Yesa offers a striking blend of reservoir, local history and trails. For an initial orientation, visit the Centro de InformaciĂłn Urdina in Yesa: it is the gateway to the destination and the first information and interpretation point for the Sendero Urdina.
By the water and in the mountain landscape
The Yesa Reservoir stretches for ten kilometres at the foot of the Sierra de Leyre. It lies within the municipality of Yesa, is fed by the AragĂłn River and is the largest navigable body of water in Navarre. Oak, beech and pine forests shape the landscape. The summit of Arangoiti reaches an altitude of 1,356 metres. The Sierra de Leyre and Arangoiti are also associated with paragliding and hang gliding.
Trails and access to the water
The Sendero Urdina can be explored on foot or by bicycle. Its first riverside sections in Yesa, the fishing areas and a floating platform offer ways to get close to the water. This trail brings together different ways to explore the waterside landscape.
The Aragonese Way of St James begins in Yesa. Another route is the Yesa–Leyre trail: it starts either in Yesa or at Leyre Monastery, is 11.8 kilometres long and takes approximately 2 hours 30 minutes. As trail conditions and access points can change, check the current situation before setting out.
Churches and art history
Yesa’s old parish church is a 13th-century building. It contains wall paintings that were recovered in the 1980s, as well as a medieval seated statue of the Virgin Mary. The parish church of San Esteban was built in 1950. It contains part of the altarpiece from Roncesvalles and a seated Madonna and Child dating from the 13th century.
The two churches represent different historical periods: the old parish church itself dates back to the Middle Ages, while San Esteban dates from 1950 and also preserves a medieval work of art. Those interested in the history of sacred architecture and art will find two distinct historical perspectives here.
Leyre Monastery: guided tour, singing and legend
The Monastery of San Salvador de Leyre is considered one of Navarre’s most important Romanesque buildings and one of the oldest monasteries on the northern Iberian Peninsula. The guided tour for visitors lasts about an hour and includes access to the crypt and church. Religious services may affect access arrangements.
Gregorian chant can currently be heard every day as part of the Benedictine liturgy in the abbey church of San Salvador, a building dating from the 11th and 12th centuries. Another story is associated with the Fuente de San Virila: according to legend, an abbot once slept there for three centuries after hearing a nightingale sing.
Plan your trip and accommodation
When looking for hotels in Yesa, you can first decide whether the landscape, trails or church and monastery culture will be the focus of your stay. For planning your schedule, you can compare a monastery tour lasting about an hour with the Yesa–Leyre trail, which takes approximately 2 hours 30 minutes. This makes it easy to consider a shorter visit and a longer route according to the time each requires.
Discover more destinations: Oláibar, Irurozqui, MendigorrĂa, Arantza, Oiz, Dorrao, Rada, Arribe
For the broader travel overview: Navarre.
