Lesaka: Culture, Festivals and Trails

Lesaka brings together striking religious buildings, age-old customs and trails with varied profiles. For your trip planning, these topics can be considered separately: the Church of San Martín de Tours and the Monastery of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores provide an architectural focus, while the Vía Verde del Bidasoa and the Lesaka–Frain route have very different distances and elevation figures. Festival dates also offer specific points of reference throughout the year.

Churches, monastery and historic buildings

The Church of San Martín de Tours is one of Navarre’s outstanding religious buildings and shapes the townscape of Lesaka. Work on the church began in 1561 and was completed in 1737 with the finishing of the tower and façade. The organ is another point of interest: the Romantic organ was built in Zaragoza in 1891 by Manuel Roqués y hermano and partially rebuilt in 1950 by the Amezúa company. The organ, altarpieces and other objects in the church are recognised as Bien de Interés Cultural.

The Monastery of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores is an important example of 18th-century Carmelite monastic architecture. In the central niche of its preserved church façade is a depiction of Our Lady of Sorrows by Juan Adán. The Centro del Hierro y la Forja is located inside the monastery, within the Lesaka tourist information office.

The towers also represent different historical periods: Minddurenea Tower is thought to be Lesaka’s oldest surviving building; some archaeologists date it to the 14th century. Zabaleta Tower was built in 1444 and has a military character. The medieval Zabaleta tower house is not open to visitors; check its access status before visiting.

The medieval Bereau Bridge lies between Lesaka and Etxalar, about two kilometres east of Lesaka. Listed as historic-artistic heritage, it is linked to the town’s ironworks. The Agiña megalithic site, with its burial mounds, dolmens and stone circles, is also near Lesaka; the area is suitable for walks.

Trails with different profiles

The Vía Verde del Bidasoa is 42 kilometres long, almost flat, and suitable for cycling and walking. Since June 2022, it has been connected to Lesaka town centre. The Lesaka–Frain route offers a different challenge: it is 2.5 kilometres long, climbs 450 metres and leads to a summit with a panoramic viewing table. The figures highlight the contrast between a long, nearly flat route and a shorter trail with a substantial climb.

The Agiña–Domiko hiking trail passes the Agiña dolmen. This easily accessible mountain walk offers excellent views of Lesaka and the rest of Bortziriak. Together with the walking terrain at the megalithic site, it offers various ways to include the landscape and archaeological remains in your trip plans.

Festivals and customs throughout the year

The Sanfermines are Lesaka’s patron saint festivities and take place from 6 to 10 July; the main day is 7 July. On that day, the Ezpatadantzaris perform the Zubigainekoa dance on the banks of the Onin in Lesaka. The dance commemorates a peace pact made by Lesaka’s neighbourhoods in the 15th century. Carnival features the Zako Zar (Zako-Zahar) procession: around 20 young men carry sacks filled with dry grass, and the traditional procession ends in the square.

Lesaka is considered the birthplace of Olentzero. On 24 December, a competition featuring nativity scenes and Olentzero figures is held in Plaza Zaharra. Groups carry the figures on their shoulders and sing two Christmas songs; details of the annual programme may vary. For Corpus Christi, the streets of Lesaka are decorated and a procession is held, though the arrangements may vary from year to year.

Diostesalve is a New Year’s Eve tradition in which a group dressed in Olentzero Day attire walks through the town, singing traditional tunes. A traditional pilgrimage to San Antón takes place on the Sunday following the feast of Saint Anthony on 17 January. If you want to plan your hotel stay around specific festival dates, check the relevant annual programme, especially for customs whose arrangements vary from year to year.

Discover more destinations: Erro, Iruñela, Biurrun, Genevilla, Bizkarreta-Gerendiain, Arraioz, Andosilla, Navascués

For the broader travel overview: Navarre.