Abaurregaina – Culture, Steles and Pyrenees Views

Abaurregaina lies on an elevated plateau at an altitude of 1,040 metres. Cultural history, landscape and a variety of walking routes shape the themes of a stay. If you are looking for a hotel in Abaurregaina, you can base your shortlist on whether you want to focus on archaeological remains, views of the Pyrenees or hiking routes.

Church, museum and archaeological traces

The parish church of San Pedro has a two-bay nave, side chapels and a polygonal apse. Its star vaults date from the Gothic-Renaissance period; the Renaissance choir dates from 1597. The sacristy also houses a processional cross with a wooden core covered in silver sheet. It dates from the first half of the 16th century and combines late Gothic forms with decoration in the “a candelieri” style.

The Museo de Estelas is attached to the church in the centuries-old cemetery. A significant archaeological site has been developed as a museum there. Visitors can see more than thirty medieval steles recovered at the site, in their original positions and orientations. Some are decorated with flowers and plants; some feature varied patterns on both sides of the discs, while later examples bear family names. The display thus brings together the arrangement of the steles and the details of their decoration and inscriptions.

The Cueva de Zatoya is also among the town’s archaeological sites. The 100-metre-long cave lies at the edge of town beside the bridge over the Zatoya River. One of the most significant prehistoric sites in the Foral Community of Navarre was discovered there. The remains belong to hunter groups and date from the end of the Upper Palaeolithic through the Epipalaeolithic and into the Neolithic. The medieval steles in the museum and the prehistoric traces in the cave offer different perspectives on the history of the area across time.

Plateau and views of the Pyrenees

The varied landscape includes extensive potato fields and cereal-growing areas, beech and oak forests, and meadows where cows and mares graze. Abaurregaina is primarily shaped by livestock farming. Native breeds kept here include Vaca Pirenaica, Jaca Navarra and Caballo Burguete; they are adapted to the area’s terrain and climate.

The Abaurregaina/Abaurrea Alta panoramic information board is on the right-hand side of the road at the edge of town in the direction of Jaurrieta, and offers views of part of the Pyrenean range. Abaurregaina is known as the “Balcón del Pirineo” and as a particularly suitable place for observing the night sky. Views of the mountain range and observations of the sky thus offer distinct perspectives on the landscape.

Routes and planning your visit

A path from Abaurregaina leads to the Ermita de San Miguel, where there is another viewpoint. The SL NA 54 “Camino de las Abaurreas” hiking trail reaches Abaurregaina and then continues along the old path between the two villages. For the walk along the Cañada Real from Abaurrea Alta to Garayoa, a local route description from 2018 gives the church or town hall as starting points and estimates a duration of just under two hours. Check current trail conditions before setting out.

A lime kiln in Abaurrea Alta has been restored for visits. If you are planning a visit, check in advance whether access is currently possible.

Discover more destinations: Zugarramurdi, Lantz, Oláibar, Urdax, Azuelo, Goñi, Orikain, Ihabar.

For the wider travel overview: Navarra.