The magical jungle awaits you in Navarra
Albert Camus said that "the fall it's a second spring where every leaf is a flower." And few places give away that second spring the way the Irati Jungle it does.
Barely asking for anything more than good walking shoes and a raincoat for chirimiri, this enclave located in Navarre , closer to the border with France than to Pamplona, is all you need to feel the nature's call , forget about the world and enjoy the fresh autumn air.
The perfect place to breathe fresh air
The Irati Jungle it is a hidden treasure 17,000 hectares of beech and fir trees among many others trees and bushes and houses dozens of paths where you can walk and let yourself be hypnotized by the beautiful foliage that fills the slopes of its forests with bright colors.
Considered the largest beech forest in Europe, of its more than 17,000 hectares near 15,000 are located in the valleys of Aezkoa and Salazar. In summer it is easy to meet the more than 20,000 sheep and 2,000 cows who graze these lands.
It is easy to come across herds of sheep in Irati
Visitors usually stay in Ochagavia and Orbaizeta , the closest towns to the Irati Forest.
The first is a charming postcard town located in the salazar valley , located at the confluence of the Zatoia and Anduña rivers : cobbled streets, a medieval stone bridge, a church that preserves medieval remains from the 11th century and mansions painted white with gabled or hipped roofs make up a perfect picture of what a town in the Navarrese Pyrenees is.
The second, Orbaizeta, located in the Aezkoa Valley , is smaller than the previous one, but has the same charm. In this town you can visit the old Orbaizeta Royal Arms and Ammunition Factory . Located five kilometers from the border with France and permanently abandoned since 1873 , the factory is currently taken over by nature, which has practically devoured the ruins.
Ochagavía
From Ochagavía, following the road to **Abodi (NA-2012) **, you can access Houses of Irati , one of the most popular spots to start walking in the forest. If it is closed due to snow, you can take the longest road and **enter Irati by car via Orbaizeta (NA-140 to Aribe and then NA-2030) **, arriving at the Irabia dam car park, one of the most attractive points of the entire forest.
Normally the maintenance fee that is paid at the entrance costs five euros per car (two euros for those staying in the area). At the information points both at Casas de Irati and at the entrance through Orbaizeta, you can get a detailed map with all the trails.
Ready to start the route through Irati?
WALKER, WE PROPOSE YOU TWO PATHS
Here we trace two routes, a shorter one that leaves from Ochagavía and is known as the **Camino Viejo a Irati y Muskilda (SL-NA-65) ** and another longer, **that surrounds the Irabia reservoir (SL53C) ** and for the one that is better to approach Irati from Orbaizeta.
The Old Road to Irati and Muskilda It is a circular route of just seven kilometers that there is no difficulty and that it can be done easily with children . It is a perfectly signposted interpretive path in which the slope is not very pronounced (less than 400 meters).
It starts behind the church of Ochagavía , down a steep, cobbled street, after reaching what appear to be the last houses in the town. There are two paths there, we must take the one on the left, which, as indicated by the indicative panels, will take us to Muskilda. Hazelnuts, oak, maple, chestnut either lime trees They are part of the landscape that will accompany us along the path that ends up leading to a beautiful beech forest.
Yellow predominates in autumn
It is worth deviating slightly from the path and entering the beech forest , taking time to contemplate not only the trees, but all the animals for which the trees provide food and shelter. In autumn, raising your head and looking up in these woods is a sight: the breeze rocks the completely yellow leaves until some fall off, landing delicately on the ground covered in similar leaves in different colors.
Not far from the beech forests is the Romanesque hermitage of Our Lady of Muskilda , from the 12th century, which stands imposingly at more than 1000 meters high. Its interior houses a Gothic carving of the Virgin with the Child and each September 8th for more than 300 years Dancers of Ochagavía they carry out their emblematic dances on the flat lands that surround the sanctuary. From there begins the descent to the town of Ochagavía, along a fairly steep and cobbled path.
Our Lady of Muskilda
The path around the Irabia reservoir It is one of the most spectacular routes in the entire forest. Also circular and just over ten kilometers , it is easily accessed from the dam car park, which is reached by entering through Orbaizeta.
The trail runs parallel to the reservoir and in addition to walking there are also those who do it on MTB . Depending on the time of year you visit, it may be difficult to cross some of the creeks and streams and there are many who, faced with the difficulty of having to jump from stone to stone, or the fear of ending up having to put their feet in the water, repent and turn around.
The tour passes through old Forest House , now in disuse, and continues to surround the reservoir, while beech forests follow one another practically along the entire path. To do this route, you should not be afraid of getting your boots dirty, since Mud is also a constant, especially on rainy days and with a large influx of visitors. With the map in hand, we can deviate from the main trail as many other trails intersect.
The Irabia reservoir in the fog
The weather can be very changeable and although part of the route is sunny, it is very likely that at some point we meet the mist, which gives a more atmospheric character to the landscape, already spectacular. On clear days the reflection of the trees in the reservoir is intoxicating and even the worst photo looks good.
When asked about the best time to enjoy the autumn colors in Irati, locals point to climate change and shrug , saying that before it was easier to predict when the leaves would be in full heyday of color
We must not leave Irati without stopping to take a good look at the beeches around us, it may be hiding somewhere Basajaun, a mythical character, lord and defender of these forests that he shared with laminak (magical beings) and that according to legend, when he wanted to go unnoticed, he pretended to be a beech tree.
What are you hiding, Irati?
Mythology aside, there is no doubt that magic -of nature- floods every corner of the Irati Jungle and its surroundings. Eating any sandwich while breathing the pure and clean air among its trees becomes an experience.
Stopping to listen to the murmur of the soft wind that caresses the branches, at this time of year loaded with vibrant yellow leaves, it is an experience . And when observing how the slopes of the mountains, full of life, disappear under the water of the reservoir, the saying of the Aezkoa valley that says "The bird of the Orhi, always returns to the Orhi" ( Orhiko txoria, Orhira strip ) takes on even more meaning.
Who would not return to the natural spectacle that these valleys are? Who would voluntarily give up such beauty?
FOOD AND ACCOMMODATION
Ochagavía offers good options both to eat there and to buy bread and cold cuts or delicious cheeses -including those of the Roncal Valley - to make some sandwiches for the walk.
Also, there is a very friendly atmosphere once night falls. In the Kixkia Grill you can taste grilled meats -especially grilled steak-, as well as Navarrese specialties.
Also, the restaurant Hostal Orialde It is an excellent option to taste Navarrese dishes and ecological meats of sheep and foal of its own cattle farm . To stay there are several options, including hotels, hostels, rural houses and shelters or campsites.
The paths of Irati are MAGIC