Donamaria, Navarra. Tourist information and downloadable digital brochure

Donamaría is its large Basque hamlets and a succession of meadows, streams and forests among which rises the imposing silhouette of the Jaureguía tower, a marvel of popular architecture, which does not need ornaments or artifice to stand out as one of the jewels of the Gothic buildings from the 15th century that still resist in Navarra. Basque is spoken in all the hamlets, and the tradition is maintained in the squares, pediments and old laundries, bringing the visitor to a haven of peace away from the traffic of the big cities. A good place to rest and walk along its numerous enabled paths.

JAUREGIA TOWER HOUSE

It is, in a certain way, an icon of Basque culture, resounding, serious, unalterable. It emerged in the 2000th century as a medieval defensive tower of the kind that abounded in the area, with arrow slits in the first two stone floors and loopholes through which to attack the enemy with bows and crossbows in the front and base of the tower. upper part, in its characteristic wooden structure or scaffold. It was restored during the years 2001 and XNUMX and has been declared an Asset of Cultural Interest. The tower sits on a promontory, right at the entrance to the valley and next to the river, in a strategic place in the defense of Donamaría.

PLACES

Donamaria is actually six places, Artze, Askarraga, Uxarrea, Gaztelu, Igurin and Bentak, somewhat dispersed, separated by meadows and forests, but united by a network of roads and trails along which it is a joy to walk.

NATURE

The mountain is populated with native leafy species, mainly beech forests. Read more

In the scrubland the predominant species is oak and chestnut. For those who want to enjoy nature, there are many beautiful walks and routes. To mention one of them, the one that follows the Txaruta regatta where we can enjoy waterfalls and beautiful beech forests. To spend an afternoon, the town hall has a fronton and playground located next to the Town Hall.

DONAMARIA INTERACTIVE TOURIST PDF

CLICK TO SEE INTERACTIVE POSTER

PRACTICAL TIPS

– Donamaria is a beautiful town to visit and walk around. We recommend a short distance tour, designed to be done as a family. Then we added other routes to make it a little longer and enjoy the civil and religious architecture of the Malerreka Valley.
– You can park in the parking lot next to the Town Hall. From there we will begin our route.
– Donamaria has excellent facilities where we can finish after our day of visiting: swimming pool, very complete children's park (with zip line), restaurants and accommodation.

-Visits inside the Jauregia tower They are guided. At this time, visits are canceled but it is worth taking a look around.

-We recommend taking the surrounding route. Depending on your desire, you can add the different routes that we have marked for you.

WHAT TO DO AROUND DONAMARIA

TIME

In collaboration: Donamaria City Council OFFICIAL WEBSITE

MAP AND TOURS IN DONAMARIA BY COLOR

SURROUNDINGS

(Distance: 4,6 km) --------

With this tour we will visit the places of Askarraga and Donamaria, with the church of Our Lady of the Assumption, the tower house of Jauregia, the beautiful convent inhabited by Carmelite nuns and we will approach the place of Artze where we can enjoy a wonderful laundry . The journey passes through areas with tracks in the middle of the mountain, others with concrete and a small section in the vicinity of the tower, by road (we must be careful, although not many cars pass by).

TO GAZTELU

(Distance: 3,75 km) -------

The route is not lost and we will find signs along the way to the place of Gaztelu. It is a nice walk that is partly concreted, therefore very easy to do. In Gaztelu we will find a beautiful laundry with beautiful views and a curious church from 1772 dedicated to Santo Domingo de Guzmán, next to a pediment. If we go all the way around, we will reach the Santalokadia Hermitage with a curious tower above the portico. From there, if we continue the return, we will see Santesteban/Doneztebe.

TO ARTZE

(Distance: 2 km) -------

The main route goes up from Donamaria to Artze along the old road on a steep slope. Another option is to take this beautiful 2 km walk along a well-concreted track that will take us to the same place but with a lower slope. The walk takes place among beautiful trees and panoramic views of the valley.

TO IGURIN

(Distance: 0,9 km) -------

From the pediment, we can take a path to the place of Igurin. It is a curious group of several Farmhouses from which we can observe the monumental complex of Donamaria from above. The journey is short but with a steep slope.

SIMA LAGARREA

GAZTELU, 1936. In memory of the Sagardia family. SEE PDF
Although it may seem contradictory with the peaceful atmosphere of this region, and the absence of the confrontations that occurred in other places in Navarra, in the place of Gaztelu the most shocking crime of all those committed in the last civil war took place. On August 30, 1936, Juana Josefa Goñi Sagardía, a 38-year-old woman, Read more

Seven months pregnant, she disappeared from the face of the earth with her six minor children. Fifteen days earlier they had been expelled from her house and from the town, accused of petty theft. Those days they were living in the mountains, in a txabola of branches, waiting for the father of the family, Pedro Sagardía, who could not help them because he was arrested, imprisoned by the Civil Guard and expelled from the town.

That night, the txabola was burned and the family was pushed up the mountain, with firebrands, to the mouth of the Legarrea chasm where they were thrown. Numerous arrests were made and a summary was open for 10 years, until it was closed after a visual inspection at the bottom of the chasm. The Franco regime thus got rid of a nefarious crime that tarnished its image. Then, a lethal silence prevailed throughout the region. The subject was taboo in many families and the story became a legend. But the chasm continued to have an evil attraction and, in 2014, the chance appearance within it of the young body of Iñaki Indart, a resident of Legasa, reminded everyone that something was pending in Legarrea. The publication of the content of the summary, the demands of the family and the Memory groups, the involvement of the Government of Navarra and the work of the Aranzadi Science Society led to the chasm being excavated in September 2016 and the remains recovered. of Juana Josefa and her six children, Joaquín, 16 years old; Antonio, 12; Pedro Julian, 9; Martina, 6; José, 3, and Asunción, a year and a half old. The story was true. The taboo had been broken.

PDF

WHAT TO DO IN DONAMARIA

RESTAURANTS

MS. MARIA

SWIMMING POOLS AND DONAMARIA PARK

MS. MARIA

accommodations

MS. MARIA

HIKING AROUND DONAMARIA

HIKING IN DONAMARIA

TROSKATA WATERFALLS

7 Km - Circular

MS. MARIA

BERA DE BIDASOA GREEN ROAD

36 km - One way

BAZTAN

LEURTZA RESERVOIR

7,35 km - Circular

URROTZ

EVENTS IN DONAMARIA

The Gaztelu festivities are celebrated on the day of Santo Domingo, patron saint of Gaztelu. During these festivals, Basque rural sports events and ax betting are organized. Popular meals are also organized where bertsolaris perform.

Augusts 3, 2020

GAZTELU FESTIVITIES

Duration: August 3 2020 - August 3 2020

The Donamaria Festivals are celebrated on the day of the Festival of Our Lady of the A, patron saint of Donamaria. During these festivals, Basque rural sports events and ax betting are organized. Popular meals are also organized where bertsolaris perform.

Augusts 15, 2020