Navarre, from the Irati beech wood to the Bardenas desert.

Navarre changes landscape every hundred kilometres. In the north, the damp Pyrenees: valleys of farmhouses, beech woods and mountains that reach France. In the centre, the Zona Media, with cereal fields, vineyards and medieval towns such as Olite. In the south, the Ribera del Ebro, market-garden country, and next to it the Bardenas Reales, a desert of clay and gypsum that looks like it belongs on another continent. Pamplona is in the middle, so almost everything is one or two hours from the capital, and from Logroño, Zaragoza or San Sebastián you can get there on a Sunday outing.

Which part should you choose?

• The Pyrenees: the Irati Forest. Between the Salazar and Aezkoa valleys, the Irati Forest is one of the largest beech and fir forests in Europe. From Ochagavía or from Orbaitzeta you reach the car parks in the forest, and from there start the route to the Cubo Waterfall, the loop around the Irabia reservoir and short walks for children. Ochagavía, with its bridge and stone houses, is the base for sleeping.
• The Zona Media: Olite. Olite has the Royal Palace of Charles III the Noble, a castle of towers and hanging gardens that you can visit inside, medieval lanes and wineries with visits and tastings. It is 40 km from Pamplona, with a bus, and next to it are Ujué, on top of its hill, and the Pitillas lagoon, for birdwatching.
• The Ribera: the Bardenas Reales. The Bardenas Reales are a natural park of ravines, hillocks and plateaus. The main track circles the Bardena Blanca and passes Castildetierra, the clay chimney in every photo. You can explore by car along the authorised tracks, by bike, on foot, on horseback or on guided 4x4 and buggy trips from Arguedas. Tudela, fourteen kilometres away, has an old town and vegetable restaurants.

How do you get there and get around?

Pamplona is the hub of the road network: the A-15 and the N-121-A head north, the AP-15 motorway runs down to Tafalla, Olite and Tudela, and the A-68 follows the Ribera towards Logroño and Zaragoza. For Irati, the road that climbs from Ochagavía to the Casas de Irati is narrow and mountainous: allow forty minutes for its twenty-four kilometres, and check the state of the access first, as it may close because of snow or roadworks.

Without a car, Olite has a bus from Pamplona on Grupo Interbus's trunk line towards Tafalla and Olite. Ochagavía has an Alsa bus from Pamplona Monday to Saturday, but it does not reach the forest. The Bardenas have no public transport to the park: you need a car or a guided trip.

When should you go?

Spring and autumn suit all of Navarre. In Irati, the second half of October and the first days of November bring the red and yellow beech wood, and also the weekends with the most people; May, with new leaves, is quieter. In the Bardenas summer is very hot from mid-morning and there is no shade: go early or in spring and autumn. The park opens from 8:00 until an hour before dusk and publishes its one-off closures on the Bardenas Community website. Olite can be visited all year; in August it holds its medieval festival and fills up.

What do you eat?

Vegetables from the Ribera, especially in Tudela: artichoke, asparagus, lettuce hearts and menestra depending on the season. Navarra appellation wine in Olite, with Garnacha rosés. In the Pyrenees, lamb, Roncal and Idiazabal cheese, shepherd's migas and mushrooms in autumn. In small villages many restaurants open only at weekends or close during the week: confirm beforehand.

Sunday outings and short breaks

From Pamplona, Olite is about forty minutes away and is the easiest Sunday, also by bus. The Bardenas are an hour away; Irati, an hour and a quarter to Ochagavía and a little more to the forest. From Zaragoza and Logroño, the Bardenas are the natural outing; from San Sebastián and Vitoria, Irati and Olite are around two hours and call for a night. A good weekend combines Olite and the Bardenas, with a night in Olite or Tudela.