A walled border town nestled amid nature, history, and community art.
Zúñiga retains the layout of an authentic fortified town, with medieval walls designated as a Site of Cultural Interest, towers integrated into the homes, and a historic center that still bears witness to its defensive and royal past.
Just a few meters from the village runs one of the most attractive sections of the Basque-Navarre Railway Greenway, featuring tunnels, viaducts, and the spectacular crossing over the Ega River via the Arquijas Bridge.
The Huertas de Zúñiga Protected Landscape, together with the Barranco de Lasia Nature Reserve, the holm oak forests, and the mural art created through auzolan, make Zúñiga a unique place that brings together nature, heritage, and community.
Zúñiga is a great place to visit year-round. Spring and fall are ideal for exploring the Greenway, enjoying the protected landscape, and hiking through the natural surroundings in mild temperatures. Summer is perfect for combining cultural heritage, hiking trails, and outdoor activities, while winter offers a more peaceful experience for exploring the historic district and the valley’s landscape.
Zúñiga is a border town shaped by its history, landscape, and direct connection to the Ega River. Located at the western edge of the Estella district, between Navarre and Álava, it clearly preserves the structure of a fortified medieval town center and an identity closely tied to its past as a royal town.
The town center retains the layout typical of resettlement towns, protected by medieval walls designated as a Site of Cultural Interest, with walls and towers that are still integrated into the homes today. Calle Mayor serves as the backbone of the town and leads to some of its most representative heritage sites, such as the parish church of Santa María, as well as to an area dotted with historic chapels: Our Lady of Arquijas, of proto-Gothic origin; Santa María de Beatasis and Santo Cristo; and the wayside shrine of Arquijas, which completes this urban and devotional landscape inherited from the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period.
Just a few meters from the town center runs the Basque-Navarre Railway Greenway, one of the most spectacular routes in Tierra Estella along this stretch, featuring tunnels, viaducts, and the crossing over the Ega River via the Arquijas Bridge.
In Zúñiga itself, the old Greenway station has been restored and converted into a bicycle rental and tourist information center. Surrounding it is a well-preserved and diverse landscape, where the Protected Landscape of the Huertas de Zúñiga—unique in Navarre for preserving its historic layout—coexists with holm oak groves, ravines, and areas of high ecological value such as the Barranco de Lasia Nature Reserve, creating an environment where nature and human activity have maintained a sustained balance over time.
The town’s cultural and social life is also expressed through contemporary initiatives such as mural art. Painted through community efforts (auzolan) by local residents, Zúñiga’s murals are a symbol of community participation and care for public spaces, while maintaining a connection to the town’s religious, festive, and community traditions.
La puerta natural al valle de la Berrueza.
Un pueblo entre dos ríos y al abrigo de las sierras.
Una villa que conserva la huella romana y el legado nobiliario de La Berrueza.
Un pueblo de ladera entre sierras, panorámicas e historia tallada en piedra.
