The Robledal de Orgi, a "Natural Leisure and Recreational Area" near Pamplona, offers paths and tracks accessible to people with reduced mobility and a charming walk specially designed for the blind/visually impaired.

On entering the Valley of Ultzama, very close to Lizaso, scarcely 30 kilometres away from Pamplona, and covering about 80-ha, lies El Robledal de Orgi ( Oakwood of Orgi), which has been declared "Natural Leisure and Recreational Area" in 1996. Orgi's main asset is its biodiversity: in addition to the natural luxuriance at the oak forest, there is a rich undergrowth of a wide variety of grasses and bushes, moss, lichen, mushrooms, ferns, heather, juniper, brambles, holly, hawthorn, broom, etc., as well as an assorted fauna consisting of amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds.

There are three different areas:

The Welcoming Area (on the side of the road from Lizaso to Gerendiain) consisting of a parking lot, an information hut, toilets (there's one adapted toilet ), explanation panels and a picnic area (featuring grills, waste bins, timber benches and tables with free space for wheelchair users and drinking water fountain).

The Walking Area is Orgi's core, where walking along those paths, which are altogether over 2 kilometres long, one can feel the calmness of the oak wood. Tracks and paths at Orgi are accessible to people with reduced mobility, and upgrading works have taken place last year: timber walkways and bridges set, soil levelled, side rails installed and a ramp to the "Refugio " built. Three alternative routes will let us get to know the forest.

El laberinto (The labyrinth): a short charming 300 metres walk leading to the "forest within the forest", following the route to the "fallen tree" (a giant tree that fell down because of a very strong wind). This path has been specially adapted to blind/visually impaired people. There's a rope all along the sides of the walk has different kind of marks to warn about turns, change of level and location of any of the eight explanation panels written in Braille.

El Camino (The walk): an easy and wide route about 1.400 metres long, with a didactic touch where you will find 250-year-old oaks, younger oaks and an ophiolite quarry.

La Senda (The path): a narrow path running across the oak forest for some 700 metres more turns moister and wilder, and even richer in forest fauna. At Orgi every care has been taken to give Nature a free reign. You will be in the midst of a living area which grows according to its own laws: over 40 types of birds live there, ranging from thrushes and the woodpeckers to sparrow hawks.

Access to the third area, called Muñagorri (covering 38 hectares ), is restricted as this is a forestry regeneration/conservation area. It is on the other side of the road leading to Guelbenzu.

At the entrance, in the Welcoming Area, there is an information board located next to the picnic area and car-park: a leaflet providing information for a free self-guided tour is available there all year round.

Opening Schedule:
Winter
Weekends and bank holidays: from 11 am till down
Summer
Daily: from 10h to 14h and from 16h to 20h
Weekends: from 10h to 21h.

Guided tours might be booked at other times than those scheduled and should be requested in advance (they are available in English and German too upon request)

Guided tours:
All year round: Saturdays at 11:30 h
July-August: Fridays at 18:00h and Saturdays at 11:30h

Centro de visitantes de Kuartelenea
A.M.R. Orgi
Tel: +34 948 30 53 00
Fax.: +34 948 30 53 00
robledaldeorgi@terra.es
www.robledal-orgi.com

Rebecca Arce

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