Montañana: Hiking Routes, the Ebro and a Romanesque Church

Montañana combines a strong connection to the Ebro with hiking trails and Romanesque heritage. At the edge of the town, the river forms the border with the neighboring region of Álava. The GR 291 “Agua y Roca” and Stage 11 of the Camino Natural del Ebro also pass through the town, while the Sendero Campos de Montañana starts beside the parish church of San Andrés. The different route layouts and the church’s history are two distinct focal points to consider.

Hiking Routes Through and Around Montañana

The GR 291 “Agua y Roca” passes through Montañana and connects the Montes Obarenes with the Ebro between Pancorbo and Miranda de Ebro. The route alternates between forest tracks, roads and trails. Its connection extends beyond the town, setting the mountains and river against one another as landmarks.

The GR 291 is divided into three stages: Pancorbo–Santa Gadea del Cid, 18.60 km; Santa Gadea del Cid–Suzana, 17.10 km; and Suzana–Pancorbo, 23.40 km. The middle stage is the shortest and the third is the longest, with a difference of 6.30 km between them. This makes it easy to compare the stated distances of the three sections directly.

The Sendero Campos de Montañana starts beside San Andrés church, where the trail information board is also located. The route passes through cultivated fields and offers views of the Montes Obarenes on the horizon. It also passes a small group of Pyrenean oaks (roble melojo), considered a remnant of the natural vegetation of the Montañana plains. The fields and oak grove offer a different focus from the GR 291 stage distances.

Stage 11 of the Camino Natural del Ebro offers another perspective. Between Sobrón and Miranda de Ebro, it passes through the riverside towns of Guinicio, Montañana, Suzana and La Nave. On leaving Montañana, the stage passes beside San Andrés church along the road from Carrasuzana to the southeast, joining the road to Miranda. It also passes in front of the Montañana cemetery, which can be reached by a paved track.

The Ebro Landscape and Finding Your Way Around Town

At the edge of Montañana, the Ebro forms the border with Álava. The artificial lagoons of Yelsos are also connected to the river: they were formed by gravel extraction in a meander of the Ebro. Thus, in addition to the river boundary, a landscape feature created by gravel extraction is another local point of connection to the Ebro.

The layout of the roads also helps define the town. The road from Miranda de Ebro via La Nave and Suzana divides Montañana into two parts; the parish church of San Andrés is on its right-hand side. The church is also a recurring landmark on the Sendero Campos and Stage 11 of the Camino Natural: one route starts beside it, and the other stage leaves Montañana there.

Romanesque Church of San Andrés

The parish church of San Andrés dates from the last third of the 12th century. Its Romanesque portal has three archivolts and four columns with capitals. Natural motifs, flowers and fleshy leaves decorate the capitals. In addition to the date, the portal’s design is a distinctive feature of the church.

Inside, there is also a Romanesque baptismal font made of limestone. The portal and the font offer two different insights into San Andrés: the design of the entrance and a furnishing inside the church.

The routes’ different focuses can help you choose between them: the GR 291 has three stages with stated distances and connects the Montes Obarenes with the Ebro. The Sendero Campos passes through cultivated fields with views of the Montes Obarenes, while Stage 11 of the Camino Natural places Montañana among a sequence of riverside towns. Those interested in Romanesque heritage will also find a clearly dated building in San Andrés, with described details of its portal and baptismal font.

For the broader travel overview: Miranda De Ebro.