Where to Stay for the Selva de Irati: The Best Bases in Ochagavía and the Navarrese Pyrenees
The Selva de Irati is one of the largest and best-preserved beech and fir forests in Europe, and our My Pick for November. In autumn the whole valley turns copper and gold, the paths are carpeted in leaves, and the Pyrenean villages around it smell of wood smoke.
Ochagavía, in the Salazar valley, is the natural base. It's one of the prettiest villages in the Navarrese Pyrenees, with stone houses where two rivers meet, and it sits on the road up to the forest. Like most of the Pyrenees, the options are small rural hotels and houses, not big resorts, and they fill up on autumn weekends.
There's no luxury hotel here, so here are the four best places to stay, chosen for different travelers and different priorities.
Best Location: Hotel Rural Auñamendi, Ochagavía
Hotel Rural Auñamendi sits in the centre of Ochagavía and has hosted Irati visitors for decades. Rooms are modern, there's free parking, and its restaurant serves traditional Navarrese mountain food.
From here it's a scenic drive up to the forest trailheads, and you come back to a village with bars and a river walk. Half-board is popular here, and on a cold autumn evening, a hot dinner downstairs is exactly what you want.
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Best Value: Hostal Orialde, Ochagavía
Hostal Orialde is a small hostal with ten rural-style rooms in Ochagavía and a well-regarded restaurant downstairs, and its rates are some of the best in the valley.
It's simple, central and friendly, and you'll spend your days in the forest anyway.
Best for Families: Rent a Whole Rural House
In the Pyrenees, families usually do best renting a whole casa rural rather than squeezing into hotel rooms. Ochagavía and the neighboring villages of the Salazar valley have several, from rustic houses with balconies and terraces to larger homes for two families.
A kitchen, a living room and often a fireplace make an autumn mountain trip with kids far easier. Use the search below to see what's open for your dates.
Most Unique: Hotel Rural Besaro, Izalzu
Izalzu is a tiny village about three kilometers from Ochagavía, even closer to the mountains, and Hotel Rural Besaro has just eight rooms with real mountain character, plus a restaurant and free parking.
It's quieter than Ochagavía and feels properly remote. On a clear night, the stars over the valley are spectacular.
Not Sure Yet? Search All Selva de Irati Stays
If none of these fit your dates, Stay22 lets you search all available accommodation around the Selva de Irati in one place, including rural houses in the Salazar and Aezkoa valleys and hotels in the Roncal valley.
Continue Planning Your Autumn in the Selva de Irati
The Selva de Irati is our My Pick for November. Here's everything that goes with this guide.
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