The ancient wolf trap of Monte Santiago

Situated at around 900 meters of altitude, the natural monument of Monte Santiago is located in the Las Merindades region of Burgos, on the border with Álava and the Orduña enclave in Vizcaya. The area features two main ecosystems: a dense beech forest and wide heather fields with low scrubland typical of the Meseta Central. These landscapes provide a habitat for populations of vultures and other raptors that nest in the mountain ravines, as well as a community of amphibians.

This site marks the birth of the Nervion River, which is fed by groundwater flowing under the karst of the area. This karst landscape features numerous sinkholes and dolines caused by erosion. These edaphic waters form a riverbed that creates a waterfall, the Salto del Nervión, more than 200 meters high, flowing into the Délica valley in Orduña. Nearby, at the 937-meter summit of Monte Charlazo, the borders of Burgos, Álava, and the Orduña enclave meet at a point marked by a large statue.

Visitors can also find the remains of an ancient lobera, a set of walls specifically constructed to kill wolves. Not far from the Fraideburu, a rock formation in Álava that resembles a monk's head and serves as an important nesting site for vultures, these ruins offer a look at historical hunting practices. The area is accessible via the A-2625 from Álava or the BU-556 from Berberana, with a network of paths including the Senda del hayedo and the Senda del karst.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons