Navarway
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THURSDAY:
A PIECE OF GREEN
The north
1st STOP: IBAÑETA
We are starting the route from Pamplona to Ibañeta, where we will do the first stop of the day. The Ibañeta mountain pass are located at the southernmost end of the Valley of Valcarlos and are a passing point for pilgrims in their Way of St. James, crossing the valley from north to south. Its strategic geographical position, on the westernmost end of the Pyrenees, makes it one of the best places to see birds in active migration in Western Europe.
4th STOP: ARBAYUN GORGE
The Arbaiun Gorge, at the bottom of the Pyrenean valley of Salazar, between Lumbier and Romanzado, is the longest and most stunning of all the gorges in Navarre. The river Salazar has cut the rock away over the centuries, giving rise to an unparalleled spectacle. Imposing vertical walls run for almost 6 kilometres.
A diverse and peculiar vegetation grows inside the gorge providing a variety of seasonal colours of great beauty. On its rocky outcrops there is a huge colony of griffon vultures, which you can see flying if you lean out over Arbayún from the viewpoint at Iso. This immense natural wealth has led to the Arbaiun Gorge being declared a Nature Reserve and also a Special Protection Area for Birds.
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Have a look to the Web page of the gorge
3th STOP: OCHAGAVIA
Our next stop is Ochagavia. This town is the perfect photograph, the one that always looks right; the day or the light conditions do not matter. It is the picture postcard of the Pyrenees of Navarre, with its cobbled streets, its well-kept houses with steep roofs and the river with an old mediaeval bridge crossing it.
The stone church, crowned by a robust and elegant tower, is an interesting perspective that breaks up the skyline.
A landscape of high mountain peaks and dense forests complete the image, in which the very ancient dances in honour of the Virgin Mary of Muskilda must be present.
Centre of interpretation:
Meal in "Galtzabarra restaurant" in Ezkaroz
Visit to Muskilda hermitage
2nd STOP: ORREAGA/RONCESVALLES
The next stop is Orreaga/Roncesvalles. The historical defeat of Charlemagne and the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago de Compostela have made Roncesvalles a key location, as a shelter for walkers and pilgrims, a source of legends and a convergence of cultures. The solid walls of the Collegiate church, built in the shelter of the Ibañeta pass, protect you from the harshness of the winter and transport you to a world of battles and myths.
A place of passage that epitomises history and legend, Orreaga/Roncesvalles is a beautiful forest setting in the Navarrese Pyrenees occupying almost a thousand hectares, and is the point chosen by the majority of pilgrims to start the Pilgrim's Way in Spain.
Snack in Roncesvalles
Guided tour in Roncesvalles + Colegiata
OUR ROUTE
Departure from Pamplona (08:15h)
Ibañeta (9:30-10:00)
Roncesvalles and snack (10:15h – 11:45h)
OchagavÃa (12:30h – 13:45h)
Eating (14:00h – 15:45h)
Muskilda Hermitage (16:00 - 16:45)
Arbayun Gorge (17:30-17:45)
Arrival in Pamplona (18:3oh)
For the fourth day we’ve prepared a route to the north of Navarra, the Pyrenees.
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