Route through the Navarrese Pyrenees: Roncesvalles - Irati forest - Roncal

If you decide to start the Way of St James in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (France), you can reach Orreaga/Roncesvalles via Valcarlos or by taking what is known as the Napoleon route. The latter is much harder and is closed from 1 November to 31 March, but both take you through some beautiful landscapes with breath-taking panoramic views.

• Valcarlos - Roncesvalles stage (wikiloc)

Valcarlos is a small village where the influence of the Way of St James lives alongside an epic past, for it was on the surrounding slopes that Charlemagne's troops were defeated by the Vascones in 778. Don’t miss the Battle of Roncesvalles exhibition centre, where everything about one of the most important battles of the Middle Ages is revealed.

The landscape is lush and rugged, and if you’re passing through on certain dates, Easter Sunday for instance, you can watch the dances of the Bolantes, one of the village’s best-known hallmarks.

Although the first Navarrese village through which the Way of St James passes is Valcarlos, Roncesvalles, which had a pilgrims' hospital as early as the 12th century and grew to become a hub of religious activity, has always been considered the gateway to the Way on the peninsula. That’s why so many people set off on pilgrimage from there every year.

• Roncesvalles - Zubiri stage (wikiloc)

Small and pretty, it’s well worth visiting for its architectural splendour — this is first-class French Gothic —, the beauty of the surrounding area and the historical significance of the location.

And if you want to visit the nearby villages, we recommend going to see Burguete or Espinal — beautiful examples of linear villages.

There you will find cemeteries with funeral stelae, green landscapes and unmistakeably Navarrese Pyrenean architecture.

And a bit further down the road, Esteribar, a valley as close as it is unknown. Discover its beauty through gems that give it its own character:

• “Bridges over the Arga, the threads of Esteribar”, a route which embraces ten emblematic spots, including the Eugi reservoir and Quinto Real forest.
• Quinto Real forest. This is a nature spot where you won’t mind spending some time if you’re looking for tranquillity and fresh air as you hug age-old beech trees. You can venture through it along GR footpaths or the Eremua routes.
• Hiking along GR footpaths
• Eremua MTB Space and Trail
• Ruins of the Eugi ammunition factory
• Stage of the Way: from Zubiri to Pamplona (wikiloc)

It’s worth finding out all about the local history and traditions of the Roncal valley. It’s home to 7 pretty villages with a flavour all of their own, ideal for strolls along cobbled streets, past striking farmhouses with slate gable roofs to protect them from the snow. Here are a few ways to discover the valley:

• In Burgui: you can take the traditional trades’ walk, where old ways of life and jobs have been re-created. The trail reaches a viewpoint looking out over the gorge of Burgui. If there’s one traditional job that stands out in the valley, it’s that of timber rafter, which is why “Timber rafting day” is celebrated every spring. And to learn more about this tradition, you can visit the Timber-rafting museum.
• In Roncal: the House-Museum dedicated to the tenor Julián Gayarre and his mausoleum in the cemetery are both well worth a visit.
• In Isaba: here, the last village before reaching the highest peaks of the Navarrese Pyrenees, you’re bound to get caught up in the atmosphere that mountaineering and holidaymaking bring. Don't miss the House of memory, a museum on the customs of the valley. From there, there is a trail to the Belabarce waterfall.
• Belagua valley and Larra-Aztaparreta nature reserve

If you’re looking for a rugged landscape, then the Belagua valley and Larra massif is the place for you.

Belagua is the only glacial valley in Navarre and its geological characteristics make it a fascinating place. It’s home to the Larra Nature Reserve, one of the largest karst massifs in Europe. A place of outstanding beauty, where black pines take hold as best they can in amongst the limestone rocks.

And inside, a very complex underground world. More than 3,000 pit caves and hundreds of kilometres of galleries and underground rivers for caving enthusiasts to enjoy. The most important and well-known pit cave is Piedra de San Martín, with a depth of 1,410 metres, near the entrance to which an ancestral festival of brotherhood with the neighbouring French region known as the Tribute of the Three Cows is held.

If you’re passionate about mountain sport, this is your chance to go skiing, snowshoeing or hiking along any of many routes. If you’re in good shape, why not walk up to Mesa de los Tres Reyes, which at 2,442 metres is the highest peak in Navarre? Only suitable for the brave. The area has its own infrastructure, too:

• Larra-Belagua Nordic ski centre
• Belagua refuge, a symbol of mountaineering and the only high-mountain refuge in the Navarrese Pyrenees.​​​​​​​