Burguete. Maple Valley

The Navarrese valleys of Arce and Aezkoa have a special charm. The former is located south of Roncesvalles, following the course of the Urrobi River in a rugged landscape of ravines and forests. The valley of Aezkoa is an extensive green carpet that houses the Irati Forest, the queen of the forests in the area.

This route, of short distance, crosses both valleys starting from Burguete, to the north, to descend to the palace of Arce, located right at the tail end of the Itoiz reservoir. After passing through an illuminated tunnel, we start a quick descent and then a long climb through the Iñarbe gorge, crossing the towns of Oroz Betelu and Olaldea until we reach Garralda. In this area is located the much photographed Mirador de Zamariain, which we will leave for another occasion as it is not accessible by road bike. The view is spectacular, especially in autumn.

Garralda marks the point of return to Burguete through a last short but intense climb called Lapizea, which leads us to a much more comfortable last stretch.