Urbasa Mountains

Address: Sierra de Urbasa (Urbasa Plateau), Navarre, Spain

Urbasa is a limestone plateau and mountain range in Navarre, northern Spain, forming the western sector of the protected Urbasa-Andía Natural Park. The area is notable for its karst topography, wooded plateaus and cliff-edge viewpoints.

The plateau features broad beech and oak woodlands, limestone escarpments and sinkholes, with numerous marked walking trails and panoramic miradors. One of the most frequently visited highlights is the Nacedero del Urederra - a striking spring and series of turquoise pools reached by a roughly 5 km round-trip path from the main car park. The landscape offers short loop walks as well as longer routes across the plateau and down into the river gorges.

Geologically the area is dominated by Mesozoic limestones that have been heavily karstified, producing caves, cliffs and springs. Human use has been primarily pastoral and forestry; in modern times the plateau and adjacent Andía range have been given formal protection within the regional natural park.

Urbasa sits in western Navarre in northern Spain, on the transition between the Basque-Cantabrian foothills and the Ebro basin. It is accessible from nearby towns in Navarre and lies west of the city of Pamplona, with the Urederra spring reached from car parks at the park edge.

• Visitor access: Access to the most visited spring area is often managed with timed parking or visitor limits during peak season, so check local information before travelling.
• When to go: Best times to see the Urederra pools are spring and after rain when water flow is highest; trails can be muddy in wet months.

What to See#

• Nacedero del Urederra: A compact karst spring and river source noted for intensely blue-green pools and travertine channels; the marked trail from the parking area to the spring is commonly cited at about 5 km round trip.
• Urbasa plateau and miradors: High limestone escarpments and forested plateaus that form a series of viewpoints and walking routes across the Urbasa plateau; cliffs and sinkholes are typical karst features here.

Accessible by regional roads from Pamplona and other towns in Navarre. There are marked trailheads and visitor centers for the Urbasa-Andía Natural Park with local parking and information.

• Explore the plateau by foot: many of the best viewpoints and sinkholes aren't visible from the main roads.
• Combine a visit with the nearby Urbasa-Andía Natural Park's visitor centers to learn about karst geology and local herding traditions.