Bortziriak

In the far north of Navarre, where the land meets the horizon of Gipuzkoa and Lapurdi, lies the Bortziriak Valley. Its name echoes the five municipalities that bring this region to life: Arantza, Bera, Etxalar, Igantzi and Lesaka.

Bortziriak possesses an essence that has shaped the history and character of its people. In these lands, the rural past underwent a transformation between the 16th and 19th centuries, when the fires of the first ironworks marked the beginning of an early industrialisation that coexisted, respectfully, with the natural environment.

The five villages lie on both banks of the River Bidasoa, the waterway that forms the backbone of life in the valley. As you walk along its paths, the landscape unfolds in shades of green: endless meadows, deep forests and hills that shelter large, centuries-old farmhouses.

Bortziriak is not a place for those in a hurry. Here you can feel the dampness of the forest, hear the murmur of the river and discover a culture that has managed to remain intact, living life at its own pace.

What are the Five Villages of Navarre?

The Cinco Villas (Bortziriak in Basque) is a historic region situated in the north-west of Navarre, in the Bidasoa river basin. This valley comprises five main municipalities: Arantza, Bera, Etxalar, Igantzi and Lesaka.

Our essence is defined by a landscape of deep hills and traditional architecture featuring large farmhouses that have preserved their identity over time. These are the Five Villages of Navarre:

• Arantza : Rising amidst fern-covered slopes and endless forests, the silence is broken only by the echo of ancient dolmens and the heartbeat of the scattered farmhouses defying the slopes.
• Bera : A village of illustrious stone and a borderland spirit, where the Itzea house preserves the memory of the Baroja family and the River Bidasoa flows beneath arches that have witnessed history, fires and peace.
• Etxalar : In its streets, time stands still before the elegance of the farmhouses and the gravestones that guard the church garden.  
• Igantzi : Small and peaceful, its essence lies in the grotto of San Juan Xar, where the water from the three spouts heals the skin and the hornbeam grows wild.
• Lesaka : Amidst stone bridges and ancestral towers such as Zabaleta, it preserves the origins of Olentzero and the dance of the Ezpatadantzaris on the parapet of the River Onin.