The Larraun and Leitzarán valleys that run between Navarra and Guipúzcoa are a veritable natural sanctuary. Between their leafy hillsides covered in beech and oak trees, a little narrow gauge railway used to wind its way tirelessly until it was closed mid-way through the last century. Today its spectacular route is offered to cyclists and walkers searching for unspoilt natural countryside.

Km 0

The Greenway is fully developed on the Navarra side of the route (except for the Uitzi tunnel) and is soon to be developed on the Guipúzcoa side. It is a fascinating trail that runs through the Imotz, Larraun, and Leitzarán valleys.

The Greenway starts in Lekunberri, the capital of the Larraun valley. The actual starting point is the town’s station, which has been tastefully restored and is now home to the local Tourist Office and the Plazaola Tourism Consortium. It is an ideal place for travellers to pick up some good, practical information about the Greenway and the surrounding area. And there is another attraction at the station (especially for the younger visitors).

There is a preliminary section of Greenway for cyclists and walkers to make a “there and back” trip, which leaves the station in the direction of Pamplona and goes as far as the little village of Mugiro. This 2 km section is an ideal warm-up for the trail awaiting us.

From Lekunberri station we start to climb gently up to the station at Uitzi. On the way we pass through a seemingly endless forest and the first three tunnels of the 39 we will find en route. We need to take care when exiting the first tunnel because immediately afterwards there is a detour to avoid the A-15 motorway. We need to drop down and pass under the A-15 using an underpass, and there is a steep (but short) climb back up to the original route.

Km 5

At Km 5 we come across the first buildings of Uitzi station, situated at the entrance to the 2.7 km long tunnel of the same name. After two years of closure and reclamation works finally opens the end of 2010.

From the northern end of the Uitzi tunnel to the Leitza tunnel (600 metres long and equipped with lighting), seven small tunnels allow us to continue along the original railway route avoiding the centre of Leitza, a pretty town featuring large stone houses and flower decorations. After another two tunnels, also with lighting, we reach the Tellería tunnel, which is currently impassable due to a cave-in. After several years down a road to reproduce the original design, the summer of 2010 finally opens an alternative path to the tunnel without slope or danger to users.On the other side of the tunnel is Leitza station, with two of its buildings rehabilitated in 2009. Visitor use is expected of them by 2012.

After crossing the stone viaduct at Leitza we say goodbye to the Leitza valley and enter into the lush Leitzarán valley. We have to pass beneath elevated sections of the A-15 (the Leitzarán motorway) on two occasions before arriving at the old station of Plazaola (Km. 18) dilapidated.

Km 18

Plazaola station, the first of the old mining railway, stands at the border between Navarra and Guipúzcoa and is also the end of the developed Greenway. The rest of the route is perfectly viable (though not developed as a Greenway) as far as Andoain. Soon this Basque Country part of the route will offer the same conditions as the Navarra section, thanks to the restoration and refurbishment work being carried out by the Andoain Town Council. Evidence of this work can be seen in the recently installed lighting in the tunnels along the Guipúzcoa part of the trail.

The landscape also changes as the gradually valley closes in, forcing the old railway to run parallel to the river Leitzarán. One kilometre into Guipúzcoa and just 50 metres away from the Greenway are the Plazaola mines (or to give them their registered name, the Bizkotx mines), which were the original reason for the Plazaola railway. They are well worth a visit for anyone interested in industrial archaeology.

Km 33

The Leitzarán valley is heavily exploited for its wood so at certain times of the year we may come across heavy vehicles (logging trucks) along the way. The waters of the river Leitzarán are also exploited, as evidenced by the many sluices and canals along the water course. One of the surprises of the route is precisely one such canal, which crosses perpendicular to the valley on a spectacular stone aqueduct. The water carried by this canal feeds the Ameraun power station, at km 33, where there is still a modest railway halt.

Km 40

The Greenway continues on its way until we reach a blocked off tunnel which forces us to make a detour down a wide track to the riverside, next to one of the many medieval bridges that cross the river. Next, we pass through a place called Matxinbarrena where, dozens of metres below our feet, the river flows over a series of waterfalls between the densely forested valley sides.

The presence of a growing number of cyclists and walkers tells us that we are approaching Andoain. A tunnel with an “anti-car” barrier signals the start of a pedestrianized section of the Greenway, where the surface is concrete and there are benches and a training circuit for joggers.

Up until now, after Km 40, the town of Andoain had overrun the railway line, but now work is being done to recover a section of over 3 km inside the town that will take us to the Town Hall Square. Here, in the shadow of the church, we can watch pelota players demonstrating their skill against the fronton wall.