Driving along the Pamplona/Iruña dual carriageway to Vitoria, on the limits of Navarre and Alava, we will admire the imposing and sharply tapering calcerous summits of Legunbe (1,127 m), Ballo (1,197 m) and Arrigorrista (1,143 m). In Agurain we will follow the road to Opakua Mountain Pass and after climbing its steep hills through gall-oak and beech forests we will suddenly find ourselves on the plateau, at a height of around 1,000 m. We will find a flat land of meadows, heather-juniper thickets and other areas populated by magnificent beech woods.
Opakua Mountain Pass, which makes its way through the area, has a turn off (Iturrieta) in the middle of the plateau leading to Roitegi and Onraita, the highest villages in Alava. Nearby we can visit the deep ravine of Igoroin, and the gall-oak forest covering the sides of its hills near the Musitu stream. Within the ravine we will be able to observe the remains of the ancient Igoroin settlement, one of the small villages that disappeared from the royal Valley of Laminoria.
Following the other branch of the road will take us to the hermitage of Santa Teodosia (1,060 m), with a new recreational park in the surroundings and its splendid surrounding ash grove, home to a tree classed as singular. If we continue along the main Opakua road it will take us towards Constrasta and the Vlley or Arana, enclosed between the meridional crest of Entzia (Murube, San Cristobal, Bitigarras summits) and those of Lokiz.
The easy access to the plateau and the spectacular views from the summits attract numerous mountaineers. In fact, there are different paths to be followed both on foot and by mountain bike, hence permitting us to enjoy this marvellous landscape while returning into the past by visiting the prehistoric remains scattered all over this massif, which reflect the ancient shepherding tradition: monoliths, cromlechs, dolmens, tumulus, sites in caves or in the open air... megalithic monuments of extraordinary value, due both to their size and to their state of preservation are the Sorginetxe and Egileor dolmens, Mendiluze cromlech and Itaida menhir.
Remarks
The Inguru Company offers the chance to enjoy actively this natural environment: canyoning, mountain-biking, orienteering, rock-climbing, abseiling, bungee jumping, potholing, hiking, canoeing, horse-riding, paragliding (two-seater), plane rides, and so on. Ask for more information in Inguru Abentura. Phone: 635 748 947/ 635 748 948.