Gordejuela: Towers, Villas and Heritage

Gordejuela offers two distinct highlights for a stay: historic architecture and routes where you can experience nature and cultural heritage outdoors. If you are looking for hotels in Gordejuela, you can first consider whether architectural history or routes and riverside scenery should shape your stay. The buildings differ considerably in period and form; the routes focus on specific places and river crossings.

Towers and palaces: comparing architectural styles

The late Gothic Torre de Oxirando dates from the late 15th century. Its square floor plan and three-storey layout give the building a clearly defined form. By contrast, Torre Ybargoen is cubic and today has four storeys; it was built around the 16th century. Torre de Largatxa also dates to the early part of that century: it is a tower with a hall in the Gothic-Renaissance style.

The setting and building history also shape Torre de Urtusaustegi. It stands on the right bank of the River Zaldu, in the middle of its floodplain, and is described as the lowest tower of its kind in the region. A farmhouse was probably added to its main façade in the 17th century. Palacio Puente Palacio is on a different scale: this Baroque residential palace from the 18th century has a rectangular floor plan of nearly 400 m². Coming from Sodupe, Palacio Ubieta stands at the entrance to the Gordexola valley; the building dates from the 19th century.

Church, villas and architectural details

The Church of San Juan de Molinar is recognised as a monument of Bizkaia. Its Baroque main altarpiece depicts angels and Saint John the Evangelist; it is also home to a Gothic depiction of Our Lady of Isasi. The church hosts various concerts at Christmas and at other times of the year, although there is no fixed concert calendar.

Villa Cuba was built in 1885 and completely remodelled in 1931 by the architect José María de Basterra. In doing so, he combined Baroque and Renaissance references in his own interpretation of Neo-Baroque. The garden includes a pergola and a grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes. Along Calle Sandamendi there is also a residential ensemble of fifteen villas, built by returnees from the Americas. Its architectural quality and variety make it another distinctive subject for exploring the history of architecture.

The Zubiete complex can also be considered an architectural ensemble: it consists of a defensive tower and a palace and can be visited after the first bridge in Gordexola. Alongside individual towers and residential palaces, these ensembles draw attention to buildings whose components reveal different functions and forms.

Routes between Molinar, Ugarte and the river floodplain

The third stage of the GR 123 reaches the stage endpoint at Plaza Molinar in Gordexola via Calle Sandamendi. The ENK08 Gordexola: Molinar–Ugarte route, by contrast, runs through the floodplain of the River Herrerías between Molinar and Ugarte and crosses the river at Zubiete and Zubietatorre. The routes described therefore differ clearly in their points of reference: one focuses on the stage endpoint at Plaza Molinar, while the other follows the river and its two crossings.

The guide “Rutas saludables de Gordexola” features four routes where you can experience Gordexola’s natural and cultural heritage outdoors. Along with the specific details on GR 123 and ENK08, the guide offers another way to explore the routes according to their thematic focus. Bizkaibus routes A3341, A3342 and A3343 are listed for travelling to Gordexola. Check the current timetable before you travel.

Discover more destinations: Sandamendi, Garai, Bilbao, Morga, Zelaia, Osma, Sestao, Lanestosa.

Go to the main travel overview: Bizkaia.