French-Aragones Route: Sangüesa-Moreal

After crossing the Sangüesa bridge, follow the road to Pamplona and take the diversion to Rocaforte. A few metres further along you will find a path that ascends steeply to reach Rocaforte.

The route takes us through crop fields, vineyards and olive groves below a wind farm to the Aibar Peak. From this point you will need to pace yourself because there are a dozen kilometres or so between valleys and mountains fi lled with wild pines until you reach the next town, Izco.

One of the attractions along this stage is that it gives us a more accessible but equally beautiful alternative route. Instead of taking the diversion to Rocaforte, I was recommended to go to Liédena. The itinerary continues along the Greenway  that follows the tracks of the former Irati railway, snaking along the Lumbier Gorge, an impressive pass with vertical cliff faces that tower up to 150 metres at their highest point. From the village of Lumbier, the route heads towards the villages of Nardués and Aldunate until it enters Izco.

The final part of this stage passes through an oak forest that opens out at Monreal, which in the past was the hunting residence of the Kings of Navarre. The village can be entered via a Gothic bridge which leads to a labyrinth of cobbled streets. The Calle del Burgo street is particularly outstanding, with its carefullytended homes.