Aralar Mountain Range

Among chasms, pastures and ancient paths

Here, where the limestone holds the memory of time and the landscape opens up into bottomless chasms, time dissolves beneath the deep shade of the beech forest. The Aralar Mountains are home to the secret murmur of waters flowing beneath the earth and the ancient pulse of the shepherds who still roam its heights. It is a land of tranquillity and mystery, where dolmens emerge like stone footprints and the mountain reveals its identity unhurriedly to those who choose to move in step with its rhythm. 

Sierra de Aralar general information 

The mountain range covers 208 square kilometres of rugged plateau, straddling the regions of Navarre and the Basque Country. The identity of Aralar rests upon a vast karst massif that forms a key watershed, sending its waters towards both the Cantabrian Sea and the Mediterranean.

Its slopes boast the highest concentration of dolmens in the Pyrenees, with over 400 megalithic monuments, traces of a millennia-old occupation that coexists with the daily life of modern-day pastoralism. Administratively, it is protected as a Natural Park in the Guipúzcoa section and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in the Navarre section. The terrain is home to the Latxa sheep, whose milk forms the basis of Idiazabal cheese, and to unique species such as the bearded vulture and the European mink.

How to get to the Sierra de Aralar?

Access to the Sierra de Aralar is via various natural passes that allow you to observe the changing landscape:

• From Navarre: The main access is from Lekunberri via the NA-7510 road, which climbs directly towards the Sanctuary of San Miguel de Aralar.
• From Gipuzkoa: The towns of Abaltzisketa and Ataun serve as the main entry points to the Natural Park. 

What to do in the Sierra de Aralar?

Here, every corner reveals the convergence of water geology, spirituality and ancestral memory.  

• Visiting the Sanctuary of San Miguel: A Romanesque sanctuary situated at 1,232 metres, housing a 12th-century enamel altarpiece and offering panoramic views of the Urbasa and Andía mountain ranges.
• Network of trails: A region for hiking and mountaineering across marked routes such as the Vuelta a Aralar (GR 20), the accessible Larraitz trail or the route through the Ata Valley.
• Underground world: The limestone landscape features a multitude of chasms and caves, notably the Mendukilo Caves in the Navarrese sector, which have been adapted to showcase the beauty of the underground world.
• Dolmen Trail: A space to explore prehistoric heritage through monuments such as the Albi dolmen, the Txoritxoberri dolmen, and the Piedra de Roldán menhir.
• Summit ascents: A record of iconic peaks such as Txindoki (Larrunarri) —a landscape landmark of the first order— or Irumugarrieta, its highest point.
• Biodiversity observation: A privileged spot for observing the largest beech forest in Gipuzkoa, the centuries-old yew trees of Navarre and the flight of large rock-dwelling birds of prey.