Ilzarbe in Navarre: Trails, Bridge and Local History

Hiking between forest trails and valley villages

Ilzarbe is one of nine starting points for the signposted 18.8 km circular Vuelta al Valle de Ollo hike. If you are planning a holiday apartment stay in Ilzarbe, you can organise your travel days around trails, culture and the festival date; on accommodation pages, you can compare travel dates, room categories and cancellation policies.

On the Vuelta al Valle de Ollo, a steep ascent leads through dense oak forest; the descent then continues towards Iltzarbe. The circular hike connects the villages of the Ollo Valley via forest trails and agricultural tracks. The classic ascent of Txurregi begins in Iltzarbe.

The route description highlights several different trail characteristics: the steep section through the oak forest contrasts with the subsequent descent, while forest trails and agricultural tracks define the character of the connection between the villages. The Vuelta al Valle de Ollo is described as a signposted circular route with its own total length; the classic ascent of Txurregi is a separate route reference that begins in Iltzarbe.

For planning your days, you can distinguish between the trails by route type, surface and ascent; length, the forest section and the course of the route provide different points of comparison. The various types of activities can be compared without combining them into a fixed programme.

Culture and local history

The parish church of Iltzarbe is dedicated to Saint Stephen. The oldest surviving part of the Church of San Esteban is its square bell tower at the foot of the nave. The tabernacle of San Esteban contains Baroque-period reliefs of the Redeemer, Saint Peter and Saint Paul dating from the 17th century.

The cultural highlights include sacred furnishings, architecture, the washhouse and puppet making as distinct subjects. For planning your trip, you can consider nature trails, buildings, a workshop visit and the festival date separately.

After crossing the Udarbe, the Castillo de Garaño y Valle de Ollo route leads across Ilzarbe’s medieval bridge to Iltzarbe. At this point, the routes to Ulzurrun converge; the large semicircular central arch has a span of approximately 20 m between the abutments.

Crafts and visits

Kurunkun Txotxongiloak is a puppet-making workshop at Calle San Esteban 16 in Iltzarbe. Visits to Kurunkun Txotxongiloak are arranged by prior appointment.

Geographical setting

The 1.35 km-long NA-7023 road bears the name Iltzarbe and begins at kilometre 33.55 of the NA-7020. The Lavadero de Ilzarbe washhouse is located near the road to Ollo. It has a rectangular floor plan with two masonry walls; two columns support its unevenly sloped roof with a wooden structure.

Festivals

Festivities in honour of Saint Michael take place on 29 September.

Other places: Lumbier, Uztegi, Riezu, Ezcároz, Salinas De Oro, Villava, Lizaso, Ardaitz

For the overarching travel overview: Navarre.