43.00° N · 1.14° W
One of the largest beech and fir forests in Europe, between the Salazar and Aezkoa valleys: the Cubo Waterfall, the Irabia reservoir and the Fábrica de Armas.
Part of Pyrenees
What to do
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
10 km circuit with 226 m of ascent from Casas de Irati through the beech forest to the Cubo Waterfall · 3–3 h 30 · Easy
Circular trail SL NA-53C around the reservoir, among beech woods · 10.9 km · 3 h 10 · 80 m of ascent
Ruins of an 18th-century munitions factory in the Txangoa ravine, an Asset of Cultural Interest · 1 h · Free on your own
Itineraries
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
In the second half of October and early November, when the beech wood changes colour; in May, with new leaves. In winter the Casas de Irati access may close because of snow.
How you travel
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
Irati is visited by car, and each access is in a different valley: Casas de Irati via Ochagavía, Arrazola and Irabia via Orbaitzeta, Irati-Abodi via Izalzu. Between them there is more than an hour of mountain road, so it is best to sleep on the side you are going to explore.
Irati's mountain bike network adds up to 16 routes and more than 400 km of forest tracks, with bike repair and hire at Irati-Abodi, Casas de Irati and Arrazola. With an e-bike, the climbs to the hills around the forest are within anyone's reach.
Who you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
Irati has short walks for the youngest, a half-day route to the waterfall for those who already walk and, if nobody wants to walk, a 4x4 excursion. The beeches, the water and the stories of smugglers and arms factories do the rest.
Where to stay
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Why we like it: Family hotel of thirteen rooms on the square in Ochagavía, 40 minutes from Casas de Irati, with a lift, restaurant, two family rooms and two adapted ones.
Why we like it: Campsite at the entrance to Ochagavía with 105 shaded pitches, bungalows, wooden houses, pods, a 56-bed hostel and a certified mountain bike centre.
Why we like it: 16-room hostel at km 4 of the Irabia reservoir road, in Orbaitzeta, with a bike store with charging sockets, a workshop and eleven mountain bike routes with tracks.
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Ochagavía | Stone village in the Salazar valley, 24 km from Casas de Irati | |
| Orbaitzeta | Aezkoa valley, entrance via Arrazola and the Fábrica de Armas | |
| Irati-Abodi | Mountain centre beside the Larrau road, no fee |
Where to eat
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
What to order: the weekend menu if you go from Friday to Sunday, or on the bar terrace a plate of octopus or the chicken salad with Roncal cheese
What to order: a sandwich or a combination plate on returning from the Cubo Waterfall; for groups of 10 or more, the pochas and lamb chilindrón menu by booking
What to order: a hot coffee and something to nibble before the colour-coded routes or after cross-country skiing
Map
The places to stay and services on the map are the ones for the way you travel. Turn on the layers you want and tap a point to see its details.
Nearby
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
42.75° N · 0.52° W
By car
43.39° N · 1.66° W
By carCar-freeLuxuryCampingBy campervanBy plane
43.37° N · 1.79° W
By carCar-free
42.77° N · 0.36° W
By car
Tips
On autumn weekends the car parks fill up. First thing you find a space and a silent forest.
The forest tracks have muddy stretches after rain, and under the trees it is cool even in summer.
It is the nearest village to Casas de Irati and deserves a stroll along its cobbled streets.
Casas de Irati and Arrazola are in different valleys, more than an hour's drive apart.
The Irati Forest is a forest of beeches and firs that covers the headwaters of the River Irati, in the Navarrese Pyrenees, between the Salazar valley to the east, the Aezkoa valley to the west and the French border to the north. Visit Navarra counts it among the largest and best-preserved beech and fir forests in Europe. Inside there are three protected areas, the nature reserves of Mendilatz and Tristuibartea and the strict reserve of Lizardoia, and it is a special protection area for birds: black woodpecker, white-backed woodpecker, bearded vulture, peregrine falcon and golden eagle.
It is not a park with a single gate. You enter through three different places, each with its own car park, walks and services, and it is best to choose before setting out.
Via Ochagavía, to Casas de Irati. This is the best-known access. Just before Ochagavía the NA-2012 road branches off: it is about 23 or 24 km and 40 minutes to Casas de Irati, with an information point, rangers, a car park, picnic area, bar-restaurant and electric bike hire. From here the path to the Cubo Waterfall begins. Note: in 2026 the road closes for roadworks on 16 to 20 and 23 to 27 November, and in winter it may close because of snow.
Via Orbaitzeta, to Arrazola and Irabia. From the Aezkoa valley, the Arrazola area is about 8 minutes from Orbaitzeta, with an information point, car park and picnic area. From Arrazola a road of about 15 minutes continues to the Irabia dam. On the same side, about 5 km from Orbaitzeta, is the Fábrica de Armas.
Via Izalzu, to Irati-Abodi. 3.5 km from Ochagavía, at Izalzu, the road to Larrau (France) leaves. About 15 km from Ochagavía is the Irati-Abodi mountain centre, in the former customs post at Pikatua, with a café at weekends, marked trails and cross-country skiing in winter.
Approximate times by road, estimated: from Pamplona, about an hour and a quarter to Orbaitzeta or Ochagavía, and about two hours to Casas de Irati; from San Sebastián and Vitoria-Gasteiz, two to two and a half hours; from Zaragoza or Huesca, more than two and a half hours. Irati is enjoyed more with a night in Ochagavía or in Aezkoa.
By bus, Alsa links Pamplona and Ochagavía Monday to Saturday, leaving Pamplona at 15:45 and returning at 9:00, according to the tourist office. From Ochagavía there is no transport to the forest: without a car, only by taxi or on a guided trip.
In high season a maintenance fee per vehicle is charged at the Casas de Irati and Arrazola-Irabia accesses. At Arrazola, according to the Aezkoa valley, it is €7 per car, €3 per motorbike, €28 per minibus and €45 per coach, with a reduced rate with discount. Visit Navarra states that at the Irati-Abodi and Azpegi-Fábrica de Armas accesses nothing is charged. Outside high season parking is free. If a car park is full, don't leave the car on the verge: try another access.
A day covers one access: the Cubo Waterfall from Casas de Irati, or Irabia and the Fábrica de Armas from Orbaitzeta. With two days you do both sides and stroll around Ochagavía at dusk.
October and the first half of November are the most beautiful time and with the most people: the beech wood turns red and yellow and the mushrooms arrive, which need a permit to pick (€10 per day at the Ochagavía tourist office or at the valley council in Ezcároz). In May and June the forest is green and has fewer visitors. In summer it is a cool place to escape the heat. In winter there is snow, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing at Abodi, and the Casas de Irati access may close.
Questions
In high season a maintenance fee per vehicle is charged at Casas de Irati and at Arrazola-Irabia; at Arrazola it is €7 per car. The Irati-Abodi and Fábrica de Armas accesses do not charge it.
The Cubo Waterfall from Casas de Irati. The Errekaidorra circuit, which passes the waterfall, is 10 km with 226 m of ascent and low difficulty.
In the second half of October and the first days of November, as the colour changes.
There is an Alsa bus from Pamplona to Ochagavía Monday to Saturday, but it does not reach the forest. From Ochagavía you need a taxi or a guided trip.
At the bar-restaurant at Casas de Irati, open daily from 10:00 to 17:30 in November, or at the restaurants in Ochagavía.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/navarre/irati-forest
