Selva de Irati

Forest · Spain

Autumn foliage at Selva de Irati
Photo: Miguel Ángel García. from Ólvega. / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Europe's second-largest beech-fir forest after the Black Forest, 17,300 hectares straddling Navarra's Aezkoa and Salazar valleys between Mount Okabe and Pic d'Orhy. Trails from the Ochagavía or Orbaitzeta entrances run under beech and silver fir that turn copper and gold through late October, carpeting the forest floor by early November.

Best for: a full day walking under beech canopy

Don’t miss

  • 17,300-hectare beech-fir forest
  • Ochagavía and Orbaitzeta trailheads
  • second-largest of its kind in Europe
Typical year

Peak: October 16–November 5

Climatological window from published records — the weather model’s elevation extrapolation isn’t reliable on this terrain, so this is the long-run normal rather than a season-specific forecast.

Source: https://discovernavarra.com/en/irati-forest/

Selva de Irati on the map

More things to do in Spain

Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park

National park

Typically October 1–October 24

The Pradera de Ordesa meadow, at 1,300m, is the trailhead for a glacial valley walled by limestone cliffs over 1,000m tall. Beech forest along the Faja Pelay route toward the Cola de Caballo waterfall turns gold through October, with color holding longest on the shaded canyon floor into early November.

Don’t miss: Faja Pelay beech-forest trail · Cola de Caballo waterfall · 1,000m limestone canyon walls

Los Pilones, Garganta de los Infiernos

Trail

Typically October 27–November 16

A gorge above the Jerte Valley, on the southern flank of the Gredos massif, where a mountain stream has scoured a chain of smooth granite pools known as Los Pilones. Chestnut woods crowding the ravine turn brown-gold by late October, timed with the chestnut-roasting Calbotá festivals held in valley towns like Hervás.

Don’t miss: granite pool chain (Los Pilones) · chestnut woodland gorge · Calbotá chestnut-roasting festival nearby

See all things to do in Spain →

Frequently asked

When does Selva de Irati peak?
In a typical year, color peaks around October 16–November 5. The weather model's elevation extrapolation isn't reliable on this terrain, so this is a climatological window (source: https://discovernavarra.com/en/irati-forest/) rather than a season-specific forecast.
What is Selva de Irati best for?
A full day walking under beech canopy.
See it on the map

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