Irati Forest, the forest of the Navarrese Pyrenees.

Get to know the Irati Forest, the second largest beech-fir forest in Europe.

If you are looking for information about the Irati Forest, if you want to know how to get there, where to sleep, where to eat, what routes to do and some other advice, you can not miss the following lines on one of the most majestic areas of Navarra. This natural lung located in the eastern Pyrenees of Navarre, between the Aezkoa and Salazar valleys, is one of the greatest natural treasures of all Euskal Herria. A place where the rural environment helps us to disconnect and restart our mind from relaxation and tranquility. The changing colors of the Irati Forest gives us a new scenario in each season, which is why we recommend visiting this enclave Navarre at any time of year, yes, although it is true that autumn is one of the most beautiful times, we should not become obsessed with the browns, yellows and reds of the treetops. The white of winter and the freshness of the trails in summer have nothing to envy to autumn. Choose your favorite season! In the interior of the Irati Forest we find the natural reserves of Mendilatz and Tristuibartea together with the integral reserve of Lizardoia, 3 protected areas in which the green fields, beech and fir trees or the waters of its rivers and reservoirs become the main protagonists.

Although we always refer to the Navarrese valleys of Aezkoa and Salara, the 17,195 hectares of the Irati Forest are not only formed by these 2 Navarrese valleys, and part of this wonderful environment is located in Iparralde (French Basque Country). The Irati Forest and its surroundings have always been known for their great cattle tradition. A way of life that has collaborated for many years in maintaining intact the great natural and ecological value of this space of Euskal Herria. A corner that remains the same as the day we fell in love with it years ago and that represents one of the great attractions of the area.

The beauty and the natural value of the Irati Forest are unprecedented, only the Black Forest of Germany comes before this natural set. Although the Irati Forest is known for its enormous beech forests, we must remember that the original and autochthonous species of this area is the oak, one of the most stately trees that exist. Nowadays, although the forest control is very remarkable, the flora has changed, a fact that is evident when contemplating a great amount of hazelnut trees, willows, elms or lindens among the ferns that we find on the slopes of the mountains.

Irati is located in the north of Navarra, practically in the muga (limit in Basque) of Navarra with Iparralde (north in Basque, term used to refer to the French Basque Country), a magical environment, away from the big cities, where the charm of Donibane Garazi merges with that of Otsagabia or Orbaitzeta to give us a natural paradise full of forgotten corners.Between forests and fields, between streams, rivers and reservoirs, a great variety of fauna shows its head. Although it is not easy to visualize and immortalize these living beings with our cell phones and cameras, the small noises we hear as we pass by make their presence clear. A large animal family composed of foxes, wild boars, trout, deer, robins and many other species that will accompany us during our trip to the Irati Forest. Remember that at the end of summer, between September and October, the rutting period of the deer takes place, an authentic natural spectacle popularly known as “la berrea”. Dawn and dusk, two of the busiest time slots in the animal world, are the two key moments to enjoy this time. The rut is a continuous boast of the males who wish to cover the females for the next season, an objective for which they have to use their strong antlers to the full. The incredible sound they emit and the noise they make when their antlers collide with each other are two of the most striking sounds of this natural event, a sound that can be felt for miles.

Although the Irati Forest has more accesses, Orbaitzeta in the Aezkoa Valley and Otsagabia in the Salazar Valley, are the best known and used, both as beautiful as valid. In Otsagabia we find the Interpretation Center, a space that has tipped the scales for this access, making the beauty of the cobbled urban center of Otsagabia the first contact that travelers have when visiting the Irati Forest. However, this is not only good, it also has its downside, and is that, currently the area of Otsagabia is also the most crowded, the one that supports more bustle and where the tranquility you are looking for is harder to find. A fact that leaves Orbaitzeta as the quietest and less crowded access, an ideal access for those who come to the Irati Forest in search of tranquility and silence. Anyway, Orbaitzeta and Otsagabia are separated from each other by just 40 minutes by car, a feasible distance for all those who stay for more than a couple of days in this area of Navarra, a unique opportunity to explore the Irati Forest in its entirety.

There are several specialized offices in the Irati Forest. The largest and perhaps therefore the most important, we find it in the Interpretation Center of Otsagabia, in the center of the village, next to the main road. On the other hand, in the access of Orbaitzeta, next to the parking lot of Arrazola, we have a small prefabricated wooden house where they will offer us all the information we need for our adventure. If we leave aside the two tourist offices that we find in the two accesses, if we go into the interior of the forest, 20 kilometers from Otsagabia we find the Houses of Irati, a place of welcome in which in addition to information we also have bar and restaurant.

The parking areas of the Irati Forest are properly signposted at each of the accesses, but it is not free. There is a maintenance fee, which contributes to a great extent to the budget item with which the damages are fixed and all the routes of this natural enclave are maintained. The amount is practically symbolic for all those who make some expenditure in the establishments of the Valley of Aezkoa and the Valley of Salazar. A reduced rate to which you have access for making an expense such as eating in a restaurant or staying overnight in accommodation in the area, as you can see, it is a fairly easy advantage to obtain. The discount will only be valid if we carry the typical orange voucher of the Irati Forest stamped by the business. The Irati Forest Maintenance Fee only exists when the Ranger Service and Information Point is open, that is, in high and mid season. Attached is a small list with the current prices (July 2017):

There are a multitude of routes in the Irati Forest, paths of different lengths and difficulties, catalogued and signposted by the current hiking regulations established by the European Ramblers Association (ERA). For all those who are unaware of these trails and their corresponding signposts, here is a brief summary:

Thanks to this type of indications it is not necessary to look for milestones or marks of other types, a guarantee, which gives us security during the entirety of our journey. Practically most of the routes in the Irati Forest have this type of signposting.

Our recommendation are 4 local trails, easy, beautiful and family friendly, suitable for all audiences, what more can we ask for?

SL – NA 51 CAlso called Azalegi – Ermita de San Esteban, this circular route starts and ends at the first parking lot we find at the access to Arrazola – Orbaitzeta, next to the information point. Its main charm is that practically the entire route runs through forests, next to a small stream, especially highlighting the farthest section of the route (once we left behind the Orionzilo watering place), where we find an area of high humidity flooded by moss, lichens and other vegetation that make this place look like something out of a science fiction movie, one of its strongest points without a doubt.

SL – NA 52 C: Road to Plaza Beunza. In this case, the Irabia reservoir and its surroundings are the main protagonist. A circular route that starting next to the parking lot that we found a few meters from the dam of the reservoir of Irabia, guides us through the shore to enjoy the freshness of the environment. We must mention that this is the shortest of all the routes that we recommend and that can be extended as much as we want by doing the “Complete tour of the Irabia Reservoir”. By the way, the photos of the Irabia reservoir from the wall of the dam itself are worthy of framing.

SL – NA 59 BKnown as the Arlekia – Lauzaran route, this path starts from the picturesque Orbaitzeta Factory and then passes through the forest of the Itolatz ravine and returns to the point of origin. In its first section we find a steep ascent under the shelter of beech and oak trees, an area that represents the hardest stage of all that we recommend in this article. Once in the high area, following the signs, we descend to the Itolatz stream, a stream that accompanies us back to the starting point.

Arpea CaveThe Arpea Cave and its surroundings are a gift for the senses, an earthly paradise. This enclave located in the muga (limit in Basque) between Navarre and the French Basque Country offers a beautiful walk in which nature is the main protagonist. Although it is possible to make the whole journey by car and reach the surroundings by means of a narrow, mountainous and asphalted road, we recommend to enjoy the nature leaving the car as far away as possible. The most daring and prepared, if you have time and desire, the best thing you can do is to leave the car at the Orbaitzeta Factory, cross the small town that we find at the top of the factory and follow the road that guides us to the top of Orbaitzeta, next to Mount Mendilatz.

Scattered along the slopes of the mountains, next to the rivers of the valleys of the Navarrese Pyrenees, we find a long list of restaurants to recommend. In the Orbaitzeta area we recommend Mendilatz and Eskola Taberna, while in the Otsagabia area, we recommend going to Roncal to enjoy the works of art of the Suargi Restaurant.

As in any self-respecting forest, in the Irati Forest, we find a large number of mushrooms, but we recommend reading carefully the current legislation of this area if we do not want the price of our basket of mushrooms to rise thanks to an economic sanction. If we focus on the Salazar Valley, access to Otsagabia, there are daily and seasonal permits that we can obtain in the urban center of Otsagabia, Auñamendi bar. The price of these permits range from 8€ (daily permit) to 80€ (seasonal permit). For those of you who are interested in this topic, we recommend you to read our article about mushrooms in the Basque Country.

As in any rural environment, in La Selva de Irati the type of accommodation that abounds are the rural houses, a fact that pushes us to recommend you several rural houses in this section. Strategically located next to each of the natural entrances of this Navarrese enclave, we find very complete and charming accommodations located in the interior of the Pyrenean Valleys. Remember that you can book these cottages at the best price from here. We recommend you to read our articles:

As you can see the Irati Forest has no waste, we hope you enjoy the environment, the gastronomy and its people, undoubtedly one of the most important natural destinations of all Euskal Herria.