Eulate: Hiking Trails, Nature and Cultural Heritage

Eulate combines hiking trails with a landscape between Urbasa and Lóquiz, as well as buildings from different periods. Festivals are also part of the annual calendar. When planning your trip, you can focus on nature, a particular route or the town’s history.

Hiking trails and landscapes around Eulate

The municipality of Eulate extends into the Sierra de Lóquiz. The sierra is designated as Special Area of Conservation ES2200022, and parts of the municipality also lie within this protected area. It protects natural habitats and wild plants and animals. Some features are considered endangered or have a naturally limited distribution. The Parque Natural de Urbasa y Andía includes Monte Limitaciones; its southern boundary adjoins Eulate. Beech forests and open pastures where livestock graze shape parts of the park. Reasons for its designation include the good condition of its habitats and the diversity of its habitats, wildlife, flora and landscapes.

Starting point and route are useful ways to distinguish between trails. The Sendero de Améscoa Alta SL-NA 282 starts in Eulate, next to the Lavadero de Gonea washhouse. Following old roads and paths, it connects Larraona, Aranarache and Eulate on the southern slope of the Parque Natural de Urbasa-Andía. The Sendero de Lóquiz-Urbasa-Eulate SL-NA 280, by contrast, is a circular route: from Eulate, it heads south to the lower part of the Sierra de Lóquiz and north to the Sierra de Urbasa. Along the way, it passes through pastures, oak groves and beech forests. From the high points of Alto de Isusura and Alto de Koparazio, you can look out over the Valle de Améscoa Alta.

Another circular route is the Eulate-Lokiz trail. It is 5.9 kilometres long, has an elevation gain of 168 metres and is listed as taking 1.5 hours. It starts at the Lavadero de Gonea in Eulate and ends at Eulate’s lower washhouse. Depending on your interests, you can choose a route connecting several towns, a circular route between two mountain landscapes, or a loop with stated distance and elevation details. Check trail conditions locally before setting out.

Monte Limitaciones and getting your bearings

Monte Limitaciones is a communal mountain in the southwest of the Parque Natural de Urbasa-Andía. Eulate is among the villages of Améscoa Alta that have ownership and usage rights there. The mountain can be visited on foot or by bicycle along cycle-friendly paths; motor vehicle access is restricted to authorized vehicles. As access rules may be updated by the park administration, it is advisable to check them before your visit. The Valle de las Améscoas information point has panels about sights on Monte Limitaciones and in the Améscoa valleys. Before travelling, check its opening hours or seasonal opening periods.

Churches, a chapel and historic buildings

At the parish church of San Martín, the stone exterior façade, polygonal apse and its associated prismatic buttresses are among the defining features of the 16th-century building. The church was moved to its current location, rebuilt there and consecrated in 1780. The Ermita de San Juan Bautista is a 13th-century building in the Proto-Gothic style. It was originally Eulate’s parish church and served in this role alongside San Martín de Tours until it was last mentioned as a parish church in 1711; after that, it was referred to as a chapel.

At the eastern entrance to the town, the Humilladero, known as El Calvario, stands beside the road. The building is in the Flamboyant Gothic style and dates from the early 16th century. The Palacio de Eulate is a Renaissance palace from the 16th century; its ruins were excavated and consolidated in 2010. Several houses from the 16th century can also be seen in the town centre. Eulate thus brings together different architectural styles and periods, from a Proto-Gothic religious building to Renaissance structures.

Festivals throughout the year

The patron saint festivities in honour of Saint Peter take place on the last weekend of June. The winter festivities are held in November, around 20 November. The Día del Pastor de Améscoa has been held in Eulate in October since 2012. The festival includes a market for crafts and local food, exhibitions and activities for the whole family. Cheese and lamb are available to sample. As exact dates and programmes may vary from one year to the next, check the latest festival dates if you want to plan your trip around them.

Discover more destinations: Burlada, Erratzu, Bakaiku, Cabanillas, Lérruz, Tiebas-Muruarte de Reta, Burgui, Iruñela

For the main travel overview: Navarra.