Canoe trip down the Urdaibai estuary

You paddle down the Gernika estuary from Gautegiz Arteaga to Laida beach, between marshes and reed beds, in a double canoe, kayak or paddleboard. It is a low-effort route with no difficulty, of 2 to 3 hours. You meet at Laida beach car park, next to the Atxarre bar, and the company's van takes you up to the start.

What the descent is like

Laida Kanoak organises the trip within the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve. Before getting into the water they give you a life jacket and you do some basic paddling exercises on land. The boats are self-draining, unsinkable and very stable, so no experience is needed: you can choose an open canoe, a single or double kayak, or a stand-up paddleboard. Each canoe carries a waterproof drum for spare clothes, food or a camera.

The time depends on the tide, and so does the direction of the route: depending on the day you go down with the current towards Laida or go up from the beach. That is why there is no fixed timetable; call or write beforehand to set it.

Prices

Without a guide it costs €27 per person in groups of 1 to 6, €25 for 7 to 14 people and €23 for 15 to 60; under-12s pay €20. With a guide, who is a local who knows the reserve well, a minimum of six people is needed: €50 per person up to six, €48 for 7 to 14 and €45 for 15 to 60, and €30 for under-12s. A rental wetsuit or windbreaker is €2 extra. There are special rates for schools.

The price includes the transfer from Laida to the start, the boat, the paddle, the backrest, the waterproof drum, the life jacket, the wetsuit, the waterproof jacket and accident and civil liability insurance.

Who can go

Under-12s go with an adult and must be able to swim. The company presents it as suitable for any level of fitness. Bring swimwear, a T-shirt, a towel, water shoes and sun protection. Guided groups are accompanied by a support inflatable boat and the staff carry radios and a phone.

Booking and getting there

Book on the Laida Kanoak website or on 94 627 65 15 and 689 708 769, which also answers on WhatsApp. The meeting point is at Antzora 24, Ibarrangelu, in the Laida beach car park and about 500 m from the Arketa campsite. If you do not have time for the descent, the same base hires out boards, canoes and kayaks by the hour on the beach and organises a guided one-and-a-half-hour trip round Kanala, Sukarrieta and Mundaka.

After the descent, you can stay on Laida beach or head to the Urdaibai Bird Center, on the same bank of the estuary, to watch from its viewpoints the marsh birds you have just paddled past.