Geotourism of Ignatian Way (Basque Country, Spain)

The pilgrimage that Ignatius of Loyola made in 1522 is now a route for religious, sporting and cultural purposes. Its route through the Basque Country (north Spain) has been superimposed on the geological map. The resulting georoute allows us to narrate the alpine geological evolution of the Basque-Cantabrian Basin, from outcrop scale to global tectonics. The path summarizes the geology of the North Iberian margin, from the Iberia-Eurasia plate boundary to the foreland of the Cenozoic Ebro basin. At each stage, the origin of the rocks and their geological context are explained. The resulting brochure has been prepared with freely available information and maps from the geological and tourist public services of the Basque Government. The methodology used can serve as a reference in the development of other georoutes.