Biodiversity and ecology
Beyond fashions and trends, we can speak today of a real awareness of farmers and producers in the region in the face of consumer demand and requirements. The train is moving and we can say that our producers are not late, because they have taken the right wagon, ecological and reasoned! It is now a multitude of small farmers for vegetables, cereals, milk, cheese, livestock, saltings, etc. that have taken the step and that on the whole territory. Not a market, a grocery store or medium-sized store without the presence of "locavore" products that promote seasonality. The big brands are also the showcases of this know-how.
Wildlife
It is very varied in the Basque Country, on both sides of the border. From the omnipresent birds on the coast to the mammals that live in the plains, forests and mountains, the fauna is dense and protected. The temperate climate attracts the rock swallow, the cormorant, the gull and the seagull to the coast. Autumn corresponds to the period of great migration of the famous pigeons (blue) and other woodcocks, very appreciated by hunters. Higher up, many birds of prey, including the famous Griffon vulture, easily recognizable, and eagles, kites, and storks, return to Africa to come back to Europe in spring. An unchanging and millennial cycle! With its numerous rivers, a paradise for fly fishermen, you will find rainbow trout, salmon and pike. On the coast, chipirons, jewels of the Basque cuisine as well as hake (koxkera), the emblematic pibales, tuna that is served with all kinds of sauces (Basque and Spanish...) and further out to sea with cetaceans that come to reproduce in the gulf of Capbreton, which is more than 3,500 meters deep. Seals regularly come to live on the shores of the coast.
Pottok (small horse)
The Pottok is the unavoidable pony found mainly in the west of the Basque Country, in the Pyrenees in particular. Some mountain ranges (the Rhune massif) are home to these characteristic animals in complete freedom. Its size is 1.30 m (maximum) for the mountain ponies, 1.47 m for those of the meadows. The difficult conditions of life in altitude have forged their legendary hardiness. The Pottok even has its own fair every year in January in Espelette.
The flora
It is varied and different according to the relief and the climate which varies between the various territories. On the coast, the flora has adapted to the sea spray loaded with wind and salt. Anglet is famous for its pine forest which borders the ocean on more than 4.5 km. The landscape of the hills is dominated by green meadows, even luxuriant in some places. In the mountains, there are mainly oak and beech forests, and thanks to the efforts of certain producers, chestnut and hazelnut trees have been re-planted. There are also numerous orchards that produce apples in abundance for the Basque cider factories. Higher up, there are mainly oak and beech forests. Arbailles and Iraty are the largest beech forests in Europe. Higher still, above 1,800 m, the summer pastures take over.
The bee and the honey
The bee is a sentinel of the environment. It plays a vital role in the survival of many plant species by ensuring the transport of pollen grains that fertilize the plants. And the Basque Country is fortunate to see the evolution of the black bee which almost disappeared. It is thanks to the collective work of professional and amateur beekeepers (80 in total), today gathered within the Conservatory of the Black Bee of the Basque Country, that it could be maintained. Honey is part of the Basque culinary tradition, associated with sweet and salty tastes, with or without meat. Many locally produced honeys with undeniable therapeutic virtues can be found on the markets, in delicatessens and stores.
Gardens and parks for a family outing
Many towns in the Basque Country have a municipal garden or park, depending on size. Animal gardens and parks are also worth a visit. One of our favorites is the 2.5-hectare botanical park in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, featuring flora from all five continents. Bayonne's public garden, with its English and French gardens, sees 10,000 new flowers bloom every year. Biarritz's public garden features numerous shows and a children's playground. The private Parc d'Arnaga in Cambo-les-Bains boasts sublime gardens designed by Edmond Rostand and surrounding the artist's villa. The Parc écologique Izadia at the mouth of the Adour river in Anglet is gradually recovering from its terrible fire in 2020 and is now reopened to visitors.
Natural sites
The path of the Zarzagoiti peat bog in the Iraty forest, with a surface area of 17,197 ha, invites us to discover the richness and the atmosphere so particular to this forest. It has remained wild and inaccessible for a long time and is a real reservoir of biodiversity with streams and springs under majestic forests.
The Rhune, with its 905 m of altitude, is the last Pyrenean massif before the Atlantic Ocean. It is a perfect example of biodiversity between the mountain pastures on the summit, the coniferous forest and the languid meadows at its feet. At its summit, the view is exceptional, from the doors of Spain to the first sandy strips of the Landes. The peak of Orhy which, from the top of its 2 017 m, marks the natural limit between the high and low mountain. From there, the mountain goes in softening until dying in the ocean. The trees with the oak, present until an altitude of 500 m and then the beech, more demanding as for the humidity of the atmosphere, the most important beech forests are located in Iraty, Sainte-Engrâce, Les Arbailles (in Soule) and Haira (in Basse-Navarre).
The Natura 2000 network
The Basque Country is home to a large number of sites identified in the Natura 2000 network. This network is made up of a group of European natural sites, both terrestrial and marine, highlighted for the rarity or fragility of wild species, animals or plants and their habitats. On the territory of the Basque Country Community, 31 sites have been designated, either under the "habitats, fauna and flora" directive (10 sites), or under the "birds" directive (21 sites).
