Etxarri Aranatz

Here, at the point where the Araquil river winds its way between the natural walls of Aralar and Urbasa, the valley stretches out like a long, sustained breath, flanked by ancient oak groves. Etxarri Aranatz was founded in 1312 as a response to the scattered emptiness of the valley, concentrating life within an urban layout that still retains something of its original purpose. Its straight streets, its measured pace and the traces of ancient defences suggest an order designed to endure.

Between the stone and the forest, the territory reveals its essence: the persistence of the oak trees, the tranquillity of the chapels and the memory buried in the rock. Here, daily life unfolds without disrupting the place’s ancient rhythm, as if the valley were still writing its own story.

Etxarri Aranatz general information

Etxarri Aranatz is situated in the heart of the Sakana , some 40 kilometres from Pamplona. Its location, on the right bank of the River Araquil, makes it one of the main centres of the Tierra de Aranatz, alongside the municipality of Lizarragabengoa.

The town was founded in the 14th century with the aim of reorganising the scattered population of the valley, bringing together ancient settlements that have since disappeared. Its layout reflects this intention of concentration and order, which is still visible in the structure of the town centre.

Today, it belongs to the Basque-speaking area of Navarre, where Basque remains a living language in everyday life. With 2,551 inhabitants (2025), the municipality is set in a landscape dominated by an Atlantic climate that nourishes forests of beech, oak and chestnut trees, the natural foundation of the landscape and its identity.

What to see in Etxarri Aranatz?

Etxarri Aranatz preserves a valuable historical legacy evident in its religious architecture, its medieval town centre and its cultural routes. Churches, chapels and natural landscapes reflect the valley’s evolution and its close relationship with the surrounding environment.

• Dolmen Route: A signposted trail featuring megalithic monuments such as Beitzeta, Jentiltzulo and Txaradigorry-Miruatza, the latter featuring a large-scale burial mound.  
• Millennial Oak Trail: A nature trail winding through centuries-old oak trees in the valley’s surroundings.
• Church of the Assumption: Built around 1636, it retains late-Gothic elements that were unusual for its time. Inside, it houses a Baroque altarpiece from 1680 and a 15th-century Gothic Calvary.
• Town centre: An example of planned urban development, with a rectangular layout and cross streets that retain the original defensive logic of the 14th century.  
• Town Hall: A neoclassical stone building, designed by the architect Santos de Ochandátegui.  
• Chapel of the Immaculate Conception: A late Romanesque building from the 12th century situated on the slopes of Urbasa, with stonemason’s marks visible on its apse.  
• Chapel of San Adrián: A rural site rebuilt following a fire in 1983, a common crossing point between the oak grove’s footpaths.