Top 14 Mountain Passes around Orbara

The Ibañeta Chapel is a moving and highly anticipated milestone for anyone walking the Camino de Santiago. After the grueling, steep ascent from the French side of the Pyrenees, crossing the border into Spain, and finally beginning your descent, this small chapel and the large stone cross beside it are a spectacular sight. The First Spanish Waypoint: It serves as the very first visible intermediate destination on the Spanish side of the mountains, signaling that the hardest part of the climb is officially behind you. Once you reach this point, you are almost done! Just a short walk further down the trail lies the day's final stage destination: the mighty and magnificent monastery complex of Roncesvalles.

It is a beautiful border pass between Spain and France, well known for being part of the most traditional route of the Camino de Santiago. Sportingly, the climb on both sides is easy, although on the French side it is much longer as it starts at a lower altitude. The Spanish side is just 6 km from Burguete, the last being the most difficult with an average gradient of 7%. On this side you pass the famous and well-known monastery of Roncesvalles. The French side is 18 km from Arnegui and an average gradient of 4%. The hardest part is 5 km from the summit, with one kilometre at 7%. The landscape on this side is of lush vegetation going up a very closed valley that hardly leaves room for views of the surrounding mountains. The road is very twisty. It is a port with very good asphalt and a lot of traffic in general... so, be careful!

After a long climb, you finally make it to the Ibeneta Pass and can enjoy the view as a reward. Up here, there is a small chapel and a memorial stone to the knight Roland, who is said to have fallen here.

A great climb up to the pass. Once you reach the top you get a great view. There is a small church at the top and also a monument. There has always been a hospital up here. However, only the foundations of it remain

Roland, who is commemorated here, died in 778 as part of the rear guard of Charlemagne's Frankish army. He himself was Margrave of Brittany and was the victim of a Basque revenge campaign against the Frankish conquerors who were retreating from a failed Saracen campaign. Those were complicated times, but things were not to become any less complicated in the Basque Country in the centuries that followed. An epic/song was later sung about Roland, which is part of world literature. The monument itself is simple and rough, exposed up here in the wind of the weather, and can therefore have an immediate effect, without pomp and splendor. Great! https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schlacht_von_Roncesvalles

The views from the top are wonderful. You have to stand quietly to enjoy the beauty, especially on sunny spring and summer days.

It is a beautiful port of about 8 - 9 km for each of its slopes that connects Ochagavía with the sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves in the Irati Jungle, one of the entrances to the forest. It is highly recommended to try both slopes because, although similar in length and hardness, they are very different in terms of landscape. The southern slope of Ochagavía is very open, with views of the valley and the surrounding mountains at all times, crossing mountain meadows. On the other hand, on its northern slope, the climb runs through the Irati Forest surrounded by beech trees. The final part of this slope is clear, although you are inside a very charming gorge. The views from the top are simply wonderful. It is worth stopping carefully, observing the views and taking some photos. It is usually windy, so a windbreaker is essential.

Before reaching Irati there is this hill with a magnificent viewpoint. If you're lucky you'll see the area's semi-wild horses up close. It is a port with a constant slope, it is long and it is beautiful