Spain Guide
Euskal Herria: the País Vasco & Navarra
The Navarran Pyrenees
The Navarran Pyrenees may not be as high as their neighbours to the east, but they're every bit as dramatic and far less developed. The historic pass of Roncesvalles provides the major route northeast through the mountains from Pamplona, as it has done for centuries. Celebrated in the Song of Roland, this was the route taken by countless pilgrims throughout the Middle Ages; Charlemagne's retreating army was decimated here by Basque guerrillas avenging the sacking of Pamplona; Napoleon's defeated armies fought a running battle along the pass as they fled Spain; and thousands of refugees from the Civil War made their escape into France along this narrow corridor.
Beautiful foothill valleys, particularly the Valle de Baztán, due north of Pamplona, and the Valle de Salazar to the east, make a perfect place to relax, with the largest concentration of good-value casas rurales in the province. The Pyrenees really start to get serious at the top of the Valle de Roncal, where there's challenging hiking up to and along the karst ridges nearby.