Aralar of a thousand colours

Between Navarra and Guipuzkoa stretches a beautiful mountain range, where we could have a walk through grasslands, beech forests and green meadows.  Sometimes to enjoy the nature is a luxury but going to Navarra it’s wonderful!

Horses in the Sierra of Aralar. This image is under a CC Licence in the Flickr of mongider

With an area of 208 square kilometers, the Sierra of Aralar forms a chaotic scenery composed by karst formations, valleys, caves and hilltops, blended with another one different, more serene plenty of green meadows and the most extensive beech forest of Navarra

Travelling through its paths, it is easy to find Latxa sheeps and free range mares and horses in the meadows, and specially dolmens. Because the stone is a very important element in this Sierra, we will find it in these structures and in the beautiful houses of Madotz, Astitz or Baraibar, in addition to mills and hermitages.

However the monument that catches the eye in this Sierra, is the medieval Sanctuary of San Miguel de Aralar, where the legend says that are hidden the chains worn by Teodosio Goñi as a penance for have murdered his parents-in-law. He was cheated by the devil and he should ask help San Miguel, as he defeat the dragon with his sword. It is said that you will have good luck if you pass three times under it! Come and try it! Since Uharte Arakil, we could arrive to the temple, by rising less than one kilometer but with an irregularity of 400 meters. On the way we could appreciate one of the beautiful dolmens of the  Sierra.

Another wonderful way to enjoy the autumnal nature of Sierra de Aralar, is the one located in the zon fo Iribas It is a path of 5 kilometers, that will discover us how the waters of the Aralar River play with the chalky soil in the sources of Ertzilla and Larraun Rivers. We cannot miss the Medukilo Cave in Astitz, where we could explore the heart of the Sierra. This cave was used as cowshed, but nowadays it has been upgraded for the visit: it is posible to see stalactites and stalagmites of various sizes.