Routes
The hike starts on a large, flat area of Calle Igaperra de Zestafe.
Head northeast on Calle Antxogi away from the church. Next take the path that climbs up to the right which is also paved and will take you to a private parcel of land that you will pass on the right. The pavement will end as you continue on.
As you walk through meadows and gall oaks, you will get to the next intersection where you will pass two paths on the left and one on the right. 200 meters up the trail you will come to another intersection with two trails to the left and one to the right. Do not take these trails. You will then see the geodesic vertex of the Eribe hill that you can hike up via a trail that branches off to the right.
Once back on the trail, you will enjoy spectacular views as you continue along until you get to another crossroads where you will take the trail on the right. 350 meters farther, you must leave the main path and take one to the right which is not very well marked and covered by plant life.
Follow this trail that starts off going downhill and then gradually climbs, becoming a larger trail until it gets to the next intersection. The trail on the left leads to Eribe and the trail on the right leads to Zestafe where you can see the town's church.
Before you get to Zestafe, there is an intersection where you will take the trail on the right. To your left you will see beautiful images of Acosta outlining the Gorbeia massif.
Zestafe
The town is located on a small hill and has a beautiful panoramic view of the Zigoitia valley. It is a small population that has common use facilities like a public washing place, fountain, bowling alley, and parish church dedicated to San Nicolas de Bari.
The temple is Romanesque and is from the 13th century. It has an espadaña (a pierced bell wall) with two spaces that have bells that are full of holes from bullets fired during the Spanish Civil War.
The scenery and the Alto de Eribe
The hike goes through rural scenery, areas of gall oaks with extensive views to the north marked by the Gorbeia, Oketa, Anbota massifs and the Sierra de Arangio. In some areas you can make out the Urrunaga reservoir among the pastures that are filled with white flocks of sheep and rolling hills.
However, the best views are on the Eribe hill that is 700m high. This is a special place to gaze upon the surroundings. Apart from the aforementioned views, you can see the Llanada Alavesa with Vitoria-Gasteiz to the south as a main reference and the mountains of Vitoria in the background. To the west you can see the Sierra de Arrato.
Its peak has an additional surprise. Besides being a geodesic vertex, there are remains of trenches that are evidence of the battles that took place in this area during the Spanish Civil War.
Gall Oaks
The main element of the scenery’s vegetation is the gall oak which covers the slopes and hills formed by marls and arcilleous limestone. On the hike you will see some small woodland areas with large trees, but the tree most seen is young gall oak which has been affected by wildfires, excessive logging, and sheep herding. You will also see red pines which is a pioneering species that facilitates the implementation and growth of the gall oak.
When the forest of gall oaks disappears, different groups of vegetation substitute it. The easiest to recognize is the juniper.
Menea
The trail passes by an area known as the Altos de Menea which, according to legend, was the uninhabited place of Menea.
Eribe
Its medieval church is dedicated to San Martin and was rebuilt and expanded in the 16th century. On August 31, 1838, a fire broke out during the first Carlist War. This town was the one that suffered the most damage in the area.
