Ochagavia

Ochagavia sits where the Anduna and Zatoya rivers meet in the Salazar valley of the Navarrese Pyrenees, and the village is built in grey stone with steep slate roofs, wooden balconies and cobbled lanes, divided by the Anduna river and joined by a medieval bridge. It is one of the better-preserved Pyrenean villages in Navarra and the main base for the Irati forest, which begins a short drive up the valley. The sanctuary of Muskilda stands on a hill above at 1,025 metres, a twelfth-century Romanesque church remodelled in the seventeenth century, with a conical shingled tower; on 8 September the village dances up to it in the traditional dantzaris costume. The valley preserves its own dialect features and a strong local dance and music tradition.

What to look for

• The stone village - grey houses with slate roofs and wooden balconies.
• The medieval bridge - a crossing joining the two halves of the village.
• The Muskilda sanctuary - a Romanesque church with a shingled conical tower.
• The September dances - traditional dantzaris processing to the sanctuary.

When to go

June to October, when the Irati is accessible and the weather most settled; late October brings the beech colour and the traffic that comes with it. Winter is cold with snow and the higher roads close.

Practical notes

The village is small and seen in an hour. Accommodation is limited and books out during the autumn colour weeks. The road up the valley is narrow and slow.

Nearby

The Irati forest lies north; Roncesvalles and the Camino pass are west.

Key facts