Casa Rural Monaut, an oasis of peace in the Navarrese Pyrenees.

Discover Casa Rural Monaut, a huge Pyrenean mansion dating from 1831, which offers much more than a simple rural house in the Navarrese Pyrenees.

The rural house Monaut, our last lodging in the Navarrese Pyrenees, has turned out to be a success, a delight. The silence, the comfort, the nature, the beauty and the history that surround this rural house, define perfectly the current way of life in the most western area of the Pyrenees. These characteristics, in our opinion, have been essential to turn this weekend into a spectacular, unique weekend. To all the above, we must add the presence of Maitina, our hostess, our neighbor during these days. And it is that, her invaluable company, has turned out to be another of the strong points of this rural house located in the Valley of Arce, Navarrese Pyrenees. She was the one who, from the proximity, advised us about routes, restaurants, villages and many other topics, a local guide of luxury. We repeat, Casa Rural Monaut is a success. This 3-story Pyrenean mansion has been renovated and separated into different rooms, converting the second floor into two cottages: Monaut I, with capacity for 4 people and Monaut II, with capacity for 6 people. Apart from the second floor, where Maitina and her family’s house is located, the rest of the spaces have also been fitted out for the enjoyment of the people who occupy it, thus offering all kinds of spaces to its visitors: garden, attic, hallway… A house that we fell in love with from the first moment.

The Arce Valley, one of the least known valleys of the Navarre Pyrenees, has surprised us, has made us fall in love. Its villages, urban centers where the number of animals doubles the number of inhabitants, flooded by nature, represent a great option where you can get lost to disconnect from the rest of the world. Places where to reflect, breathe fresh air, rest and gather strength is indispensable. The Arce Valley has the same characteristics as the rest of the Pyrenean valleys, but in addition, we can say categorically that we are facing one of the few areas of the Navarrese Pyrenees that today many travelers who visit this area of Navarre are unaware of, a detail to take into account. Even more so in high season, when everyone wants to visit the charms of the Navarrese Pyrenees and the tranquility and silence that inhabits these corners is compromised by the crowd of people who visit them. A fact that, to this day, does not occur in the villages of the Arce Valley. Silence, tranquility, disconnection.

In these days in which globalization is killing many traditions, cultures and languages, it is nice to see how there are still places like Casa Rural Monaut, a rural house, in which the culture and history of the people of Navarre is reflected in each of its corners. We encourage you to read in detail each of the following sections, the Casa Monaut has no waste.

History: The cottages Monaut I and Monaut II are the result of a dream come true, a family project, which has helped to make known this natural paradise called Valle de Arce. Although the Pyrenean mansion in which these two rural houses are located dates back to 1831, it took a major renovation to restore the charm and majesty that it had at that time. A transformation, in which each member of the family (Karmelo, Maitina, Maddi and Kattalin) contributed their little grain of sand rebuilding practically the whole house with their own hands. Thus, it was opened to the public in 2004, and since then it has been offering an incredible service to everyone who visits it.

But the story of Casa Rural Monaut does not end here, the story continues to be written with each person who passes through this charming corner of the Navarrese Pyrenees. Do you want to be part of the history of Casa Rural Monaut? We recommend you to book your own adventure in this incredible earthly paradise, you will not regret it.

How to get there: Casa Rural Monaut is located in Saragüeta, a small rural village located between the municipalities of Aoiz and Burguete, at kilometer 22 of the NA-172 road, in the heart of the Arce Valley. There is no way to get lost. Of course, when you reach this point we recommend reducing speed, the detour is located near a curve and has some slope. Anyway, do not worry, the GPS leads us perfectly to the house itself, Google Maps works wonders in this case.

Saragüeta, Arce Valley: Saragüeta (Saragueta in Basque), the urban center where Casa Monaut is located, a small and charming village sheltered by the mountains, rivers and pastures of the Arce Valley, has infected us with the peace and harmony with which one lives in the Navarrese Pyrenees. An impressive space, where the silence is only disturbed by the sounds emitted by birds, roosters, hens and other animals found in the area, a wonder.

Located on a hill, as if it were an ancient watchtower, Saragüeta has a privileged view over the Arce Valley, one of the most rural, quiet and special Pyrenean valleys that we have known in Navarra. Currently, Saragüeta has a total population of 6 people, a number that, although striking, is greater than that of many of the neighboring towns, such as Arrieta (2) or Lusarreta (1). Although the inhabitants of the Arce Valley are not many, although there are fewer and fewer people to be found in this area of Navarra, they all share the same love and respect for the nature and history of their land, people like Maitina, who are always ready to offer us a great Pyrenean experience. Are you up for it? In Saragüeta, the Pyrenean style houses surrounding the square, the XVI century cross, the old washhouse and nature, spaces that, apparently, seem to be unique, because it was here, after looking for many places, where Montxo Armendariz shot in 2000 part of the scenes of the film “Silencio roto” (Broken Silence).

Urban centers: During our stay we wanted to know the villages that give life to the slopes of the Arce Valley, including its capital, Nagore. All of them share the same characteristics, half deserted, in natural environments to take away the hiccups, beautiful views, full of majestic stone houses, great presence of animals and above all peace, a lot of peace. The closest and most important urban centers that we find in the surroundings of the valley are Auritz/Burguete and Aoiz, about 10 and 20 minutes by car respectively. In them we find stores, gas stations and other basic services that we can demand during our stay in the Navarrese Pyrenees. Among all the villages of the Arce Valley, we venture to know a nice representation, here are some of them:

Maitina: Once again, it has been a woman, Maitina, who has welcomed us to the Navarre Pyrenees. It is incredible the work that both Maitina and the rest of the women do to preserve and promote this incredible natural space. A strong and essential group, which shows us once again the tenacity, determination and courage of women. The attention that Maitina gave us, besides being personalized, was close and familiar, a type of treatment that is much appreciated. During our stay, there were many small details that Maitina had with us, gestures that make clear the disposition and way of being of our hostess.

Rural houses: The houses that Maitina offers us, the rural house Monaut I or Txikia (for 4 people) and the rural house Monaut II or Handia (for 6 people), have a rural and historical charm worthy of admiration. Two spaces of similar aesthetics and equipment but of different capacity and orientation. Perfectly equipped (Wifi, towels, firewood…) and with practically all the comforts of the city, these two rural houses of the Navarrese Pyrenees await us with the doors open all year round, because every season of the year has its unique charm in the Navarrese Pyrenees.

Txikia: Also known as Monaut I, Txikia (small in Basque), has a capacity for 4 people distributed in two rooms, a perfect house for families with children. In the first of them we find a double bed, a double bed, while the remaining one is made up of two single beds. These two rooms are accompanied by a full bathroom and a large open space consisting of living room, dining room and kitchen. But what really enchanted us were not the rooms, but the incredible views of the Navarrese Pyrenees (Elke, Pausaran, Corona and Larrogain mountains) that are obtained from the 8-meter balcony that we access from the living room with fireplace. The rural touch is given by all the original oak beams that we find distributed throughout the house, the decoration and many of the furniture that were rescued from the villages of Itoiz or Artozki, nowadays under water due to the construction of the Itoiz reservoir.

Handia: Also known as Monaut II, this rural house with capacity for 6 people shares with its little sister (Txikia) the second floor of this beautiful Pyrenean farmhouse. The distribution is practically the same as the previous one, the only difference is that instead of 2 bedrooms it has 3 (one double and two doubles), perfect for groups or large families. In this case, the balcony shows us the charms of the crags of Aintzioa, a massif that catches our attention as soon as we see it.
In general terms, we must say that the rural houses that we find inside Casa Monaut are totally practical, well equipped, clean and suitable to enjoy an incredible weekend in the middle of nature.

Common areas: Casa Rural Monaut has common areas such as the garden, the hallway or the attic, charming spaces that offer small nooks and crannies where you can relax and enjoy. Note, an outdoor breakfast or a good barbecue in this place are priceless. On the other hand, the vegetable garden, the henhouse, the mares and sheep that accompany us offer a direct contact with the rural world to the smallest of the house, an aspect that they will love and will help them to learn from it. We must indicate that all of them are of shared use with the rest of the tenants of the house, respect and education please.

Animals: Captained by Udi, a beautiful Basque shepherd dog, the animals at Casa Monaut are another of its many attractions. Some travel companions that make the daily life of Maitina and the other tenants of Casa Monaut more interesting.

Sheep, mares and chickens form together with Udi, the little big family of animals that excite the little ones who visit them. For those of you who are not very attracted to animals, don’t worry, at Casa Monaut they are aware that animals are not liked by all people equally and they are very respectful in this aspect.

To understand the importance and influence that these animals have on the people who stay in this rural house, you only have to read the book “Las gallinas de Maitina”, a book written by Mar del Rey, who was inspired by one of her many stays in this rural house to tell a beautiful story among the hens and roosters of this house.

Surroundings: The surroundings of the cottage, the surroundings of Saragüeta, are simply extraordinary. It is essential to walk around while enjoying nature accompanied by our little furry friend Udi. In addition, it is enough to walk 1 hour to appreciate the beauty of this Pyrenean Valley: crystal clear rivers, nature of green tones never seen before and a lot of tranquility, peace and quiet.

Routes: Starting from the rural house itself, we find routes that have nothing to envy to those found in the Irati Forest, take our word for it, we speak from knowledge. And if you do not believe us, you only have to follow the local path (SL) NA-29, an incredible route that crosses nooks and crannies worthy of photographing and enjoying.

The route that we propose, has been devised (in part) by Maitina, turning a linear route into a circular route that begins and ends at Casa Monaut. The charm of this trail lies in the watercourses that accompany us on much of the route and the flora that we find on our way, impressive, seriously.

This route is of low difficulty, family profile, but we should mention that it has very steep descents in its main section, be careful. Although the usual signage for local trails (SL) are white and green, in this case, the route is marked with only one color, orange, and it is Maitina who beacons and maintains the routes around her rural house, a true mountain enthusiast.

The NA-29 trail descends from Saragüeta to the NA-172 road through a magical forest, a place worthy of the best fantasy films. Once down, part of the route runs along the road (about 100m), to later return to take the detour that leads to Casa Monaut, a sign indicates so. The return, contrary to all logic, does not have large slopes, but again surprises us with a watercourse that leaves us waterfalls and pools of crystal clear water for the rest of the way. A walk without great difficulty but with a lot of charm.

Although we fell in love with this route, it is not the only one. There are a thousand and one routes, with less or more difficulty and duration that we can do starting from the Casa Rural Monaut, ask Maitina. By the way, another interesting route to do is to walk some of the sections of the Roman road that runs through this area.

Itoiz Reservoir: The Itoiz Reservoir, located within the territorial limits of the Arce Valley, marked a before and after in the Navarrese Pyrenees. Villages of inestimable value and beauty were demolished and flooded in order to build this gigantic engineering work. Although all the inhabitants of the Navarrese Pyrenees regret every day not having been able to stop this loss, in the present, they try not to look back to build a sustainable environment in the surroundings of this huge water reservoir. We are sure that in the not too distant future, if the competent authorities do their part, Itoiz will become, like the Irabia reservoir, a natural reference to visit, a place with its own ecosystem full of life. By the way, on this subject, Maddi Barber, Maitina’s daughter, has produced a short film that deals with the harsh reality that the inhabitants of these valleys had to face in the 90’s, when the water flooded the 7 villages and part of 3 protected natural reserves that were below the maximum level of the reservoir, 592 meters. Hence, its name: “592 metroz goiti”. Here is the trailer:

https://vimeo.com/264231267

Where to eat: In addition to the possibility of eating in the dining room or garden of the lodge, there are many restaurants in the surrounding villages.

We had the opportunity to try the daily menus of Txikipolit (Auritz / Burguete) and Haizea (Aurizberri / Espinal). Two options that, although we were not completely convinced, maintain a more than acceptable quality / price ratio.

Speaking of eating, we cannot leave Casa Rural Monaut without tasting the wonderful homemade eggs produced by their hens.

What to see: The rural house Monaut has a good location to know any point of the Navarrese Pyrenees. Here is a small example of the places of interest that can be found within a 30 minute drive:

Price: If we compare and analyze the price stipulated for the Monaut cottages, we see that they are slightly lower than the market price we find in the rest of the cottages in the Navarre Pyrenees. Another point in your favor to book in this small corner of the Arce Valley!

Videos: As you know, in our YouTube channel you can find unedited videos about our adventures in Euskal Herria. In this case, the rural house Monaut, the Arce Valley and the Navarre Pyrenees are not an exception, here are some videos that we have left our adventures in Navarre:

If you are looking for a rural house near the Irati Forest, if you are looking for a rural house in the Navarrese Pyrenees, look no further, the rural house Monaut is the perfect accommodation for young and old. In our case, we are sure that we will meet again with Maitina, Udi, their hens, their mares and their sheep in the not too distant future. The Monaut cottage is a place that leaves a mark, a place full of memories. We will be back!