Urzainqui: Mountains, Culture and Holiday Apartment in the Esca Valley

Urzainqui lies where the Esca River passes through the town at the foot of the Santa Bárbara and Arrigorrieta mountain ranges. In the Esca Valley near Urzainqui, the valley widens in the more easily eroded flysch, while it narrows into a gorge where it cuts through limestone outcrops. The settlement’s layout still reflects the influence of forestry and timber transport through the old river port.

For a broader travel overview, you can also include Tirapu, San Martín De Unx, Gorraiz, Ituren, Biurrun, Esteríbar, Tudela and Arróniz in your plans.

Culture

The main structure of the Church of San Martín de Tours in Urzainqui is an early Proto-Gothic building dating from the beginning of the 13th century. The church was later extended with a 16th-century portal and, probably during the Baroque period, with side aisles. Inside are a Gothic reliquary, a Renaissance processional cross and a Flemish-influenced Ecce Homo painting from the 16th century.

The Chapel of Nuestra Señora de San Salvador was formerly the parish church of Urzainqui. It is of Gothic origin and was restored in the Baroque period. It houses a Gothic statue of the Virgin Mary from the 14th century. The ruins of the Tower of Urzainqui are a 16th-century complex with a large pointed-arch portal and a coat of arms bearing a Christogram.

The Renaissance cross of Urzainqui dates from 1597 and bears a statue of the Virgin Mary. The altarpiece of the Chapel of Nuestra Señora de San Salvador was the first documented work by Francisco Pejón in Roncal and Navarre; the contract for it was signed on 8 October 1737. The main altar of the parish church of Urzainqui is considered the first documented altarpiece by this master in Navarre; its commission dates from March 1753.

Casa Melikotx, together with Casa Krutxaga, is one of the historic houses in the del Castillo, or Ingruñía, quarter of Urzainqui. Highlights there include a portal with a straight lintel and a Neoclassical coat of arms above the balcony of the main floor.

Anyone comparing holiday apartments in Urzainqui can check travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions side by side on the accommodation listings. These three details provide different points of comparison for planning your trip.

Experiences

The SL Camino de la Boca hiking trail begins at the Chapel of San Salvador, descends to the NA-137 road and then returns to Urzainqui. The trail warns of traffic on the NA-137 and sheer drops; hikers should stay on the marked path.

The SL-NA 77 Isaba–Urzainqui hiking trail is 5.3 kilometres long, has an elevation difference of 250 metres, has a stated walking time of 1 hour 30 minutes and ends in Urzainqui. It follows an old route between Isaba and Urzainqui across wooded slopes, uplands and gorges. Its descent to Urzainqui follows the old Camino de Aizaritu, which formerly served as an important access route to the high-altitude fields.

Urzainqui is part of a Destinostar Starlight area and is considered one of the best places in Navarre for observing the night sky.

For the broader travel overview: Navarre.