Amaiur, one of the most beautiful villages in the Baztan Valley.

Amaiur, the village in the Baztan Valley that has enchanted thousands of travelers from all over the world.

Amaiur, Maya in Spanish, perfectly represents the type of villages found throughout the length and breadth of Baztan. Urban centers that, surrounded by a great forest mass, keep in their interior a beautiful collection of palatial houses. Stone, wood and lots of green. That would be a good summary of what Amaiur offers us. In other words, palaces, mills and stone houses surrounded by an environment of great natural value. Nature, culture, gastronomy and history. A very complete destination. A small town in appearance and huge in terms of cultural and historical heritage.

Located at an altitude of 281 meters above sea level, with a population of approximately 300 people and less than 60 kilometers from the capital of Navarra, Pamplona – Iruña, Amaiur stands as one of the most popular destinations for travelers. One of the most beautiful villages in the Baztan Valley. A town, which has fallen in love with travelers from all over the world. And no wonder, the church, the castle, the mill and the beautiful town of Amaiur, make us dream of another era.

Located in the Navarrese Pyrenees, near the muga (border in Basque) with Iparralde, French Basque Country, this village stands out above the rest for its history and beauty. Its urban center, small and settled on a single street (one of the sections of the road to Santiago), can be seen along with the rest of the attractions of the town in about half a day, of course, as long as we do it on our own. In case you want to know Amaiur through guided tours, we recommend you to go to the mill, we are sure that Felipe or Isa, their responsible, will assist you to the thousand wonders. They will inform you about the frequency and prices of the guided visits to the village, castle and mill, the 3 axes on which the tourism of Amaiur has been established. History and culture in its purest form. The village of Amaiur is a small architectural jewel, a picturesque urban center, which, captained by the ruins of the last fortress of the Kingdom of Navarre, welcomes us with its impressive entrance arch.

Amaiur, is currently part of the Baztan Valley, but it was not always so, this village located in the west of the Pyrenees, became independent of Baztan in 1665 to be annexed to it again in 1969, 304 years later. A fragment of its history, which helps us to understand the impressive and noble houses that we find on our way.

The route that we recommend to know Amaiur has no difficulty whatsoever. It is a family route, which, designed for all ages, leads us to know places like the church of the Assumption, the monolith that stands in honor of the soldiers who defended the castle, the impressive buildings of the town center or the historic mill of the village. A perfect plan to enjoy a nice day in the north of Navarra.

Amaiur, gives us one of the many postcards that we can capture in the Baztan Valley. A magical look. A space worthy of gods. A place that has captivated us and to which we will undoubtedly return. And you? Do you know Amaiur?

History of Amaiur: Although the history of Amaiur neither begins nor ends in 1522, we believe it is worthwhile to highlight the events of this period. Thanks to the investigations of the Aranzadi Association, today we have more data about the events that took place in Amaiur more than 500 years ago. According to sources of this same association, an epic deed took place in Amaiur at this time: 200 men defended the last resistance of the Kingdom of Navarre against an army of 10,000 troops. More than 40 volunteers have worked side by side with Aranzadi experts to rescue this epic space from oblivion. These studies have provided new data to the existing ones. This is how they have come to find a sword of just over a meter in length of the sixteenth century, a treasure waiting to be discovered under the rubble of one of the galleries of the castle. An object, which, together with the numerous cannonballs found, form a very important legacy of our history.

Aitor Pescador, historian, with great knowledge about what happened in Amaiur, highlights the rarity of finding a weapon of such value in a conflict scenario, a fact, which may have its explanation in that the galleries where it was found were completely destroyed, making it difficult for anyone to access. The sword, whose owner is unknown, was found by Naiara Arrizabalaga from Ondarrua, Bizkaia. A volunteer, who emphasized how incredible it was for her to find a sword in what was the last remnant of the Kingdom of Navarre. The monolith that we find today, was built in the early twentieth century in honor of the people who gave their lives for Navarre, a monument that reads, “To the men who fought in the Castle of Maya for the independence of Navarre perpetual light 1522”. The knowledge acquired during this archaeological research, as well as all the objects found, are part of the priceless heritage accumulated by Amaiur. It is foreseen that all this will be deposited in a museum that will highlight the historical events that took place in this area. The end of this violent history of Amaiur did not have a happy ending for the people of Navarre, but it is an important part of the history of Baztan and Navarre.

Village of Amaiur: Amaiur is one of those typical villages of the Navarrese Pyrenees. A picturesque urban nucleus, which enchants the visitor by the simplicity and authenticity of everything that surrounds it. The church, the mill and the entrance arch to the old town are the letter of introduction with which we are greeted when we arrive at the town. A representation, which is surpassed when we walk down the main street. The houses that we find along the way, do not respond to the same style, but all of them leave us speechless with their huge balconies, wooden doors, stones and coats of arms that look on their facades. This is one of the most beautiful villages of Baztan. Many of the houses that make up Amaiur, have between their walls with stones from the castle of the town and the quarries of Almandoz, a fact that makes all of them have almost the same tone and type of stone.

In Amaiur, we find very good examples of palatial architecture that dot the entire valley, an aspect, which impresses both experts and the common traveler. We suggest you to contemplate with tranquility every detail of the palace houses of Arretxea (XVI century) or Arriada. This last one, hosted the meetings (batzarrak) in the 16th century. You cannot leave Amaiur without first strolling through its streets, forgetting to drive up to the castle. In the lower part of the town, next to the church, there are several parking lots where you can leave your car. It is time to walk and enjoy the majesty and simplicity of Amaiur. The main street is barely a kilometer and a half long, the effort is minimal and the reward is enormous. We must mention that the church of the Assumption, originally from the Middle Ages, has been rebuilt several times during the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, a building, which perfectly complements the visit that we mentioned by this beautiful town of Navarre.

Amaiur Mill: The local mill is located at the beginning of the village, just as you enter on the left hand side, in front of the church, before the famous entrance arch. The mill of Amaiur, Amaiurko errota in Basque, is a water mill from the 18th century, a traditional building from the north of Navarra, which has been restored and has become one of the main attractions of Amaiur.

Nowadays, Felipe and isa, the people in charge of this mill, offer us guided tours, children’s workshops and of course, flour produced in the mill itself. 2 inhabitants of Baztan, who love their land, culture and history. A couple who decided in 2010 to give a new life to this stone giant. An adventure that they share with great enthusiasm with the people who visit them. All the experiences offered at the mill are based on the perfect functioning of the mill and the delicious thallus that is produced there. Of course, if you don’t know what talos are, don’t worry, we will explain it later, in the section where to eat in Amaiur. We anticipate you that they are traditional corn flour cakes, which, fused with other ingredients, awaken all our senses.

Today, the Amaiur mill is one of the most important exhibition and gastronomic spaces in Baztan Bidasoa, showing to all the people who visit it, the operation of this incredible work of engineering. Although in the past the mills of Euskal Herria were counted by thousands, today they can almost be counted on the fingers of both hands, an aspect, which makes us draw a smile on our face every time we come across a project as beautiful as the one presented to us by our hosts today. Isa and Felipe present us with two ways to get to know their house, a guided tour and a thallus workshop. Both are great experiences to get to know in depth this jewel of our history. The guided visit to the mill of Amaiur includes an explanation of the operation of the mill and the tasting of talos.

We took advantage of our visit to buy freshly ground flour. Organic corn at 3 € per kilo, a very competitive price compared to other mills in the Basque Country. This mill reminded us of our visit to the Errotabarri mill, an active mill that continues to grind the much-loved native corn of Bizkaia, the txakinarto. A medium sized and rounded corn, only found in some municipalities of Bizkaia.

Felipe and Isa, as well as Luis Azillona, are the guardians of a traditional craft that is almost extinct in our land. We take this article to thank them for their work, eskerrik asko lagunak! In addition, we must say that our humble accreditation has gone to this incredible water mill. A small recognition for the great work they do in favor of traditional gastronomy and the history of our town.

Amaiur Castle: The Castle of Amaiur, epic scene of the history of Navarra, not only dazzles us with its history. The impressive perspectives and panoramic views it offers us from its highest point are also another point to mention. Although throughout the article we have been talking about the castle of Amaiur – Maya, we must admit that these are the ruins of the same, a space where stands a monolith in honor of the soldiers who represented the last resistance of the Kingdom of Navarre before it was incorporated into the Crown of Castile in the sixteenth century. The mountain on which we find the ruins, the gaztelu mountain (castle in Basque), is located 1.5 km from the mill, from where we have a nice walk through the center of the village. Currently, the Aranzadi science society is carrying out archaeological excavations in the area to return this historic site to its original state. A work that, according to what we are told, will conclude with a museum on the castle near where the mill is located. Where once stood the main tower of the fortress, we find today a monolith that recalls and gives thanks to the last attempt to keep alive the kingdom of Navarre. A historical fact, that had as protagonists the Duke of Nájera and the Count of Lerín on the side of the beamonteses and the Warden Jaime Velaz de Medrano and his brave men on the side of the agramonteses. The siege and artillery of the beamonteses, made that the castle of Amaiur was totally destroyed in 1522. Nowadays, it has been possible to rescue part of the medieval fortress as well as part of the 17th century walls. All this, thanks to the unique help of the Town Council of Baztan and the people of Amaiur. Eskerrik asko to all the people who have helped this treasure of our history not to fall into oblivion. Currently, the visit to the castle is self-guided, free, free of charge. We recommend to lean on the information panels, which, strategically placed around the monolith, help us to better understand the history of the ground we walk on.

Where to eat in Amaiur: Although there are several options to eat in this fantastic village of Navarre, we are going to suggest a very attractive and traditional option: a talo. Although you may have tasted a talo during one of the azokas (fairs in Basque) that are held throughout the Basque Country, the talos of the mill of Amaiur have nothing to do with it. We are sure that you have never tasted a talo like these in your life. The difference between eating a talo at the Amaiur mill and eating a talo at any txosna in the Basque Country is not only reflected in the fact that at Amaiur they work with freshly ground flour, but also in the way it is prepared. Normally, the talo serves as a wrapper for the ingredients we choose, as if it were a sandwich, while on this occasion, the talo is opened in half, the ingredients are introduced inside and a succulent delicacy is created. A dish that is more like a pizza than a sandwich. In case you have not understood the difference, we leave you 2 images in which you will understand perfectly the difference we are talking about.

If you want to know the recipe of the typical Basque talos, we recommend you to read our article, Recipe of talo with chorizo, the recipe of amama. We are sure you will enjoy some good talos at home. A typical Basque product, for our readers from all over the world. By the way, which one do you prefer? In our opinion both variations have their pros and cons, it’s all a matter of taste. What cannot be disputed is the quality of the flour and the ingredients of the Amaiur mill, a space, which opens its doors as a talos tavern (talos bar) for lunch and dinner. The Amaiur mill gives us the choice between the following ingredients (Cheese, Txistorra, Chocolate and Pancetta) to make our personalized talo. These ingredients can be served separately or combined, creating two-ingredient talos to our own taste. Although, according to Felipe and Isa, Amaiur’s typical talos are made of cheese, with only one ingredient, we recommend you to give free rein to your imagination, we are sure you will not be disappointed. The price of Amaiur’s talos vary from 4,5€ for single ingredient to 5€ for 2 ingredients. A very attractive and competitive price if we take into account that a common talo of the fairs of our towns and cities cost more than 6 €.

Where to sleep in Amaiur: Although Amaiur is small, it has among its houses with agritourism and hotels that will help us to rest during our trip. The last one to open its doors, the Hotel Palacio Borda, is a majestic building that, located in the upper part of the village, near the ruins of the castle, offers us a luxurious stay. During our trips to Baztan, we have been lucky enough to sleep in different types of accommodation. On the one hand, houses with great tradition and roots and on the other hand, more modern establishments such as the Balneario de Elgorriaga. It all depends on the tastes of each one.

What to see near Amaiur: In the vicinity of Amaiur, less than 1 hour by car, we find places like Elizondo, capital of the Baztan Valley, a must-see place, which, along with many others, offer us plans to bore us. Here are a few places to see near Amaiur. Choose yours.

Other places we recommend you to visit are the waterfall of Xorroxin or the village of Irurita. As you can see, Amaiur and the surrounding villages have a thousand and one proposals to surprise all visitors.

Where to park in Amaiur: Due to the large volume of visitors that visit Amaiur during the summer season, the town council of Baztan has decided to implement a capacity control system to put an end to the parking problems in the town. This new regulation will come into force from 01/06/2021. We recommend you to take this into account if you are planning to visit Amaiur. You can book your parking space in Amaiur from here.

Museum of Amaiur: The town of Amaiur has decided to open a new museum to highlight its history. A small museum space where we can find some of the objects that are an important part of the history of the town.

Videos of Amaiur: During our stay in Amaiur, we did not want to miss the opportunity to record some of its many attractions, including its town center and castle. Two wonders, which we present below. We encourage you to subscribe to our YouTube channel, where you will find videos about our adventures in Euskal Herria. A tool that allows us to bring you closer, if possible, each of our escapades in Euskadi.

The village of Amaiur is one of the most beautiful places in the Baztan Valley, one of those must-see places in this area of northern Navarre. We look forward to hearing your comments!