Socio-economic environment

The magnificent natural environment of this area, with its sports facilities, leisure and recreation areas, etc. is an extraordinary source of income for the local people. The natural environment is the basic Zuia: many generations of exploitation of natural resources have resulted in a deeply rooted local way of life filled with traditions and idiosyncrasies.

New patterns of land use and economic activity have gradually modified traditional activities to some extent, but Zuia still conserves older ways of life whose interest goes beyond economic factors and extends into recreation and leisure through gastronomy, local festivities and traditions, cultural and artistic heritage sites, etc.

The local people have always worked the natural resources available to them in a respectful, balanced manner, so that generation after generation have been able to make a living from them. Thanks to this the natural environment is extraordinarily well preserved.

Farming the mainstay of the economy

Farming is the mainstay of the economy in the "cuadrilla" of Zuia. At present only 15% of the working age population actually work on the land, but the mark left by farming is fundamental in the formation of the area's attractive landscapes dotted with typical Basque farmhouses.

Farming and cheese factory

The most important areas of farming are cattle and particularly sheep herding, particularly in the municipalities of Urkabustaiz, Zuia and Zigoitia.

Izarra is home to a major factory making cheese under the Idiazabal certificate of origin, but the same type of cheese is also manufactured by more traditional methods at many local farmhouses. In Legutiano and Aramaio dairy farming predominates, though the number of herds of beef cattle and horses in the area is increasing.

Bee-keeping

Bee-keeping is developing from a hobby into a fully fledged occupation, and the Gorbeia area is renowned for its honey production. This industry is centred around Zigotia and Zuia, and there is a Honey Museum in Murgia.

Well preserved forests

The local woods are also sources of wealth, and are therefore carefully tended to keep them in top condition. Much of the woodland is common land, and it therefore falls to the local authorities to implement the strict regulations set up to preserve it. Forestry is most intensive in Legutiano and Aramaio, where the native oak woods have given way to pines.

Farming in Zigoitia and Arrazua-Ubarrundia

Arable farming is confined mainly to the plains of Zigoitia and Arrazua-Ubarrundia, where the flat terrain and the favourable climate enable cereals, potatoes and beet to be grown. Elsewhere in the area, arable farming is restricted to the cultivation of grassland for cattle grazing. Most local farms maintain the traditional vegetable gardens, and exceptional local produce is shown at local fairs.

Fairs

Traditional farming methods call for work and activities which are not only fundamental to the economy of farmers themselves but also highly attractive to local people and tourists alike, such as cattle and craft fairs, manufacture of traditional produce such as cheese, honey and blood sausages, popular handicrafts such as pottery, basket-weaving, woodworking, etc, and local Basque sports. All these activities are on show at the local fairs and feast days held throughout the year in the towns and villages of the "cuadrilla" of Zuia.

Interesting architecture

The types of work traditionally done in the area have produced many interesting buildings, some of which have now fallen into disuse, though their historic and ethnographic value is undoubted, such as mills, bridges, iron-works, electrical power stations, water pumps, and in deed the farmhouses themselves.

Service sector, growing

The fastest growing sector in the local economy is the service sector, which now employs and average of over 45% of the working population in every municipality in the "cuadrilla". The growth of tourism, especially in the Gorbeia and Urkiola natural parks, has led to a boom in catering, accommodation, recreation and the supply of goods.

Most services are concentrated in the head towns and villages of the municipalities (Izarra, Murgia, Ondategi, Legutiano, Ibarra and Durana) though rural guest houses, hotels and restaurants can also be found in the smaller villages. More and more tourist and leisure amenities are being set up to join the sailing clubs on the reservoirs, the golf clubs in Zuia and Legutiano, the riding schools in Zigoitia and the museums in Izarra, Murgia and Ollerías (Legutiano).

Small industrial estates

Industry is concentrated on small industrial estates in Izarra, Altube/Murgia, Etxabarri-Ibiña, Gojain and Durana, where companies wishing to set up premises are offered assistance in various areas. Most of the local people employed in industry live in Aramaio, Legutiano and Arrazua-Ubarrundia, the villages closest to the major industrial towns of Vitoria-Gasteiz and Mondragón/Arrasate.