Salazar Valley, Pyrenean valley in Navarre, Spain.
Salazar Valley is a Pyrenean valley in Navarre, northern Spain, running between wooded slopes and rocky ridges. The Sierra de Abodi range forms its northern edge, giving the valley a sheltered and well-defined shape.
The valley appears for the first time in 924 in records from the Monastery of Leire, under the name Sarasazo. Over the following centuries, the name shifted through several forms before settling into the version used today.
Salazarese, a local variety of Basque, can still be heard in some villages of the valley today. It is one of the few places where this form of the language has survived alongside Spanish in everyday life.
Ezcároz serves as the administrative center of the valley and is a good base from which to explore the surrounding villages. Many roads into the valley are narrow and winding, so it is worth planning the route in advance.
The valley takes part in the Resta y Gana competition, a program that encourages communities to reduce the amount of waste they produce together. It is rare for such a small and remote area to take an active role in this kind of initiative.
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