I was feeling cautiously better and so we set off from the Parador at Sos del Rey Catolico to walk in the gorge at FoZ de Lumbier. The views from the bedroom window were gorgeous and promised a wonderful day.
Roman Villa
The first stop was the remains (almost invisible) of the Roman villa of Liedena of the 1st-4th centuries AD opposite one end of the gorge.
Foz de Lumbier
River Irati has created a deep gorge through the mountains and you can walk from one side of the gorge to the other on the remains of a railway track. It is possible to do a. 6.5km circular route through the gorge, along the valley and back over the top but we just did a ‘there and back’. There is a carpark at the beginning of the route and information.
Jose Luis Hervas Manas
“The officers at the Civil Guard barracks in the town of Lumbier in Navarra were under orders to keep a close watch on the Foz de Lumbier, a narrow gorge. with the coming of summer, an influx of hikers had led to an increased number of thefts. Sergeant José Luis Hervás had swapped shifts with a colleague so that he could take his final law exam. On the morning of 25 June 1990, he spotted three young people in the gorge acting suspiciously and approached the riverbank to ask them for ID. The three individuals were members of ETA’s Nafarroa unit, and fearing they had been identified, one of them shot the officer in the chest. In the ensuing exchange of fire, another civil guard was wounded.”
Testimony of Olvido Mañas, mother of Civil Guard Sergeant José Luis Hervás from COVITE on Vimeo.
Refreshments!
I needed regular snacks so we headed into Lumbier and this convenient cafe for something light.
Suitably fortified we set off to find the Monastery of Leyre.
Monastery of Leyre - London Traveller
[…] enjoyed a walk down the Foz de Lumbier but didn’t want to return to the Parador at Sos del Rey Catolico just yet so decided to visit the […]
restlessjo
It looks a fabulous place to walk 🫠💗
Candy Blackham
It was lovely. The two downsides, certainly for me, were the two tunnels which are absolutely pitch dark and which made me feel very dizzy. You need a light. And it is probably good to do the circular walk too, along the river and over the top.
restlessjo
🫨❣️
Candy Blackham
It was – and the up and over probably has wonderful views!