Aralar Natural Park
Aralar, land of legends
Its human history dates back to the Neolithic period, and from that time, numerous well-preserved dolmens – ancient funerary monuments – still remain.
This park covers the part of the Sierra de Aralar located in Gipuzkoa (Basque Country), although the mountain range continues into Navarre. The beauty of the area is truly unique, with karstic mountains rising over 1,400 metres and a rich variety of flora and fauna, all well protected in this environment. The main activity in the area is livestock farming (cattle and sheep). There are four main river basins: Agauntza, Zaldibia, Ibiur and Amezketa, which are home to important natural ecosystems.
Aralar Natural Park
Gipuzkoa (Basque Country)
Gipuzkoa (Basque Country):
- Abaltzisketa
- Amezketa
- Ataun
- Lazkao
- Tolosa
- Zaldibia
What you need to know
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Cultural information
The park has 30 catalogued dolmens, 15 burial mounds, 7 monoliths, 2 cromlechs and 13 caves. Furthermore, the area's rural surroundings showcase architecture worthy of a visit, including farmhouses, manor houses and chapels of great artistic value.
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Environmental information
Meadows are the dominant landscape, accompanied to a lesser extent by Cantabrian beech, holm oak and alder groves.
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Information for visits
Lizarrusti Visitor Centre, which also features a restaurant and hostel, is located at the mountain pass of the same name, right on the border with Navarre: on the motorway GI-2120 that, from Beasain-Lazkao (A-1), heads towards Etxarri-Aranaz, in Navarra. On that same road but before the mountain pass, in the district of San Gregorio (Ataun), is the Barandiaran Museum, which also functions as a visitor centre focused more on ethnography and archaeology.
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