Parque Natural de Urbasa y Andía
Rising above Alsasua to the south, the sweeping limestone plateau of Urbasa-Andía is one of Navarre's great natural treasures — a rolling sea of ancient beech forest cut through by crystal streams and dotted with megalithic monuments. On a clear morning the mist lifts through the trees like something from a fairy tale.
Into the Forest
The GR-282 trail loops through the heart of the beech woodland, passing moss-covered boulders and the occasional dolmen that hints at thousands of years of human presence on this plateau.
In autumn the canopy turns every shade of amber and copper, making this one of the most photogenic short hikes in northern Spain — the colours peak roughly between mid-October and early November.
Pack a light jacket even in summer; the plateau sits above 900 metres and the shade under the beeches keeps temperatures noticeably cooler than the valley below.
Springs and Stone
The Nacedero del Ubagua, a natural spring that bubbles up from the limestone karst near the park's northern edge, is a favourite picnic spot for locals and a genuinely lovely place to sit and listen to the water.
Scattered across the plateau are more than 40 megalithic structures — dolmens, menhirs and tumuli — that make a slow, exploratory walk feel like an open-air archaeology lesson.
The park has no entry fee and the main access road from Alsasua (NA-718) is open year-round, though snow chains may be required in winter.
Parque Natural de Urbasa y Andía on video
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