Route through the five most beautiful villas in the Bidasoa Valley

About 50 kilometers northwest of Pamplona, ​​following the N-121 A road, you reach a magical place, of legend and ancestral traditions; where nature offers the best of itself, time seems to have stopped in each of the towns that settle there and the so-called

is guaranteed

At this tip of Navarra, on the border with the Basque Country and France, and at the foothills of the smoothest mountains of the Pyrenees, lies

, little brother of the somewhat better known (and neighboring) Baztán Valley. Crossed by the meandering river Bidasoa on its way to the Cantabrian Sea, where it empties 20 km further into Gipuzkoan lands, the territory nestled between mountains has nothing to envy of

, with prints in which the intense green (whatever the season) is the protagonist. Fern-covered slopes, meadows full of sheep and cows balanced on the slope, spectacular forests of beech, oak and chestnut trees that at this time are beginning to change their colors, riverside paths that run through the countless streams and a handful of charming villages Full of history and tradition, they are the calling card of a destination to be discovered, and

in the mountains and tranquility.

Along the approximately 30 kilometers of the winding road, parallel to the course of the Bidasoa, which crosses the Valley from north to south, there are a series of villages, mainly rural, where it is worth stopping to get the tranquility of the countrymen and to soak up the culture, traditions and the beautiful natural environment in which they are found. Between population and population, numerous hamlets dot the slopes of the mountains. Large houses apparently isolated and in perfect condition that stand out for the white of their facades among the green meadows where cattle graze.

The Bidasoa Valley includes three regions: Bortziriak, Malerreka and Bertizarana, each with its small towns.

We discover

, settled on both sides of the river that share, in addition to beauty, the language (Euskera), an important historical and cultural legacy, the category of being towns and a personality marked by their proximity to the Basque borders and French.

Mountain villas

Etxalar. Javier Campos.

Tourism of Navarra.

The towns of Arantza, Lesaka, Etxalar and Bera are located in the aforementioned region of Bortziriak, which, together with the tiny Igantzi, make up the so-called

.

All of them keep important remains of their past and are surrounded by ferns and forests of pine, oak, beech and chestnut trees that invite you to stroll, both inside and around the town, especially in autumn.

Bera

(or Vera del Bidasoa) is the closest town to France, reached through the Ibardin and Lizuniaga border crossings, as well as by numerous trails with excellent views.

The town stands out for its urban complex, full of numerous stately homes from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, including the

the family mansion where the writer Pío Baroja lived at the beginning of the 20th century, and later his nephew, the anthropologist, historian and academic Julio Caro Baroja.

On the other side of the river, from the house, which is not open to the public, you can see the funeral stele made by Jorge Oteiza in memory of Pío Baroja.

In addition to the stately buildings, in the town the Town Hall, in a neoclassical style and with unique paintings on its facades, and the Church of San Esteban, late Gothic, with an organ from 1895 stand out.

Ten kilometers to the south is the

of the valley:

, in which about 900 inhabitants live. The well-cared village of popular architecture, awarded with the National Tourism Award, is made up of two or three-story houses made of oak and stone and with balconies adorned with colorful flowers. Coming from the Indian past of the area, these are distributed in the different neighborhoods of the urban area, all of them separated by the rivers and regattas that cross it. The Church of the Assumption and its garden with tombstones, the Iñarreta transept, the mills and the laundries are part of the heritage of this charming town. Four ancient ashlar stone bridges with a single eye cross the tributaries of the Bidasoa that run through the town. The town is also known for

which takes place for 50 days between October and November.

Etxalar.MC

Another of the wonders of the Bidasoa Valley is neighboring

, a town created in the 14th century, divided into two parts by the Onin River.

The central Plaza Zaharra is surrounded by stately homes, such as Minyurinea (15th century), and among its historical heritage are the Zabaleta Tower, an armory from medieval times and completely rebuilt by Ochoa López de Zabaleta around 1450, the Church of San Martín de Tours (16th century), with a spectacular Rococo altarpiece and considered the most monumental in all of Navarre, or the 18th century convent of the Carmelites Nuestra Señora de los Dolores.

The town connects with the

, which runs along part of the old

route

, between Irún and Elizondo, a claim for lovers of hiking and mountain biking.

Lesaka. Javier Campos.

Tourism of Navarra.

Following the route to the south, you reach

, the

of the Valley, where, from the parking lot, at the entrance of the town, you can get beautiful panoramic views of the hamlets of the Eguzkialdea neighborhood, of the Izu and Unanua mountains and of the meadows and groves of its slopes.

Next to the parking lot, there is the Iturriotza fountain-laundry, which, throughout history, has been a watering hole for animals, a source of water for houses and a laundry room.

Once again, the stately homes of the indianos dominate the urban area, which congregates around the Plaza del Pueblo, with the elegant Town Hall, municipal headquarters, and the remodeled pediment.

The village split by the river

Outside Bortziriak, almost leaving the Bidasoa Valley to the south,

is located

, in the Malerreka region.

The historic town is at the foot of the imposing Mount Mendaur (1,130 m) and the two neighborhoods that make up the urban nucleus are separated by the Bidasoa and linked by a beautiful medieval stone bridge from the 16th century.

In addition to its stately buildings, the ruins of the church of San Tiburcio and the church of San Juan Bautista (1550) stand out as places of interest.

Sunbilla (Navarra) Iñaki Tejerina.

Tourism of Navarra.

The Vía Verde del Bidasoa also passes through here and very close by is

a 2,040-hectare natural park full of beech, oak and alder groves, home to deer, roe deer, wild boar and numerous species of birds.

One of its most attractive places is a beautiful garden decorated with modernist and Art Nouveau motifs that are more than 100 years old.

The

tourist group

organizes guided tours and excursions throughout the area, from walks through the woods or through the villages, mountain hikes, bird watching, gastronomic experiences, routes through cheese factories ... More information and reservations here.

The mountains surround the Bidasoa Valley, in the Baztán-Bidasosa region.

Where to sleep

Casa Rural Peruarnea

(Barrio Lakain, s / n).

Renovated traditional house in the center of Etxalar.

It has four double bedrooms, one single bedroom, two bathrooms, kitchen, living room with fireplace and garden and barbecue.

Price: 310 euros / weekend.

Information and reservations here.

Iratxeko-Berea II (

Iratxeko-berea nº 5. Barrio Kaule).

Spectacular independent traditional farmhouse in the Kaule neighborhood, 3.5 km.

of Bera.

Four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a toilet.

Large fenced garden and a green area equipped with barbecue playground.

Price: 380 euros / weekend / eight places.

Information and reservations here.

Where to eat

Behind the church of the Asunción de Etxalar, at a crossroads,

(Anduetzeta 15; 948 635 465) is the town's busy bar with a terrace and large dining area, where you can taste the best of the local gastronomy .

Its homemade dishes include, in season, the wood pigeon stew in sauce, piquillo peppers or beef tenderloin.

It is a must to try the eclairs with cream for dessert.

Wood pigeon stew in sauce.MC

In a rustic and traditional hamlet, next to the town square of Arantza, the

restaurant

(Goiko Karrika 11; 948 634 027 has among its star dishes roast lamb, sirloin and delicious homemade desserts (curd, rice pudding. ..) .In October and November he participates in the Baztan-Bidasoa Gastronomic Hunting Days.

.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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