THE LARGE PARKS
Did you know that 57% of Leioa’s territory is made up of green spaces and parks?
This is three times the minimum amount of green space per inhabitant, as the Land Law requires.
The creation and maintenance of green spaces is a hallmark of the town.
We can find everything from the Basque Country’s typical forest to many exotic species and unique trees.
Leioa is home to 3 spectacular parks: Artatza, Pinosolo and Arboretum. Together they make up more than 40 hectares. There are also a large number of smaller parks scattered throughout the town’s many neighbourhoods.
Two more parks have been added as a result of the development of the new areas of Leioandi and Errekalde, making a total of more than 100,000 m2 of green spaces: the Leioandi park or “health park” will cover 33,000 m2, and the Errekalde park will cover 67,000 m2
These are natural spaces to contemplate and enjoy.
Would you like to explore them?
PINOSOLO PARK
A beautiful park
Pinosolo is like an island of a diversity of fauna and flora, a 7-hectare reserve containing a multitude of plant species, exotic or foreign and native, which have evolved together and provide a habitat for a wide range of fauna and flora.
It is brimming with charming corners and paths where you can stroll among the leafy trees surrounding them.
Curiously enough, the park’s name comes from the fact that there is only one pine tree in this natural space.
A fascinating tale
The story of its origin is as interesting as the name of the park.
During the second decade of the 20th century, the “wild 20s”, the Aznar family acquired the estate where the park and the adjoining land are located today.
The family’s plan was to build a palatial residence along the lines of those that had been built in the surrounding area, such as the Artatza Palace and other buildings in Zugazarte and Neguri.
The estate was to be a leisure and recreational destination for the family and their guests, where they could play tennis, hunt, go horse riding…
Gardens were landscaped with a large number of native and exotic plants, and various compounds were built:
- A circular pond in an area of hazelnut trees to supply water to the estate.
- A construction that could have been a laundry shed or a small greenhouse located next to the pond.
- A tennis court surrounded by magnolia trees and now covered with grass.
- A wide stone staircase lined with rose bushes on both sides…
The family started to build the residence, but it seems that, due to the death of the patriarch, everything was abandoned for 100 years.
Brambles and undergrowth covered the grounds, and the estate underwent a naturalisation process until Leioa Town Council acquired it.
It took several years to recover the area, and creating the spectacular park which we can admire today required some time.
You can enjoy its paths, cycle along the bike lane that links the parks, and admire the magnolias, lilies and roses.
You can rest in open fields, in areas that have been preserved as «wilder» and lusher, where you can hear the birds chirping and enjoy small lakes where you can hear the water flowing.
A real natural treasure not to be missed!
ARTATZA PARK
A breathtaking park
Artatza Park is a stunning, well-tended and welcoming natural space covering 15 hectares and located in the heart of Leioa.
The Artatza Palace inaugurated in 1918, stands in the centre of the park.
There are tree-lined areas and large fields of green grass for strolling, resting, chatting or exercising.
Children can enjoy a playground area.
The park features a bar, a car park and a free space for dogs.
This public park is one of the many green lungs that surround Leioa.
It offers services and infrastructures that make it accessible to everyone, and it has a bike lane that connects with the other parks and the towns.
Its gardens are inspired by those of the great Victorian estates, and it was originally divided into separate zones with gazebos, rose gardens, stone benches, a croquet lawn and tennis courts.
There are replicas of Greek sculptures, such as the Discobolus by Myron, which is still preserved, and others outside the grounds, such as the replica of Torso and classical columns, are located on the roundabout at the intersection of the Iparragirre Etorbidea and Euzko Gudariak avenues.
It also housed a vegetable garden, pastures, a greenhouse, water reservoirs, chicken pens and ponds.
The entire site was surrounded by a wall, and the palace was reached from the main entrance, the Lions’ entrance, along a tree-lined road.
A wall surrounded the entire site, and the palace was reached from the main entrance, the Lions’ entrance, along a tree-lined road.
ARBORETUM
Arboretum is another magnificent botanical park located on the southern slope of the Bizkaia Campus of the University of the Basque Country in Leioa.
It links the university and the surrounding municipalities and is open to the university community and the general public.
It was inaugurated in 2008, and since 2012, it has been considered a protected space.
It covers an area of 19 hectares and is home to the Lertutza reservoir.
Its fields are dotted with paths, nooks, crannies, and tree-lined areas where you can enjoy nature.
At the top, the views, with the Bosque de la Vida (Forest of Life) and the reservoir at its feet, are spectacularly beautiful.
It is divided into two areas:
- the natural area, featuring the Bosque de la Vida (Forest of Life) – a monument that pays tribute to those who donate their bodies to science, and
- the botanical collections area, which houses species from all five continents.
In turn, the botanical collections area is divided into several collections according to their geographical origin:
The Mediterranean Collection is at the entrance to the park, next to the access road leading to the campus, and the Stabularium of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. This collection contains plant species from the temperate zones of the Mediterranean area.
The North American Collection, next to the road leading down to Leioa, gathers tree species from the temperate zones of North America.
The Southern Hemisphere Collection, located on the slope of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, gathers species from the temperate zones of the 3 continents of the southern hemisphere. (South America, Africa and Australia).
The Asia Collection, located in the watercourse between the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Science and Technology, comprises species from the temperate zones of the Asian continent.
The Autochthonous Collection, on the slope of the Faculty of Science and Technology, contains species from the Basque Country. The adjacent watercourse is home to naturally mature oak and alder groves.
The Memorial Collection is located between the Faculty of Science and Technology and the Faculty of Fine Arts. This is the access to the park in front of the Chancellor’s building.
Trees planted by the Honorary Doctors of the UPV/EHU can be found here.
Visit the Arboretum, discover the stunning Bosque de la Vida, spend a wonderful day and have a drink or a bite to eat in one of the beer gardens and restaurants along the path from the town centre to the University.
Horoscope Park
The Horoscope Park is a tribute to a natural element of Celtic culture closely related to Basque culture: the tree.
Trees also had great symbolism in the Celtic culture and the Basque culture, such as the Gernika tree, because in its astrology, the tree is a symbol of life and protection.
Each tree was associated with a year’s season, and the Celts created a horoscope with 21 species of trees.
Thus, people born at a particular time of the year were associated with a specific tree that shared their traits and protected them in life.
Visiting this park and its 61 trees is an opportunity to delve into Celtic culture, learn more about nature and discover which of the 21 species of trees planted is your guardian horoscope as well as what traits you share according to the ancient Druids.
