Experience: Explore Navarra by Bike Following the Shepherd's Route from the High Pyrenees to the Desert and the Ribera of Navarra
If you enjoy cycling, the Cañada Real de los Roncaleses is the perfect excuse to get on a bike.
4 nights – Price starting from XXXXX – Category: Cycling
Explore its Landscapes and Great Contrast
Connecting
Complete the route through mountains or on the road, connecting the Pyrenees with the Bardenas Desert, or travel by vehicle and select routes according to your level.
From leisurely bike rides to tough climbs with exposed sections, thrilling descents, routes through secluded roads, or mountain trails. The choice is yours.
We propose
We propose four gravel routes through different landscapes along the Cañada Real, transitioning from high mountain scenery to the Ribera of Navarra and its Bardenas Desert.
Climb up
Climb up to 1500 meters to enjoy the high mountain between impressive forests, follow the shepherds’ transhumance route through medieval Navarra, and venture into a desert.
A varied journey
A varied journey that you can combine with visits to monasteries and medieval temples, enjoying mountain cuisine, wines from the Middle Zone, and vegetables from the Ribera of Navarra.
Arrive at Catalin Garde, settle in, and let us guide you to the Museum of Memory to discover firsthand the history and ways of life of the Roncalese. Take a walk on foot (you’ll get on the bike tomorrow) to the Idoia chapel, explore the village, and return for a Pyrenean dinner we’ll arrange with you: Migas de pastor, Roncal cheese, beef from our cattle, suckling lamb, a good broth, vegetables…
Accommodation: Catalingarde
Dinner with mountain products: Catalingarde
Location: Isaba
We head to Mintxate, departing right from the door of Catalin Garde. We’ll ascend to the Lutoa shepherd’s hut, where we can have lunch if it’s not being used by local shepherds. It’s a well-maintained shelter without services. The route begins on the road towards Uztarroz, then turns north to the Mintxate Valley, a peaceful place parallel to the Belagua Valley. It’s 29 kilometers, round trip, with over 700 meters of elevation gain through incredible forests to reach Lutoa, a high mountain grazing area at the foot of the Lakartxela peak. Then, enjoy a beautiful descent back to the road. Pure Pyrenees without crowds, a nearly secret spot in Navarra to savor nature in peace.
Recommendations: Refresh in the Mintxate River. Bring a good cheese for lunch at the Lutoa hut. Lie down and enjoy the sounds of the mountain. Detour to Uztarroz on the way down to visit the village and have a beer at Roye Bar. Take a dip in Uztarroz’s river beach. Recharge with a mountain dinner at Catalin Garde.
Accommodation: Catalingarde
Breakfast: Catalingarde
Dinner with mountain products: Catalingarde
Location: Isaba
Time to leave Isaba, head south, and change scenery. We go from forests and high mountains to Navarra’s Middle Zone—land of wines, Roman ruins, churches, fortresses, and medieval monasteries.
We leave Isaba by car and head to Old Gallipienzo, a medieval village with stunning views over the Aragón River, parking right at the door of the Heredad Beragu Hotel, the starting point for this 54 km circular route with 619 meters of elevation. The route crosses between Navarra and Aragón, through fields, vineyards, and woods, passing by the medieval villages of Sos del Rey Católico and Sangüesa, following the course of the Aragón River and skirting the Bardenas Canal, which carries water from the Yesa Reservoir to the farmlands of southern Navarra and Aragón.
Recommendations: Take a walk through Sos del Rey Católico and its medieval streets. Stop in Sangüesa to admire the Santa María la Real portal. Have a steak at the Mediavilla Grill in Sangüesa (you might need a taxi back to Gallipienzo!). Enjoy a glass of wine on the terrace of the Heredad Beragu Hotel in the afternoon and ask Patxi and Ramón for a local tapas dish and a good wine in the garden or medieval lounge before dinner.
Accommodation: Heredad Beragu
Breakfast: Catalingarde
Dinner with seasonal products: Heredad Beragu Restaurant
Location: Old Gallipienzo
We leave the Heredad Beragu Hotel by car and drive to Arguedas. Today, we’ll explore the desert, starting from Arguedas on a circular route of just over 60 km and 540 meters of elevation gain.
A route through the purest Bardenas Desert, passing the Bardena Blanca Viewpoint and the curious rock formation of Castildetierra, one of the landmarks of this area. We will reach the Shepherd’s Monument, the entry point for transhumant flocks that follow the Cañada Real de los Roncaleses from the Pyrenees, and return to Arguedas through stunning desert and steppe landscapes, with its hilltops, peaks, and Bardenas formations, stopping by the Virgen del Yugo, a beautiful 17th-century chapel. A surprising route.
Recommendations: Take a photo at the foot of Castildetierra—without that photo, have you really been to the Bardenas? Look out for lizards on the ground, and vultures and Egyptian vultures in the sky. Stop at the Virgen del Yugo and admire the sunset. Stop in Arguedas and enjoy vegetables prepared by Aitor Lorente at the Camino de las Bardenas Hotel Restaurant.
Accommodation: Heredad Beragu
Breakfast: Heredad Beragu
Dinner with seasonal products: Heredad Beragu Restaurant
Location: Old Gallipienzo
Time to say goodbye, but let us know your destination, and we’ll suggest a route for your last day with us. From the hotel, you can follow different routes combining the Cañada Real de los Roncaleses with other iconic paths like the GR1.
Accommodation: Heredad Beragu
Breakfast: Heredad Beragu
Location: Old Gallipienzo
Map and Locations
Catalingarde
Heredad Beragu Boutique & Rural Hotel- Adults Only
Accommodations
Catalingarde and Heredad Beragu – Two carefully selected establishments for your stay. Catalingarde is a rural mountain house located in Isaba. Heredad Beragu is a boutique hotel in a medieval building with incredible views.
Meals
The proposal includes breakfasts and dinners. Lunches will be on the go, and we will suggest alternatives.
Activities
We help you plan your route according to your level, and if necessary, we can connect you with professional guides. We will suggest the best places to visit along your route, always based on your preferences. This could include visits to castles, medieval churches, monasteries, or trips to wineries, cheese factories, and other producers in Navarra. Just ask!
Personalized Attention
Our hosts are professionals dedicated to their work, attentive to travelers, and deeply connected to their surroundings. They are the owners of small, exclusive accommodations and will assist you whenever needed. We are at your service.
Let me know if you need anything else, or if you’d like me to proceed with the translation of the third document!
Hosts of the Cañada de los Roncaleses Route
Hosts of the Cañada de los Roncaleses Route
María Ángeles Ezquer
Discover the territory of the Navarrese Pyrenees and the Cañada Real of the Roncal shepherds with María Ángeles Ezquer. A mountaineer, expert in the nature, culture, and gastronomy of the Pyrenees of Navarra, and a ski instructor.