Zapitor and Mendabio from Etxebertzeko Borda

A lovely walk that includes a visit to a moving mill steeped in history, but also takes in the surrounding peaks as you climb up from a beautiful Navarrese forest.

Details

560059
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.68 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 453 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 451 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 597 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 330 m

Photos

Description of the walk

By car:

Cross the border at Dantxarinea, then follow the N-121-B to the Col d'Otxondo. About 600m after this pass, turn right at a picnic area and take the NA-4453 for 11km to the Etxebertzeko Borda sign, then right down to the restaurant. Park on the pediment ("wall on the left").

On foot:

(S/E) Follow the signs for "Molino del infierno" or "Infernuko erreta", the path runs more or less overhanging the river.

(1) Ignore a wooden footbridge on the left (to be used later) and continue West for a short round trip to the well-restored mill. During the many wars, it continued to turn to supply the surrounding population.

(2) Retrace your steps.

(1) Back at the wooden footbridge, cross the stream (careful no handrails) and take the path up into the forest. Leaving a start on the right, you come to the Barrentxea farmhouse, which you go round to the left, staying on this side of the track until you come to an iron gate, where you cross the fence to rejoin the track, which continues to rise.

(3) At a right-hand bend in the track, leave it and turn left onto a path that runs deep into the forest.

(4) Reach a track (the summit of Zapitor is 100m away) and take it downhill to the left. Pass a sheepfold with a red corrugated iron roof.

(5) 250m further on, at a three-way junction, turn right onto the track that descends to the road. Follow the road to the right for about 1km.

(6) At the power lines with iron pylons and cement poles, take the track on the right. 700m further on, leave the track on the left, which leads down to the Zapitorko farm and continue on the track for about 250m.

(7) Leave the track that continues to the Iturraldeko farm and turn right up the hill. (unknown, for 700m on the IGN map of Spain, but present on the OpenStreetMap hiking map). Reach a small pass with a crossroads. Turn left (North-West) and climb to the summit of Mendiabo.

(8) From the summit, return to the small pass and the trail junction and take the one descending to the North-East.

(3) Rejoin the trail from the outset and continue left on the track down to the Barrentxa farmhouse, then to the stream, which you cross again.

(1) Turn right to reach the restaurant on the outward path (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 370 m - Restaurant Etxeberzeko
  2. 1 : km 1.08 - alt. 345 m - Wooden footbridge
  3. 2 : km 1.3 - alt. 330 m - Molino del infierno
  4. 3 : km 2.4 - alt. 491 m - As you go up, yaw to the right
  5. 4 : km 3.07 - alt. 579 m - Runway - Turn left
  6. 5 : km 3.56 - alt. 532 m - Three-way junction on the right
  7. 6 : km 4.55 - alt. 432 m - Electric poles, generator.
  8. 7 : km 5.37 - alt. 443 m - Track on the right
  9. 8 : km 6.98 - alt. 597 m - Small pass - Carrefour
  10. S/E : km 9.68 - alt. 370 m - Restaurant Etxeberzeko

Notes

Warning: there is no drinking water or shelter on the entire walk... but in case of emergency, there are quite a few farms.

I've come across horses, cows, goats, donkeys and vultures...I've even spotted deer.

Worth a visit

The Etxeberzeko restaurateurs are friendly and the food is good (see the trout tank at the bottom of the restaurant).
On the road before reaching the Col d'Oxdondo, there's a large farm where you can buy some very good shepherd's cheese.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 16 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
User 13043706

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Between points 1 and 3, it is no longer possible to bypass the Barrentxea farm (fence); you have to go over it, turning right at the top of the hill well before the farm. The path, which is only visible on the IGN map, is not really marked, especially at the beginning, and when we passed through, it was overgrown with ferns. It joins the crossroads of tracks from where you take the path back to Mendiabo.

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Izura
Izura

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Even in wet weather, the walk is pleasant and by no means dangerous.

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ykuttler
ykuttler

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 16, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Nice, easy, shady walk with a beautiful view. Beautiful autumn colour and a few passages with brambles, but never for very long.
A bit complicated to find your way back from point 6, the track to take after the electricity pole and the indications that follow are difficult to find on the ground.
Thank you

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harispe
harispe

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We had already done this circuit in December 2018 very easily . Today, Sunday 04 August, the route is completely different. After Barrentxea farm, at the bend to the right, the track is virtually impassable because of the bracken and brambles blocking the way. We had to beat our way through with sticks. At point 3, I advise you to continue on the track that joins point 8 and at the small pass to continue on the uphill track on your left, which will take you to point 4. The rest of the route offers great views, including of the Bertiz.
The hike is always interesting and very spectacular.
HARISPE visorandonneur .

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isas
isas

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 25, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Very nice walk under the trees, best done from April to October. Thank you

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harispe
harispe

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 30, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Crossing the stream by the footbridge can be a problem. In summer it is possible to ford the stream. The view of the BERTIZ is superb at points 7 and 8. A small meal at ETXEBERZEKO BORDA, and the day was a success.
Many thanks to the organisers.

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gt40
gt40
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 04, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

very nice hike.
I used the GPX route but the description is sufficient.

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sibusatesenior
sibusatesenior

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

I used the GPX file. We completed the whole circuit without any problems. The crossing of the stream was well signposted and the wooden bridge was in the right place. Thank you for your information

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grandin
grandin ★
• Edited:

Jacques

I've changed the description slightly to try and please everyone. Does that suit you?

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Jacques Bomassi
Jacques Bomassi

I'll pass (see the card)

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tarka
tarka
• Edited:

So there you have it. We tried the walk on 21 /07/18 and everything went well until we reached the Moulin, which was picturesque, beautiful and very well maintained, and provided welcome shelter from the steady rain. Then it all went wrong: we were never able to find the indicated footbridge (after much hesitation and going back and forth on the path), because of the indication on the path to find after visiting the Moulin: "retrace your steps for about 250m". There is no footbridge at all at the point indicated (which practically takes us back to the restaurant where we started. Why didn't we read the discussion before we set off, where a hiker of good will, "rando alaxka", actually pointed out the error (a typing error): it's at around 25 m (and not 250 m) when you retrace your steps that you can make out a footbridge. So here's a question: why doesn't Visorando simply correct this wording, which is quite simply wrong and leads you astray, instead of arguing in convoluted fashion (the 250 m should be counted from the starting point!!! and not from Le Moulin, as is explicitly stated?) And, worse still, in my opinion, why pick on the unfortunate contributor when he is so enlightening: some people quibble, quibble... or make him feel guilty: more often than not, it's those who don't contribute... In short, I can't believe this acrimonious tone and this bad faith in acknowledging a simple mistake. Visorando, on the other hand, seems to me to be a very fine achievement, remarkably rich and valuable, and if I understand correctly, totally run by volunteers. We were delighted with our other itineraries (Urdax, Zugarramurdi), but this one was a complete failure (back to the car and end of the route). But above all, why not correct the false indication and why this volley of green wood towards the aldaxka hiker? (I'm waiting for my turn to taste it)

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FLOCH
FLOCH ★

Hello,

Often the most negative criticisms come from hikers who don't offer a single hike.
They even take the liberty of quibbling about details.
That's why, for distances, I always add the qualifier "approx".

Sincerely

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Jacques Bomassi
Jacques Bomassi

It's true that at this point I noted 250m to be more understandable.
It all depends on whether you're in front of or behind the mill and whether or not you count the few metres separating the path from the footbridge...etc...etc...
sometimes, it's really demotivating to take the trouble to transcribe and post your hikes.

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gazok54
gazok54 ★

Good evening
It's at wpt 2 that rando aldaxka reports the problem. Between wpts 1 and 2, there are exactly 220m if I calculate correctly. Far from the 25m but close to the 250m mentioned by the author.

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Jacques Bomassi
Jacques Bomassi

???
I really don't understand at all!

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