Pre-Pyrenees

The Pre-Pyrenees are not a border, but a whisper. It is the moment when the heights become contemplative and the rock, whilst remaining firm, softens into hills and ravines. Here the mountain range begins to bow its head towards the south, and in that gesture appear secluded valleys, cultivated slopes and mountain ranges that seem to hold up the sky with discretion.

Water is the true storyteller. The Salazar and the Irati do not merely flow through the land: they write it. They have carved out gorges, sculpted canyons and shaped corridors of life where the echo lingers. All around them, generations of shepherds, loggers and farmers have learnt to read the land, leaving a mark that does not disrupt the landscape, but rather accompanies it. The Pre-Pyrenees do not impose their beauty: they reveal it slowly.

What to see in the Pre-Pyrenees?

The heritage of our Pre-Pyrenees allows us to observe the union between Roman engineering, the faith of the ancient estates and the power of a protected natural environment.

• Santa Criz de Eslava: The fabric of history is evident at this site, which bears witness to the enduring presence of the Roman past in the Navarran landscape.
• Gorges and canyons: The course of the water has created unique spaces such as the Arbaiun Gorge, the Lumbier Gorge and the Benasa Gorge, where the gorge becomes a geological record of the area.
• Sierra de Leire: This mountain range is recognised as one of the region’s principal ranges, its rocky outcrops safeguarding part of the territory’s spiritual and defensive heritage.
• Paths of memory: Walking is woven into the mountain’s fabric via the Roman Road of Arce or the Irati Trail, routes where the stonework and beech forests bear witness to the historical passage of people and goods.
• Traditional bathing areas: The watercourses of the Roncal and the walk of the Burgui log drivers reveal the historical uses of water in the Pre-Pyrenees, serving as a refuge and resource for local communities.