Plaiaundi Ecological Park
Tucked between the Txingudi Bay shoreline and the roar of the A-8 motorway, Plaiaundi is a 55-hectare tidal wetland that punches far above its weight as a birdwatching destination, regularly recording over 200 species in a single year. Free to enter and laced with boardwalks, it is one of the most accessible urban nature reserves in northern Spain.
Birds and seasons
Spring and autumn migration turns Plaiaundi into a spectacle: black-tailed godwits, avocets and little stints crowd the mudflats, while marsh harriers quarter the reed beds in search of coots and moorhens.
Winter brings dunlin and ringed plovers in their hundreds, and the resident spoonbills — a star attraction — are present almost year-round, probing the shallows with their distinctive spatula bills.
The boardwalk circuit
A 2.5-kilometre circular boardwalk loops through the reserve, passing three wooden observation hides equipped with information panels in Basque, Spanish and English.
The route is entirely flat and pram-friendly, making it a favourite weekend outing for Irunés families — arrive at low tide for the best mud-flat action and the longest views across to Hendaye beach.
Visitor centre
The Txingudi Ekoetxea visitor centre at the park entrance opens Tuesday to Sunday and offers free guided walks on the first Sunday of each month, led by local ornithologists who know every nest site on the reserve.
Pick up a free species checklist at the desk and challenge yourself to spot the elusive kingfisher that hunts the drainage channels on the reserve's eastern edge.
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