Photographs by ©Roberto Gil

The Urbasa and Andía Natural Park is a natural space endowed with a wide range of geological, biological, ecological, landscape, archaeological and sociocultural values.

The invaluable set of their values led the Government of Navarra to declare these territories as a Natural Park to guarantee their conservation in harmony with the maintenance of traditional uses and new uses associated with the enjoyment of nature.

Aralar is a mountain range located between Gipuzkoa and Nafarroa, it was declared a natural park in 1994 and is one of the most important mountain areas due to its extension.

The prehistory of Euskal Herria is preserved here. More than sixty dolmens, tumuli, cromlechs and menhirs are counted in Aralar, the large natural park shared by Gipuzkoa and Navarra.

In the Southeast of Gipuzkoa, extending into the Foral Community of Navarra, the Aralar limestone massif is one of the most notable mountain areas in the Basque Country, in height and extension. Also in terms of its ecological values, its megalithic heritage and its agricultural use: Aralar is the most important grazing area in Gipuzkoa, with the latxa sheep taking center stage.

The isolated silhouette of Mount Txindoki (1,331 meters) is a reference point for mountaineers and hikers, who have an endless number of small and large marked routes through which to enter the landscapes of the natural park, with singular points such as the steep ‘dome of Ataun’, the Akaitz beech forest or the Pardelutz glacial circus.

Location: Located in the southeastern area of Gipuzkoa, the park also extends through the neighboring community of Navarra. The Gipuzkoan part is located in the municipalities of Ataun, Zaldibia, Abaltzisketa, Amezketa, Lazkao, Tolosa and the lands of the Enirio-Aralar Commonwealth.

Flora and fauna:
Griffon vultures, Egyptian vultures, golden eagles and even bearded vultures often fly over the Aralar park. The European mink and the snout, along with the roe deer and the wild boar, are some of the 147 cataloged vertebrate species. As the altitude increases, the holm oak and oak forests of Aralar give way to beech and rocky forests.