Coach. Pobeña (Muskiz). Bizkaibus. Line A3321 (-Playa de La Arena-Muskiz)

Connections: : 23 km from Pobeña. 25 km from Kobaron

Maps to use: National Geographic Institute Map: scale 1:25.000. Sheet 37-III Ministry of Development Official Road Map

Further information in the Greenways Guide, volume III

DESCRIPTION

Km. 0 / Km. 1 / Km. 2,2

Km 0

The blue sea stretching to a broad horizon, the green pastures that carpet the mountainous landscape, and the ochres of the rocky cliffs make this route – despite its shortness – one of the most recommendable in all Vizcaya. A fascinating blend of nature and a mining past, iron and saltpetre.

The Itsaslur Greenway (which if we use the Spanish name of the area rather than the Basque one would be the Campomar Greenway), developed by Muskiz town council runs tight against the western coastline of the town of Muskiz in Vizcaya, between the villages of Pobeña and Kobaron. As the railway was built right on the edge of the cliffs, the normal place to access this Greenway is at either end of it. There are therefore two starting points: the one we consider in this guide, is at the Pobeña car park. This option is not recommended for persons of limited mobility, people with push chairs, skaters or even cyclists: the level of the railway is some 40 m higher than the car park and the only access is via a steep flight of steps. Also Pobeña has another drawback for people who do not use the efficient bus service. Whenever it’s sunny the car park becomes jam packed with the cars of bathers heading for the beach at La Arena. The advantage of starting at Pobeña is that users can prolong their journey along the Piquillo Greenway to the old Piquillo loading facility in the Cantabrian village of Ontón (Castro Urdiales). The two Greenways and the path joining them combine to make 5.2 km of an easy and spectacular cliff-top walk.

The other place to start out on the Itsaslur Greenway is in the vicinity of Kobaron. At the opposite or western end of the route there is the La Juncosa car park, which can be reached by a track which sets off from the village of Kobaron. The main street of this village becomes a broad track which, after leaving the last houses behind, splits into two. The right hand fork goes to the La Juncosa car park and the Itsaslur Greenway (signposted) while the left fork goes to the Piquillo Greenway.

Pobeña is a small coastal village forming part of the town of Muskiz, located on the banks of the mouth of the river Barbadún, at the westernmost end of the broad beach of La Arena. A number of bars and restaurants add their charm to this secluded little village, and you can do very much worse than to sample the delights of Basque gastronomy at their tables. But also, whenever there is the slightest hint of sun, the streets and village square are carpeted with a multitude of terraces where you can raise your spirits and feast your palate.

Opposite Pobeña there is a car park and a large green recreational area with a kiddies’ playground. The ample tarmacked car park serves users of the beach at La Arena. The green area of salt marshes and grassy countryside is bordered by a circular promenade running alongside the Harana tributary and skirting the river Barbadún and the Areño and Pobeña salt marshes which boast a great variety of plant life and where it is possible to see egrets, herons and cormorants. From this promenade you can see, stretching across the Barbadún estuary, some large lumps of rock and cement which are the remains of the supporting pillars of the aerial tramway which used to run from La Orconera (La Arboleda) to the slagheap which used to exist near the mouth of the river. On the far side of the water there is now a large open space which until recently had been home to a number of large fuel tanks.

Further up the valley the horizon is dominated by Petronor or Petroleos del Norte, the largest refinery in . The huge storage tanks, the miles upon miles of pipes which snake like arteries, and the smokestacks illuminating the night sky with their flares are an eerie, impressive sight. Modernity comes with a price. The pretty salt marshes of the Barbadún river have suffered a major industrial impact, but in recent years there has been a firm commitment to recovering them. And not for nothing: on the cliff lined Basque coast, the mouth of the Barbadún river is of singular importance and of great ecological value, so important that it is included in the Catalogue of Spaces and Enclaves of Natural Interest within the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country.

The Pobeña car park is also the starting point of the Itsaslur Greenway, which is well signposted by a tiled panel bearing the words “Paseo Itsaslur” and yellow arrows pointing to the Coastal Way of St James. The narrow concreted trail sets out between buildings on the left hand side and takes us to the foot of a flight of 120 steps built on the remains of a former inclined plane. The steps climb the slope until they surmount the cliffs that delimit the western end of La Arena beach. We make the climb beneath a leafy canopy, a cool and damp tunnel of vegetation, which provides a beautiful contrast to the open countryside of the rest of the journey.

However, the long and steep steps are an obstacle for persons of reduced mobility and cyclists not strong enough to carry their cycles. The only help is the existence of a sort of gully at the side to make pushing your bike easier.

Once this slope has been overcome, we reach the flat Greenway proper, where a few steps long its route reward us for our previous effort. After passing through a shady, curved cutting, the Itsaslur Greenway embarks on a section which is sculpted into the cliff wall of El Bordal, from where there is a vertical drop to the sea. This privileged viewing balcony affords us magnificent aerial views over the La Arena beach. The cove of Muskiz appears to be enclosed between two magnificent rocky margins upon which the sea unleashes all its virulence. At the one end is the cliff upon which our Greenway clings; at the other is the Punta Lucero, a massive outcrop of bare rock which rises sharply to a height of 300 metres above the sea. From where we are we can see its best preserved side. Behind it has suffered from the ravages of modernity. The breakwater of the port of Bilbao projects into the sea from its northern end.

Brimming with sea views and breezes, we reach a fork in the trail (km 0.8). At this point we can either go round the mineral ore loading facility of the former mining company Mac Lennan to the right, or follow the main route to the left.

Km 1

The concreted path goes round the rusty complex of disused bunkers and canals built into the Campomar hillside which leads to the loading facility sited at the Punta del Castillo. The old Campomar loading facility used to boast a fabulous cantilevered metal arm which extended over the sea so as to tip the ore directly into the ships’ holds. Now only the cyclopean stepped platform built of masonry and cement which used to support the metal arm survives. The loading arm itself fell victim to one of the worst gales in living memory. The remains of the coastal loading facility at Campomar are of considerable value as an example of our industrial heritage, since it was the first to be built in Bizkaia and the only one which loaded ore onto ships on the open sea. Its location on the coastline, without the protection of an estuary of a port make it a unique case. In Bizkaia there were as many as 23 loading facilities on the Nervión estuary but only one on the open sea. In neighbouring Cantabria, the Dicido cantilever loading arm at Castro Urdiales is still in a perfect state of preservation.

Some steps built tight against a strong wall go around the other mineral ore bunker and climb up to a square, which provides a magnificent viewing point with a panel of tiles which tell us about the mining activity in the area.

A concreted path takes over from the steps and takes us from the viewing point back to the main route. Once again a single trail, the Greenway continues its journey through pastureland, leaving the cliffs behind for a short while. To our right the land heads out into the sea like a rocky arrowhead. At Punta del Castillo Viejo, the northernmost point in the area, there is a small ruined building which in olden times formed part of the coastal defences. A path leads to the cliffs at the very tip of the promontory where the views are impressive.

Above Punta del Castillo Viejo the green pasturelands extend up the mountainous slopes of Campomar, at the top of which are the ruins of what was a great ore washing plant, complete with its corresponding offices, housing and workshops. Further information about this washing plant is to be found in the section entitled “History of the Railway”.

The Itsaslur Greenway rejoins the cliffs again where another typical activity of this area used to take place. An information panel about the gathering and use of seaweed brings us up to speed. Next to the trail, to our right, we can see close up the pulleys which until not so very long ago were used to pull these “marine greens” up the cliffs.

As we leave the Punta del Castillo Viejo behind, the path returns to the cliff top at a spot called El Aspra which affords us magnificent views of the coastline. On the horizon we can spot a number of large ships, while on the St James Way we can see pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. With panoramic views of the Basque Country behind us, we now look towards the west, towards the Cantabrian coast. In the hazy distance we can see the port and city of Castro Urdiales, while beneath our feet are the cliffs down which the murky water from the Campomar ore washing plant used to flow. After the washing process the waste water would be returned to the Cantabrian sea, laden with silt and clay. Later we will reach a small rest area comprising a water fountain and several benches. From here we follow a steep path which zigzags down to La Juncosa beach, a small pebbled cove frequented by divers.

Km 2,2

At the fork we can also go for the left hand option. Following the path of the old railway to Campomar we reach the village of Kobaron, passing by the calcining kilns of the Mac Lennan mining company on the left, and on the right the lunar landscape left behind by the workings of the mining sites of El Hoyo and Kobaron. The two truncated cone shaped calcining kilns were built in the late 19th century to remove carbon dioxide and water from the ore. The mining operations left a legacy of two deep craters. The hole left by the Amalia Vizcaína workings has been filled in with earth but not so that of the Caledonia mine. Our day finishes with the gastronomic delights of the restaurants and terraces of the village of Kobaron.

CONNECTION BETWEEN ITSASLUR AND THE GALDAMESA SECTION: MONTES DE HIERRO GREENWAY

The aerial bucket tramway belonging to the Orconera Iron Company, which used to link the Carmen VII mine in with the ore washing facility at Pobeña in Muskiz, could be considered to be the historic reason behind the connection between the Itsaslur Greenway and the “La Galdamesa” ( – ) section of the Montes de Hierro Greenway. While the original route is impossible to restore (since it was an aerial transport system), the remains of this great engineering feat –considered in its day to be the most important in Europe due to its technical perfection and its length (8 km)-, has spawned another traffic free route in the form of an excellent cycle path which runs between La Arena beach (Muskiz) and Gallarta.

Thus, from La Arena beach we can take the cycle path which, after a climb of 11 km, takes us to the recreational area next to the Gallarta football ground where it links up with the “La Galdamesa” section of the Montes de Hierro Greenway, which runs for over 30 km through the rural district of Las Encartaciones, before arriving at the FEVE narrow gauge railway station at Traslaviña.

MAPS

PROFILE

RAILWAY HISTORY

Around 1860, The Vizcaya and Santander Mining Co. Ltd started to work the San Julián and Amalia Vizcaína mines near the village of Kobaron (Muskiz, Bizkaia). But it was the company of the Scottish engineer José Mac Lennan which a decade later began to exploit and market the mineral on a truly industrial scale. In order to take its production of limonites and siderites to market, the Mac Lennan mining company built a metre- gauge railway, 2.6 km long, between Kobaron and the coastal loading facility at Campomar, where it was shipped to Durham (England). The original animal traction system was replaced by steam locomotives in 1895, whose sheds, water tanks and bunkers were located at the station at Kobaron.

Later a second, unconnected stretch of half-metre gauge railway would be added The railway, known as the Carrascal Railway, used to carry the mineral ore from the San Francisco and Consolación mines, in the Carrascal area, to the station at Kobaron, where the ore would be transferred via two 20 metre inclined plans onto the Campomar Railway. In 1963 all mining activity was wound up and the loading facility loaded its last shipment.

One of the most outstanding features of this route is the Campomar ore washing plant, which was remarkable for two reasons: the iron ore arrived via an aerial tramway system from La Orconera (La Arboleda), 8 km away, and the water used to wash it was sea water extracted by two powerful pumps located near the La Socorro chapel. It was impossible for the Orconera Iron Ore to install modern ore washing facilities on the site of their mines in the Triaño hills. The project presented a great many problems. It was

necessary to find a way to ensure that the washing water did not contaminate the streams and that the pipes did not cross land belonging to rival mines. Legislation in force at the time was starting to become strict. Also, the necessary water had to be raised by pumps from the sea to the mines, which were at a height of 400 metres. The cost of installing pumps for such long pipes was very high. For this reason the Orconera company built their ore washing plant at Campomar and installed its corresponding aerial tramway in 1910. This costly infrastructure was designed by Adolf Bleichert & Co., of Leipzig, while the metal components (pylons and stations) were built by La Basconia of Bilbao. The tramway had 8.1 km of dual cableway to transport the ore from the Carmen VII mine in the vicinity of La Arboleda to the washing plant. From Campomar, the washed ore returned to the interim station at Putxeta, 4.3 km from the previous one, and from there was carried by a secondary line, 1.8 km long, to the loading facilities that the company’s railway had at Gallarta. The aerial tramway, which was in operation up until 1945, was considered in its day to be the most important of its kind in Europe, both for its technical perfection and its enormous scale. Nowadays all that remains are the concrete bases that used to support the pylons.

INTERESTING DATA

1. Festivals and holidays 2. Accommodation 3. Eco-tourism 4. Managing Authority 5. Town Councils 6. Emergencies 7. Coaches & buses 8. Railway

Festivals and holidays

Muskiz June 24 San Antontxo

1st weekend in October Traditional livestock and agricultural fair

September 8 Romería del Socorro

Accommodation

Muskiz Hotel Muskiz* Tel. 946 70 78 28 www.hotelmuskiz.com

Hotel Palacio Muñatones* Tel. 946 33 88 71 www.hotelpalaciomunatones.es

Hotel Las Palmeras Tel. 946 706 392 www.laspalmerashotelrural.com

Pensión Eguzkilore Tel. 94 670 82 74

Casa Rural Labeondo-Museo Txacoli Tel. 946 70 61 11 www.labeondo.com

Apartamentos Mugarri. Barrio de Pobeña Tel. 946 70 77 99 www.apartamentosmugarri.com

Albergue de Personas Peregrinas Tel. 946 70 80 37

Eco-tourism

Oficina de Agroturismo del Gobierno Vasco. Tel. 94 620 11 88/ 63

Turismo de Muskiz. Tel. 946 706 567; 636 515 438

Balmaseda: Servicios Turísticos de las Encartaciones Tel. 94 680 13 56. www.enkartur.net

Museo de la Minería del País Vasco (Gallarta). Tel. 94 636 36 82 www.museominero.net

Servicio de Préstamo de Bicicletas-Bilbon Bizi. Bilbao. Oficina de Turismo del Teatro Arriaga Tel. 94 656 49 05. www.bilbao.net

Excursiones por los bidegorris. La Diputación Foral de Bizkaia ha puesto En marcha un calendario de salidas grupales en bicicleta por los bidegorris de Bizkaia. El servicio,

gratuito, comprende el préstamo de bicicleta y casco, guías acompañantes, seguro y asistencia técnica. Tel. 902 014 357. www.bidegorri.biz

Erauntzi Surf Taldea. Playa La Arena s /n. Telf: 658 755 47

Managing Authority

Ayuntamiento de Muskiz San Juan, 2 CP: 48550. Muskiz. Bizkaia Tel. 946 706 567; 639 515 438 www.muskiz.org

Enkarterrialde. Asociación de Desarrollo de Enkartaciones Bº de San Miguel, s/n 48870 Artzentales- BIZKAIA Telf: 946 109 590 e-mail: [email protected] Web: www.enkarterrialde.org

Town Councils

Muskiz Tel. 946 706 000 www.muskiz.org

Emergencies

EMERGENCIES: Tel. 112

Coaches & buses

Encartaciones-Bizkaiabus. Tel. 946 363 424 www.encartaciones.es

Railway

Renfe. Tel. 902 240 202 www.renfe.es

LINKS www.turismoa.euskadi.net Página oficial de turismo del Gobierno Vasco www.euskadibttzentroak.com Página oficial sobre los Centros BTT de Euskadi www.senderismoeuskadi.net Página oficial sobre senderismo en Euskadi www.bizkaia.net Página de la Diputación Foral de Bizkaia www.mybilbaobizkaia.com Página de turismo de la Diputación de Bizkaia. www.enkartur.net Página de recursos turísticos de la comarca de Las Encartaciones www.nekatur.net Alojamientos de turismo rural