Spain

Despite only occupying 2% of Spanish territory, Navarra with its 10,391 kms is extremely diverse: in a two hour drive from all compass points you could "close your eyes, listen to the sound of the leafy beech forest of the Selva de Irati (the largest beech forest in Europe), and feel the blue cold of the mountain air of the Pyrenees on your face. Open your eyes, and listen to the magical silence that accompanies the endless earthy colours of the desert-like landscape of the Bardenas Reales." So says the Government’s web page and with no hint of hyperbole.

The climate of Navarre mixes influences from the Pyrenees mountains and Ebro river valley, creating a vast difference between the climates of the north (much more humid and with frequent rainfall) and of the south (more Mediterranean with higher temperatures and more sporadic precipitation). One can pass from the humid Cantabrian valleys in the north to the arid, steppe-like Bardenas Reales on the banks of the Ebro river in just a few kilometres.

Pilgrims and party goers congregated here too and you can "move your body to the rhythm of the fiestas of San Fermín, or your feet to the steady step of the pilgrims who travel the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago from Roncesvalles."

Why stop there your palette can go on a voyage too "let yourself be seduced by delightful tastes of the north such as traditional sheep's cheese and migas de pastor (literally, shepherd's breadcrumbs) or the varied produce from the market gardens along the Ebro valley: chard, artichokes or asparagus, accompanied by Navarra designation of origin wines. Discover these and a whole range of possibilities in the ancient Reyno de Navarra (Kingdom of Navarre)."