Aralar Range
Encyclopedia
Aralar is the Basque
name for a mountain range
, which broadly speaking separates the province of Gipuzkoa from Navarre
in the North of Spain
. In Spanish
it is called Sierra de Aralar and is a popular destination for hiking, hill-walking and other outdoor activities.
It covers an area of 208 km2 and consists of a karst
massif
with all the typical features of rocky landscapes, gullies and caves that have provided the source for numerous and invaluable Basque
mythic legends, folk beliefs and tales. Many of these were collected by the famous anthropologist Jose Miguel Barandiaran
, a native of the neighbouring municipality of Ataun
, made up of several scattered hamlets. The limestone
formations in the massif
are a mass of rocky cavities and chambers full of water, some of which have been opened to the public recently such as the cavern of Mendukillo in the village of Astitz.
Furthermore, a number of mostly small dolmen
s, stone circle
s and other prehistoric vestiges dot the area, 17 on the Gipuzkoan side and 44 of the Navarre
se side, so adding to the mythical nature of the place for the Basque
s. These prehistoric traces and the fact that the original primary forest has long been restricted to the fringes and mainly the Navarre
se part bear witness to the early presence of man and grazing in the widespread pastures and fields (larre) of Aralar, at least since the Neolithic
era.
The 10th century shrine of Aralarko San Migel Santutegia (Santuario de San Miguel de Aralar in Spanish), home to the famous statuette of Saint Michael, is located at the southern end of the massif near the town of Uharte-Arakil
, with both the site and the saint being much revered by the Navarre
se since early in history. Furthermore, the site holds a famous legend linked to the origin of the place and the expansion of Christianity in the area.
The most important peaks are:
and vegetation typical of the Atlantic side of the Iberian Peninsula.
Fauna includes populations of Pyrenean desmans
, bearded vultures, Alpine choughs
, wood pigeons, Alpine newts
, European snow voles
and black woodpeckers.
The Gipuzkoan part has been a nature reserve since 1994, covering an area of 10,971ha.
Basque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
name for a mountain range
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
, which broadly speaking separates the province of Gipuzkoa from Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
in the North of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. In Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
it is called Sierra de Aralar and is a popular destination for hiking, hill-walking and other outdoor activities.
It covers an area of 208 km2 and consists of a karst
Karst topography
Karst topography is a geologic formation shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite, but has also been documented for weathering resistant rocks like quartzite given the right conditions.Due to subterranean drainage, there...
massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
with all the typical features of rocky landscapes, gullies and caves that have provided the source for numerous and invaluable Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
mythic legends, folk beliefs and tales. Many of these were collected by the famous anthropologist Jose Miguel Barandiaran
Jose Miguel Barandiaran
Jose Miguel Barandiaran Aierbe was a Basque Spanish anthropologist, ethnographer and priest.-Early life:He was born in 1889 as the youngest of nine children to Francisco Antonio Barandiaran and María Antonia Ayerbe in the family baserri Perune-Zarre in Ataun....
, a native of the neighbouring municipality of Ataun
Ataun
Ataun is a town located at the foot of the Aralar Range in the Goierri region of the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:* *...
, made up of several scattered hamlets. The limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
formations in the massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
are a mass of rocky cavities and chambers full of water, some of which have been opened to the public recently such as the cavern of Mendukillo in the village of Astitz.
Furthermore, a number of mostly small dolmen
Dolmen
A dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...
s, stone circle
Stone circle
A stone circle is a monument of standing stones arranged in a circle. Such monuments have been constructed across the world throughout history for many different reasons....
s and other prehistoric vestiges dot the area, 17 on the Gipuzkoan side and 44 of the Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
se side, so adding to the mythical nature of the place for the Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
s. These prehistoric traces and the fact that the original primary forest has long been restricted to the fringes and mainly the Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
se part bear witness to the early presence of man and grazing in the widespread pastures and fields (larre) of Aralar, at least since the Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
era.
The 10th century shrine of Aralarko San Migel Santutegia (Santuario de San Miguel de Aralar in Spanish), home to the famous statuette of Saint Michael, is located at the southern end of the massif near the town of Uharte-Arakil
Uharte-Arakil
Uharte-Arakil is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain.-External links:*...
, with both the site and the saint being much revered by the Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
se since early in history. Furthermore, the site holds a famous legend linked to the origin of the place and the expansion of Christianity in the area.
Peaks
- Aldaon (1,411m)
- Artubi (1,262m)
- Artxueta (1,343m)
- BalerdiBalerdiBalerdi , also called Mallozarra, is a mountain of the Aralar massif closing the mountain range at its northern end as well as standing last in the imposing ridge-line called the Malloak looming over the valley Araitz...
(1,195m) - Beoain (1,359m)
- GanboaGanboaGanboa is a summit on the Gipuzkoan side of the Aralar Range , the mount having long been held as the highest in the range, while nowadays it trails second to Irumugarrieta...
(1,412m) - Irumugarrieta (1,431m)
- Pardarri (1,393m)
- Putterri (1,299m)
- Uarrain (1,346m)
- TxindokiTxindokiTxindoki or Larrunarri is an iconic mountain located in the region of Goierri, Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Autonomous Community of Spain. Originally Larrunarri or Ñañarri ], the mount took on the popularized name Txindoki by extension after some shepherd huts nearby...
or Larrunarri (1,346 m). This is by far the most widely known and visited peak in the range.
Flora and fauna
The vegetation mostly consists of beechBeech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
and vegetation typical of the Atlantic side of the Iberian Peninsula.
Fauna includes populations of Pyrenean desmans
Pyrenean Desman
The Pyrenean Desman is a small semi-aquatic mammal that lives in the Pyrenees to the Iberian peninsula. The Pyrenean Desman is in the monotypic genus Galemys. The Pyrenean Desman lives in mountain streams....
, bearded vultures, Alpine choughs
Alpine Chough
The Alpine Chough , or Yellow-billed Chough, is a bird in the crow family, one of only two species in the genus Pyrrhocorax. Its two subspecies breed in high mountains from Spain east through southern Europe and North Africa to Central Asia, India and China, and it may nest at a higher altitude...
, wood pigeons, Alpine newts
Alpine Newt
The Alpine Newt is a newt of the Salamander order Caudata in the class of Amphibians.-Description:...
, European snow voles
European Snow Vole
The European Snow Vole or Snow Vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae.-Description:...
and black woodpeckers.
The Gipuzkoan part has been a nature reserve since 1994, covering an area of 10,971ha.