Barranco de Artazul
Abseiling, jumps and pools twenty minutes from TTipiaenea
Eighteen kilometres from Ttipiaenea, in the quiet Goñi Valley, hides one of the most striking canyoning descents in Navarre. The Barranco de Artazul combines the best of the mountains and water: rock sculpted over centuries, turquoise pools, natural slides polished by the river and a final abseil that stays in your memory long after your clothes have dried.
No previous experience needed. Guided by Naturkide —mountain and canyon guides based in Alsasua— the activity is suitable for families looking for adventure, couples after something different and groups wanting a plan like no other. You leave Ttipiaenea after breakfast and by midday you are back, hair still wet and bursting to tell the tale.
Water, rock and adrenaline in perfect doses
The Artazul is an aquatic canyon: water is the star from the very first metre. The descent starts gently, with stretches where the river has polished the rock into natural slides you glide down. Then come the pools —some deep enough to dive into headfirst— and the small jumps that get higher as you go.
The high point is the final abseil: dropping down the rope with the water falling all around is the image everyone photographs in their memory. It is not technically hard —the guide teaches you in minutes— but the feeling of hanging above the waterfall is priceless.
The coldest, cleanest water in Navarre
Between one jump and the next, the canyon gives you moments of calm: pools of clean, cold water where you stop to breathe, listen to the silence of the gorge and look up at the strip of sky left by the rock walls. The contrast between the adrenaline of the abseil and the stillness of a shaded pool is what makes the Artazul unique.
In spring the water runs higher and the jumps are more spectacular. In summer the swim is almost pleasant and the colours of the water —greens, turquoises, coppery tones depending on the sun— are picture-postcard. Any time between March and September is good for the Artazul.
An adventure for almost everyone
The Barranco de Artazul is not an extreme activity. With Naturkide as your guide, it can be enjoyed by families with little ones eager to get wet, people with no experience at all and groups of friends after more than just a walk. The gear —wetsuit, helmet, harness— is provided by Naturkide, and safety is in their hands from the very first moment.
The activity lasts between three and four hours from arriving at the starting point. If you leave Ttipiaenea at nine, you are back before two with the afternoon free to rest in the garden, count the bruises —only a few— and show off the video to whoever stayed behind.
How to organise it from Ttipiaenea
- Distance18 km · 20 min by car
- RouteNA-150 towards Pamplona → Goñi Valley turn-off → Ulzurrun
- Duration3–4 hours from the starting point
- SeasonMarch to September · Best in spring and summer
- GearWetsuit, helmet and harness included with the guide
- BookingEssential in advance · naturkide.com
- With childrenYes · Check with Naturkide depending on age and level
- What to bringA change of clothes, water shoes or neoprene socks, a snack
✦ The photographs on this page are by Naturkide, a company of mountain and canyon guides based in Alsasua (Navarre), kindly shared by Iker. If you are looking for a trustworthy company to explore the canyons and mountains of Navarre, Naturkide is one of the best options: personal attention, safety and a knowledge of the area you notice from the very first moment. Discover Naturkide →
Two minutes that make you want to book
A gorgeous video that captures all the beauty of the canyon: the water, the jumps and the final abseil in motion, with light and colours that take your breath away. In a couple of minutes it sums up why the Artazul is unforgettable. Hit play and you will see.
Watch the video on YouTube →