Erro: Sorogain, Way of St. James and historic trails

Erro is particularly striking around Sorogain: the valley is surrounded by emerald-green meadows, clear waters, forests such as Odiakoa and mountains such as the 1,457 m-high Adi, the highest mountain in the area. The River Erro also rises in Sorogain and travels 40 km before reaching the River Irati.

Other places for your regional research: Torres Del Río, Arribe, Eslava, Bakaiku, Huarte, Fitero, Beire and Aibar.

Nature and mycology

The area around Sorogain offers opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, caving, horse riding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and megalithic routes. Traditional livestock marking takes place there throughout the year to distinguish the animals on both sides of the border: cattle and horses in May, and sheep in September.

The former home of the Sorogain warden now serves as a hostel and restaurant and houses a tourist information centre. The Erro-Roncesvalles Mycological Park encompasses the municipalities of Erroibar/Valle de Erro, Auritz/Burguete and Orreaga/Roncesvalles. It organises guided visits in nature, during which specialists share their knowledge of mycology; on request, the tour can include a mushroom tasting at a local business.

The mycological information centre in Bizkarreta-Gerendiain offers mycological advice, products for collecting and personal assistance. Different types of activities and topics such as bodies of water, forests, mycology or megaliths can be viewed separately and organised for your own trip planning.

Culture and history

The Way of St. James runs through the centre of the Valle de Erro. In Ardaitz stands the Church of San Pedro Apóstol, an early Gothic building from the early 13th century with a Romanesque tower and a Gothic portal. The Gothic fountain of Ardaitz is a restored 13th-century structure that protects a water spring.

The Church of San Pedro in Bizkarreta-Gerendiain is an early Gothic building from the early 13th century with a Romanesque-style façade, situated above the town centre. The surviving remains of the pilgrims' hospital in Bizkarreta-Gerendiain bear witness to its former role as an important refuge on the Way of St. James, before the pilgrims' hospital in Roncesvalles was established. The Mugarri tumulus in Bizkarreta is an archaeological site associated with prehistoric rituals in the dolmen sector of Auritz.

The Hombre de Loizu, dated to around 9,400 BC, is considered one of Europe's most significant skeletons for researching the beginnings of the Mesolithic. The complete human remains known as the Hombre de Loizu were dated to 9,700 BC and discovered in Errotalde I Cave in the concejo of Aintzioa-Loizu in the municipality of Erro. They are the deliberately deposited remains of a man aged between 17 and 21.

Trails and changing landscapes

The Alto de Erro forms the boundary between the Atlantic climate in the west and the sub-Mediterranean climate in the east. The Gran Ruta del Pirineo Carretera crosses the Puerto de Erro, passes through the Valle de Erro on lightly trafficked roads and then continues into the Valle de Arce.

The Gran Ruta del Pirineo Gravel runs from the Valle de Esteribar via the Puerto de Errea into the Valle de Erro and then directly into the Valle de Arce. The Camino del Fuerte Carlista provides access to the promontory where batteries of the Carlist army were located. Its upper section follows part of the Way of St. James and offers a good vantage point from which to observe and interpret the transition between landscapes.

When staying in a holiday apartment in Erro, you can compare travel dates, accommodation type and cancellation policies on booking sites. The decision can be based on the topics you are interested in, including nature, culture, hiking, cycling and history.

For the overarching travel overview: Navarra.