# Itarinatura

Guide en Valle de Salazar

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/companies/itarinatura-irati-guided-walks

Guided natural history and cultural outings in the Irati Forest: woodland, birds, geology, mythology, night outings and mycology.

Itarinatura guides outings through the Irati Forest to understand the woodland, not just to walk through it: plants and their uses, animal tracks, birds by their song, geology, ethnography, Basque mythology and history, such as that of the Orbaitzeta Arms Factory. It is registered in the Navarre Tourism Register under number UETC0019 and has the corresponding insurance.

## Who runs it

It was founded and is run by Koldo Villalba, who was a ranger in the Irati forest and gave up that permanent post to devote himself to guiding. Between 2004 and 2007 he worked as a ranger in the Aezkoa valley, and since 2011 he has guided on the nature and culture of the Navarrese Pyrenees, mainly in Irati. On his website he adds up more than thirty years of teaching about the natural environment. He is a specialist technician in agriculture and livestock from the Pamplona agricultural school, a lifeguard and leisure instructor, and has trained in heritage interpretation, mycology, bird identification by song, ethnobotany, environmental education and guiding people with disabilities, with whom he has done adapted outings since 2021. In 2024 he was a trainer of nature guides. Since 2016 he has also worked as a location scout for documentaries and film.

## What they do and when

The forest walks run all year and are a complete reading of Irati and other Navarrese forests: birds, geology, fauna, flora, climate and myths. Birdwatching takes advantage of the fact that the white-backed woodpecker has one of its highest densities in Irati. In summer he organises Irati by moonlight: a tasting of local produce in a meadow at dusk, stargazing with a telescope, night-vision binoculars and a walk without torches. In autumn come the mycological outings, in which mushrooms are collected and classified and you finish with a tasting menu cooked by a local restaurant with what was gathered, and the deer rut, mainly at dusk.

All year round he guides the visit to the ruins of the 18th-century Royal Munitions Factory of Orbaitzeta, a route past bunkers, partly restored, from the Civil War, the Second World War and the post-war period, and stretches of the Camino de Santiago with the logistics sorted. For companies, schools and universities he gives talks and training outings, also online and in English. He has designed more than fifteen interpretive panels in Navarre and has carried out studies for the Government of Navarre on the Pyrenean forests. He started in Irati and today also works in the rest of Navarre and in the French Basque Country.

## Before you go

The website does not publish prices, durations, group sizes or meeting points: they are set when you book, and many outings are tailor-made. He asks for comfortable clothes and mountain boots with non-slip soles; if someone is not well shod, the guide may change the route. It is best to mention any mobility, knee, hip or heart problem beforehand, so that a suitable route can be prepared. The weather may force the activity to be modified.

## Booking and languages

You book through the contact form on the website, by phone on 660 268 750 or at itarinatura@yahoo.com. The website does not publish cancellation conditions, so ask when booking. He guides in Spanish, Basque, English and French. The basic forest walk is on the listing for the guided walk through the Irati Forest.

## What they run

- [Guided walk through the Irati Forest with naturalists](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/navarre/irati-forest/things-to-do/guided-nature-walk-in-irati), in Irati Forest. Nature walks, birdwatching, night outings and mushroom outings in Irati. In Spanish, English, French and Basque; price and meeting point when booking

Independent companies: you book with them, on their terms. Prices are as they publish them and may change.

## Practical details

- Phone: +34 660 268 750
- Email: itarinatura@yahoo.com
- Languages: Spanish, English, French, Basque
- Licence: Registro de Turismo de Navarra UETC0019

## Contact

- Web: https://www.itarinatura.com/
- Coordenadas: 42.9064, -1.0902