Infernuko errota, the mill from hell.

Meet infernuko errota, the mill of hell. A place full of charm, which leads us to discover one of the wildest environments of Navarra.

Infernuko errota, mill of hell in Basque, is a small mill located between Baztan and Etxalar. A magical place that transports us to a parallel universe where nature is the main protagonist. The name of this peculiar mill is due to the river that crosses it, the river of Hell, Infernuko erreka in Basque. A small stream, which, together with the incredible forest that surrounds it, accompanies us along the path that connects the Etxebertzeko Borda restaurant and the mill. A pleasant, familiar and charming route that we recommend you to do with your eyes closed. The green is striking. We are in Baztan, land of witches. Although throughout this article the words infernu or hell will sound strongly taking part of the limelight, we hope you do not get scared, because this environment has little of hell and much of paradise. An earthly wonder. One of those places that remain engraved in our retina for life.

The road that takes us directly to Infernuko Errota, infinite, winding and with ups and downs, makes us get an idea of how special is the space to which we are heading. Forget about mobile coverage, internet and wifi, in the mill of hell do not understand that. It’s time to change the new technologies for corn, flour, trout and the river, it’s time to go back to the past and enjoy how different life was not so many years ago. We recommend driving with caution, cows, sheep and horses do not understand signaling. An aspect that makes the little ones of the house (and not so little) enjoy like dwarfs when we stop for each animal that we find crossing the road.

Although during this article we want to show you the route of Infernuko errota, the route of the mill of hell, we want to take the opportunity to recommend you a full day plan. Of course, all the places we are going to visit have something to do with the word hell. Our recommendation is very simple: Infernuko errota route, lunch at Etxebertzeko Borda and a guided visit to the Kortaria cheese factory, an authentic plan, good tourism. If this planning is not enough for you, do not worry, in the following lines we have prepared some other surprises for you to leave Baztan with a smile from ear to ear.

During our route to Infernuko errota (the route to the mill of hell), we pass through beech and oak trees, encountering a beautiful representation of the flora of our geography. From aromatic plants such as mint to medicinal plants such as nettle. You may ask, what can these plants contribute to our route through infernuko errota, well, since we conducted the workshop of medicinal plants of Gabriel, in the Natural Park of Gorbeia, we do not do more than look at the ground looking for the precious medicinal plants of our ancestors. We recommend you to read our article “medicinal plants workshop, the power of nature“. We are sure that once you read our article, every time you go in search of mushrooms in Euskadi, you will remember our words and you will realize that medicinal plants also have their own particular charm.

Baztan is for us, one of the paradises of Euskal Herria. The Pyrenean valleys of Navarra, hide in its interior some of the most ancestral traditions of our people. A natural, historical and cultural paradise, which we recommend to walk through to soak up the authentic identity of its people. The route to infernuko errota, contributes to give us an approximate idea of the way of life of this charming valley. An unbeatable example, with which to begin to know the place where the green acquires all the possible tones. In addition to these attractions, the route of infernuko errota gives us some other surprises. Among them, a trout hatchery, a waterfall and a ravine worthy of admiration. This route, has been selected to be part of the routes of the landscapes of Navarre water and viewpoints.

By the way, all the people we met during this adventure spoke a beautiful Baztanes, a dialect of Basque, which is only spoken in Baztan. Luis Luciano Bonaparte defined Baztanes as part of the Altonavarro dialect. On the contrary, other scholars defined Baztanes as Labortan, that is to say, they classified it within the Basque of Iparralde, of the French Basque Country. In any case, whatever its nature, hearing it is music to our ears. Beautiful.

Bordas: In this territory, in the Baztan and the Pyrenees, it is common that many houses located between mountains have among its name the word “borda”, an example of this is one of the protagonists of today, Etxebertzeko Borda. What is a borda? In Euskal Herria, especially in the north of Navarre, in mountainous areas, in the past, it was common for the same family to have a house in the center of the village and another on the outskirts. The curiosity of all this is that both buildings shared the same name. For example, the house in the village could be Etxebertze and the one on the outskirts, the one on the mountain, Etxebertzeko Borda. Therefore, we can conclude that a borda is a house in the mountain, on the outskirts of the urban centers. Nowadays, the bordas are understood as huts, which, located along the Pyrenees, are used for shepherds to take refuge during their displacements. Although, as you can see, they are not only used for this purpose, we also find restaurants, rural houses and many other establishments.

Location: This enchanted little corner is located between the Baztan Valley and Etxalar, in the Pyrenean Navarre. A place that history and culture have always named as a magical place. The mill of hell or infernuko errota, is located inside the immense forests of this rural area. A space where human presence is rather scarce. Orabidea, the neighborhood where it is located, is situated in the muga (border in Basque) of Baztan. A space, in which the baserris scattered by its mounts and the animals of the same ones, are the only companions of trip. More tranquility impossible. Relax.

The climate: The sun exists in the Baztan Valley. Do not be fooled. Moreover, in summer, when the sun is strong, there are many people who seek the freshness offered by the kilometer-long forests of Baztan. A luxury destination. Sun and shade in equal parts. You choose. In our opinion, the climate of this area in the north of Navarre, far from being a drawback, is one of its most peculiar attractions. The low fog, the sirimiri and the freshness of the Pyrenean winds attract hundreds of visitors throughout the year. A unique, magical atmosphere. Do our beloved sorginak (witches in Basque) have something to do with it? In this case, most of the route to infernuko errota runs under the protection of trees, a fact that, together with the humidity of the river, makes it a cool route even in summer.

How to get there: Getting to Infernuko errota / mill of hell is very simple, you can’t get lost. Although it can be accessed by multiple places, the most common route is to access from Elizondo, from where we have to take direction to Dantxarinea, towards Zugarramurdi. Once on this road, after approximately 23 km, at the top of Otsondo, we find a detour on the left that shows us the way to the Orabidea neighborhood. Once we enter this road, we just have to follow the road. Of course, the curves and the nature of the environment make it seem that it takes us to the end of the world, a typical mountain road. It is time to be patient and enjoy the surroundings.

The mill: The history of this mill is like that of many other historic buildings in our environment. Recovered from oblivion. However, in this case, Infernuko errota has one exception. After dozens of years in a dilapidated state, it was recovered by a private individual, the Argarate family, the owners of the nearby Etxebertzeko Borda restaurant. It was they who, in the year 2000, completely restored it using traditional techniques and later opened it to the public free of charge. Thus creating a beautiful representative of a typical building of Baztan, the water mills. Built during the Carlist period and essential during the Civil War, this small clandestine mill fed the soldiers of the area for years, a space of great historical and cultural interest that we recommend visiting. Infernuko errota or the mill of hell, is located in a small ravine. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year completely free of charge. Although its machinery is not in continuous operation, being able to visit the mill from practically all possible perspectives gives us a very real idea of how it works.

Baztan Trilogy: We are sure that Dolores Redondo, the writer who has made the charm of the Baztan Valley known through her exciting trilogy, would agree with us in affirming that many of the corners we find during this journey could perfectly be one of the settings of her books. Authentic spaces, full of color and joy, which, fused with the low fog of Baztan and the typical sirimiri of this land, give us places full of charm, magical. It is here, where the Basajaun lives, one of the most important characters of the Basque mythology. His name, composed of two words: basoa (forest in Basque) and jauna (lord in Basque), tells us everything about his nature, basoko jauna, lord of the forests. A character that will protect us during our adventure through the Baztan.

The route: The route that we present is classified as a local path (SL), a linear route (round trip), which runs along a narrow dirt road. Although there are many who follow the route from the junction at kilometer 15 of the road, next to the baserri (Basque for farmhouse) Irigoingo Borda, in the Orabidea neighborhood of Lekaroz, we recommend you start directly at the Etxebertzeko Borda restaurant.

A place from where we find a very pleasant path, which, accompanied by the river Infernuko Erreka, crosses forests full of hazelnut, oak, beech and chestnut trees to give us a mind-blowing, unique perspectives. Our route begins in the parking lot of the restaurant Etxebertzeko borda, from this point, the entire route is properly signposted. There is no way to get lost. The path always runs along the right bank of the small stream, Infernuko erreka. The nature of the ravine, narrowing to our step, is a nice indication of how close or far we are from the mill. It starts open between fields in the vicinity of Etxebertzeko Borda and ends closing next to the mill. Along the way, we will find several wooden bridges, all of them created in a completely handmade way. The route is only 2 kilometers long (round trip), approximately 1 hour counting the time we spend contemplating infernuko errota, the mill of hell.

Be careful when you get to the mill, there are some very slippery stones, which, with the humidity of the river and the forest, can give us more than one scare when walking on them. Be careful, especially with children. The mill seems to be literally hanging from the sky, over the river, a delight. On the way back, we must return the same way we came, along the same path. Although the river accompanies us for almost the entire route, there is not a single place where you can find drinking water. A compelling reason why we recommend carrying liquids to hydrate along the way. On the other hand, as usual in this type of routes, we recommend you to wear comfortable shoes.

Cheese: Under the umbrella of the Idiazabal Denomination of Origin, there are hundreds of cheese dairies scattered throughout the Basque Country. Among all of them, we find a very special cheese factory, Kortariko Gasna. A farm located in the Orabidea neighborhood of Lekaroz where the cheese that was selected as the best cheese of all Euskal Herria in 2018 is made.

Luckily, this cheese factory is located on the road that takes us to Infernuko errota / the mill of hell, a golden opportunity to taste one of the best cheeses in the world. It is worth a stop. Currently, the Arburua family offers several services, among them, we highlight the direct sale of products derived from the farm and the guided tour of the farm. Julen, the person responsible for this feat, has broken all records in terms of age, becoming the youngest shepherd to win in Ordizia at the age of 26. The culprit of Infernuko gasna (the cheese from hell in Basque), has become a product with which they are accumulating a large number of awards.

Their neighbors tell us that this is a hard-working family, a family that has earned all the awards with which their work in the field has been recognized. A fact that we wanted to confirm in first person. After tasting all the cheeses produced in Kortariko Borda, among which we found cow and sheep cheeses, we decided on the cured, smoked sheep cheese. An impressive product that we fell in love with as soon as we tasted it. The same cheese with which they won in Ordizia. As a curiosity, half of this cheese was acquired in Ordizia for the modest price of 8,750€. Not bad, right?

The most curious thing is that although this family farm has a great livestock tradition, it was not until 4 years ago, when they began to produce cheese for sale. But they did not start from scratch, it was not the first time they made cheese, and this family has been making cheese all their lives, for their own consumption. Fortunately, this aspect has changed, today, the Arburua family continues to live as our ancestors did, from nature, in the mountains, using traditional methods. Obtaining this way, products elaborated 100% with their own raw material. If you want to take a guided tour we recommend you to book in advance, otherwise, if you just want to buy their incredible cheese “infernuko gasna” you can choose to ring the bell and try your luck.

What to see nearby: The Baztan Valley offers all kinds of experiences. From eating a talo in the mill of Amaiur to visit the caves of Zugarramurdi through a visit to the garden of the Señorío de Bertiz Natural Park. First class gastronomy, breathtaking surroundings and a culture and history not to be forgotten. The Baztan Valley is a complete, unique destination, full of magic and joy. The places mentioned above are just a small representation of what this great rural area has to offer.

Where to eat: Etxebertzeko Borda, is undoubtedly the restaurant of the mill from hell (infernuko errotaren jatetxea in Basque). In fact, the owners are the same. With the passage of time, the plan that we propose has become a classic plan, a walk to the mill and lunch at Etxebertzeko Borda, an authentic 2 in 1.

A plan, to which we wanted to add a visit to the Kortariko Gasna cheese factory to complete this great day in the Baztan Valley. But let’s not deviate from the subject, let’s focus on the Etxebertzeko Borda restaurant. We are before a unique restaurant. One of those of yesteryear. They are the ones who produce practically everything that is eaten in the restaurant, and if you do not believe it you only have to take a walk around the surroundings. It is there where you will find the trout hatcheries, the chickens or the pigs. A fact that attracts even more people.

It is amazing to arrive and see the dining room full, even more so, knowing that it is located in a remote, rural area, at the end of the world. As you can see, reservations are essential. In our case, we had booked a week in advance, so we had no problem whatsoever. The service, fast and efficient, gave us a great experience even though the dining room was full.

The menu, simple, varied and traditional, reminds us of the food at home, that of amama (grandmother in Basque). Among all of us who shared a table, we had the opportunity to taste the fried food, the beans, the trout, the chicken and the assorted desserts. Everything was more than correct, especially the desserts.

Authentic food, no nonsense, at a very competitive price, about 20€ per person approximately. It is curious to see how in Etxebertzeko Borda everything works with pen and paper. From taking the order to creating the bill, everything. By the way, they do not accept bank cards, only cash. A very important aspect to take into account.

Where to sleep: During the last trips we have made to the Baztan Valley, we have stayed in the Elgorriaga Spa and in different rural houses that we found in the tourist portal www.ValledeBaztan.com. And to be honest, there is no color. Some of the rural houses and agritourisms that we found in this tourism portal surpass by far, the experience offered by this spa in Navarre. And, in our humble opinion, the Elgorriaga spa does not have the roots, traditions and history that provide us with the different rural establishments that we find scattered throughout the valley. Of course, as always, it is a matter of taste.

Video: We are back with a new video, this time, we show you the infernuko errota route, we hope it helps you to see the beauty of this impressive space. We recommend you to subscribe to our YouTube channel to follow all our adventures in Euskal Herria.

Infernuko errota or the mill of hell is a must for all those who visit the exciting Baztan Valley. A magical place, which, thanks to the Argarate family has risen from its ashes to show the whole world the enormous cultural and historical heritage that we have in the valleys of northern Navarre. Remember, the basajaun will always guide you and take care of you on your way. Ondo pasa!