Tour of Baztan from Burguete

At the western end of the Pyrenees, the mountains are less imposing but very good for cycle touring. On this route, you enter the Baztan valley from Lower Navarre, in France, allowing you to access the area on very quiet roads.

First of all, there is an easy mountain pass, Ibañeta, which starts in the historic locality of Roncesvalles, the gateway to the Way of St James in Navarre. Then a long descent takes you to Valcarlos. After a brief spell in France, you enter the Baztan valley via the Izpegi pass, which, while stunningly beautiful, is not too demanding.

The main roads in this area have heavy traffic, so the route opts for the Artesiaga pass, the hardest of the day, linking up minor roads and passing through beautiful villages such as Arizkun, Elizondo and Irurita. After reaching the top, you then face the descent and take the road back to Burguete in Zubiri, with two final obstacles to overcome, Erro and Mezkiritz, which, being short in distance and uncomplicated in terms of slopes, do not pose much of a problem.