Discover Zugarramurdi: Cave, Witch Museum and Trails through Xareta

Zugarramurdi is home to the Cueva de Zugarramurdi, also known as “Sorginen Leizea”: an above-ground karst complex with a main cavern whose natural tunnel is 120 metres long. Two higher galleries complete it. For your visit, the landscape, exhibition and route can be considered as separate focal points.

Landscape and Cave

The entrance to the Cueva de Zugarramurdi is about 400 metres from the village and can be reached by a walk through the surrounding forest. When planning your day, the path from the village through the forest to the cave can be considered separately from the longer routes. The approximate distance is a different planning detail from the route lengths.

When comparing holiday apartments in Zugarramurdi, check the travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions. The travel period, selected category and respective conditions relate to different practical questions and can be considered separately alongside one another.

Museum and History

The Museo de las Brujas de Zugarramurdi is housed in a former 17th-century hospital. Its permanent exhibition is divided into four sections: witch hunts, witchcraft and the Inquisition, mythology and ethnology, and a permanent exhibition dedicated to the researcher Gustav Henningsen.

The museum opened as a cultural museum in July 2007. It preserves the historical memory and shows visitors how people in the region lived in the past. The four exhibition sections combine historical events, beliefs, regional ways of life and the perspective of a researcher.

The Cueva de Zugarramurdi is associated with pagan celebrations held in some of its chambers in antiquity. During the Inquisition process from 1609 to 1614, these celebrations were presented as evidence of witchcraft in Zugarramurdi. The historical scope therefore extends from ancient celebrations to a clearly defined process.

Routes through Xareta

The Ruta de la pottoka azul is an almost 35-kilometre circular route through the cross-border region of Xareta. It connects the caves of Urdazubi/Urdax, Zugarramurdi and Sara on the other side of the border. It is marked by a small blue horse painted on stones.

The Navarra section of the Pottoka Azul Route is 12 kilometres long. The route in question runs along roads on some short sections and mostly follows a path with loose rocks. The different route lengths and the terrain are separate reference points for planning. Zugarramurdi is also part of the “Ruta de la Brujería”.

Festival and Regional Tradition

Zikiro jate is offered every year on the last day of the village festivals at the Cueva de Zugarramurdi. A ticket purchased in advance is required to attend the celebration on 18 August.

Other destinations in the regional context: Oronoz-Mugaire, Adiós, Atondo, Cárcar, Ibero, Villava, Villafranca, Ablitas

For the overview of the wider region: Navarra.