Guided tour of the Oma Forest and Santimamiñe, World Heritage Site

The Oma Forest, known as the painted forest, is one of the best known works by Basque artist Agustín Ibarrola. It is an expression of the artistic trend known as Art and Nature, which emerged in the late 1960s and the aim of which was to transfer artistic work to the natural environment, using the landscape as a framework, medium and raw material for the artist.

The work, located in Urdaibai, is made up of several sets of geometric motifs and figures painted on the trunks of radiata pine trees. The use of natural living media, the play of two-dimensionality and the experience of placing the visitor at the centre of the work of art through its discovery, as well as the diversity of responses it elicits, make this work a point of reference for the Art and Nature movement and for Basque Art in particular.

You can visit the Forest on your own or take a guided tour. In both cases the prior reservation of a ticket is required.