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PLACES TO DREAM
To begin writing about the Hotel Nafarrola, the first
thing to mention is how deeply it is immersed in
Euskadi, where an exceptional natural environ-
ment —shaped by marine waters, estuaries, bea-
ches, marshes, rivers, valleys and forests— has achieved
a harmonious balance with the privileged few who inhabit it.
Fully aware of that privilege are brothers Josu and Gaizka
Goicoetxea, who fulfilled their dream when they purchased
a 13th-century farmhouse in the Artiko district, named after
the river that runs through it. This rural quarter, with its agri-
cultural and livestock activity, lies at the foot of Sollube, one
of the five montes bocineros of Biscay.
The name Nafarrola derives from the combination of Nafar
or Navarra —a reference to the many Navarrese shepherds
who settled in the area— and ola, alluding to the wooden
construction that characterises the property. The hotel ope-
ned its doors in 2021, the Rola restaurant followed in 2023,
and 2024 marks the planting of its own vineyard.
A gastronomic ritual
Its views unfold over Bermeo, the sea, the forest and
the mountain.
Its soundtrack is made of silence and birdsong, and its
flavours are those crafted in the kitchen of Rola. In fact,
the gastronomic concept of the restaurant invites guests
on a culinary journey through the landscapes of the Ur-
daibai Biosphere Reserve, following a map inspired by
the Route of the Urdaibai Ecosystems, which begins ri-
ght in the restaurant’s dining room.
Josu Goikoetxea explains —with the passion of someo-
ne who truly loves what he does— how each dish crea-
ted by the chef, his brother Gaizka, evokes a specific
place within the reserve, interpreted through its produce
and seasonal ingredients.
One of the finest Txakolís
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