Our hostels are the ideal base camp for you to get to know and enjoy the wide variety of natural and cultural resources Navarre has to offer. From the green valleys of the Atlantic area to the dry Bardenas, from the northern mountains to the medieval castles and the Way of Saint James in the Midlands, from the wild Pyrenees to the fertile vegetable gardens of the Ribera, all is possible – tranquillity and fiesta.
Snow, water and sun – the essence of the Eastern Pyrenees of Navarre. Here you will find large forests, deep gorges and high mountains, among which the Table of the Three Kings and Orhi Peak, at whose feet the beech woods of the Forest of Irati grow. Timber is still is taken downstream by expert rafting “almadieros” and the mountains are still crossed by transhumant shepherds. The valleys of Roncal, Salazar, Aezkoa, Erro and Urraul are criss-crossed by a network of tracks that allow to get to know this beautiful environment, not to forget the Way of Saint James running along Orreaga-Roncesvalles, the gateway of Europe in Navarre since the Middle Ages.
Baztan, Bidasoa, Malerreka, Bertizarana, Xareta – evergreen valleys with luxuriant woods and forests for you to walk, such as Señorío de Bértiz Natural Park, Leurtza Natural Area or Mounts Belate and Artikutza, rivers for you to descend and caves for you to explore. For the less adventurous, we invite you for a walk in our picturesque and well cared for villages with their beautiful popular architecture and, of course, to sit at and enjoy our local cuisine where meats, cheese and the game of the season will no doubt surprise you.
Surrounded by forests and meadows, and sheltered by the Mountains of Aralar and Urbasa, the valleys of Larraun, Imotz, Ultzama, Leitzaran and Sakana form a privileged natural setting where the local population and “Ama Lurra” (Mother Nature) cohabit peacefully since time immemorial. Chasms and caves, legends and mythology, the Sanctuary of San Miguel de Aralar, stone-lifters that turn the hardest farm chores into rural sports, the Greenway of Plazaola leading from Navarre to the territories of Gipuzkoa who share the Basque language of our ancestors… all in all, a land worth discovering and enjoying.
At the feet of the mountains of Urbasa and Andía, whose natural, geological and landscape assets are today a protected Natural Park stretching over 21,000 hectares, the visitor will find Tierra Estella reaching out to the banks of River Ebro. Crossed diagonally by the pilgrims’ Way of Saint James, the villages scattered along the way feature a rich and varied medieval heritage and a friendly and welcoming population. Estella, capital city of the region, is a blend of ancient Vascones, Gascons, Arabs and Jews who, since Medieval times, filled its streets.
The “merindades” (ancient administrative jurisdictions) of Olite-Tafalla and Sangüesa stand between the northern mountains and the southern plains bathed by the River Ebro. Rivers Arga and Aragón flow peacefully at the feet of its monumental towns where we can learn about the historical legacy of Navarre since prehistoric times, the Roman presence and the Middle Ages and up to the present day. From the high towers of their beautiful castles we can watch over a landscape of open and bright wheat fields, vineyards and olive groves where local produce is grown and greatly appreciated at the table.
The Ribera plain is bathed by the River Ebro, which collects the waters flowing from the Pyrenees and turns them into luxuriant vegetable gardens of Arab tradition, whose vegetables are a renowned ingredient of high cuisine. This fertile oasis is surrounded by the Bardenas Reales Natural Park, an arid and ravined landscape capriciously shaped by the summer heat and winter harshness. Tudela, capital city of the region, bears witness to the different cultures that have populated the area: Arabs, Jews and Christians.
History, tranquillity and fiesta. Pamplona, capital city of Navarre, is a blend of all the sensibilities and personalities that surround it, from the northern mountains to the southern plains. The city’s Old District showcases all these qualities: Estafeta street and the festive running of the bulls (summer festival of San Fermín – 7th July), the medieval bridge of Magdalena welcoming pilgrims on their way to Saint James, and the surrounding villages with their beautiful examples of popular architecture, to name but a few.
