Halloween in the camper van: 5 spooky villages in Spain
Have you ever wanted to explore a spooky forest or an abandoned hut? Whatever the reason, there's no doubt that horror films and places that make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end hold a strange fascination.
In Spain and the rest of Europe, the 17th century was the heyday of witch hunts, the spread of which caused a veritable social hysteria. Several corners of Spain hide dark stories with museums and routes dedicated to this era.
If you love caravanning and spooky stories, don't miss the opportunity to explore these fascinating villages.
Along the way, you'll discover places still excommunicated by the Catholic Church, fascinating museums, haunted caves and enchanted forests where you can lose yourself in the middle of autumn.
Ochagavía
Walking through the picturesque streets of Ochagavía, we are dazzled by the unmistakable beauty of this Navarrese village surrounded by magnificent beech forests. Undoubtedly a charming place, but what exactly does one feel? A fair question, since the places in the Roncal and Salazar valleys were once enclaves of great witchcraft activity.
A special reason to come back is the famous dance of the Dantzaris on 8 September in front of the hermitage of Muskilda and, of course, the fantastic views.
The cuisine of the Navarrese Pyrenees is characterised by first-class meats (steaks, lamb ribs, duck and seasonal game), cheeses with a protected designation of origin such as Idiazabal and Roncal, and seasonal garden produce.
Where to park?
You can park at Calle Lasarria 4 and if you want to extend your stay, you can book a pitch at the Osate campsite.
What is there to visit?
- The hermitage of Nuestra Señora de Muskilda
- The village of Vidángoz
- The forest of Irati (click here to go to our route)
- The Museum of the Stelae
- Burguete
Burguete
In Burguete, the lawyer Balanza, known as the "Torquemada of Navarre", is said to have sentenced five witches from this town to death in 1525. A spooky story, but if you really want to be scared, take a walk through the Sorginaritzaga Forest, also known as the Witches' Oak Grove. Numerous covens were held here, leading to the persecution of nine people who were sentenced to be burned at the stake.
Despite its dark history, this Pyrenean village is a real treat for the senses. You only have to stop to breathe the pure mountain air, look at the beautiful Pyrenean-style mansions and taste the meat in a steakhouse to experience the magic of the Navarrese Pyrenees.
If you like hiking, you can walk from Burguete to the Royal Collegiate Church of Santa María de Roncesvalles and from there take a route through the Basajaunberro Forest.
Where to park?
You can park in Calle de Roncesvalles. If you want to spend a few days in the area, we recommend the Urrobi campsite.
What is there to visit?
If you want to enhance your Halloween RV experience, don't miss the Burguete Cemetery, designed by architect Miguel Gortari Beiner in 1964 and winner of national awards for its aesthetics.
Visit the church of San Nicolás de Bari, take a walk along the Urrobi River and, a few kilometres further on, visit the artisanal cheese dairy Aspace.
Zugarramurdi
Zugarramurdi was one of the centres of the witch craze in Navarre and was the scene of a major witch hunt between 1609 and 1612. The "Auto de Fe", carried out by the Spanish Inquisition in 1610, is one of the most famous cases of witchcraft in Spain. The events inspired Alex de la Iglesia to make his film "The Witches of Zugarramurdi".
Today you can visit both the caves of Zugarramurdi and the museum dedicated to this episode. And if the theme fascinates you, you should visit Vidángoz on 28 August, when the Bajada de la Bruja (Witches' Descent) takes place, where young people light a bonfire and welcome the witch Maruxa while dancing in the dark to the rhythm of the witches' huts.
If you want to extend your Halloween experience in Autocarava, we recommend the hiking route that leads from the caves to the village of Urdax, where you will find the monastery of San Salvador, the mill and the caves of Ikaburu. Click here to access the route.
Where to park?
You can find a car park in Calle Lapiztegia. And if you want to stay overnight, we recommend booking a pitch at the Baztan campsite.
What is there to visit?
- village of Urdax
- monastery of San Salvador
- caves of Ikaburu
- Witch Museum
- Zugarramurdi Caves
- medieval palace of Jauregizarrea
- Señorío de Bertiz Nature Park
Ribadavia
Halloween was celebrated in Galicia long before people in the United States took up this festival of Celtic origin. This day was known as Samaín, and today some Galician villages have revived this thousand-year-old tradition.
Ribadavia has become the centre of Samaín celebrations, so much so that every year, from 28 to 30 October, Noite Meiga is organised with scary scenes, Escape Rooms and numerous Halloween-related activities.
If you are a wine fanatic, you can visit the Ribeiro & Xamón restaurant in the city centre, and if you plan your trip in advance, you can book a trip to the nearby vineyards and enjoy a good Ribeiro.
From here, we recommend you stop off in the beautiful city of Ourense, which also celebrates Samaín in the streets of Casco Vello on 31 October, just half an hour from Ribadavia.
Where to park?
Just a few minutes' walk from the main square is the following caravan park, where you can both park and stay overnight.
What is there to visit?
- castle of Ribadavia
- church of San Juan
- Jewish quarter
- main square
- thermal baths of Prexigueiro
- Ourense
Trasmoz
Trasmoz is a village that to this day is excommunicated by the Catholic Church for alleged witchcraft and pagan rituals. In 1511, the village was cursed by Pope Julius II, and in the following years it experienced only disasters, including the burning of the castle.
In his work Cartas desde mi celda, the famous Romantic writer Bécquer wrote three letters during his stay in the monastery of Veruela about his experiences in the "cursed" village and the existence of the witches there.
The most famous witch in Bécquer's work was Tía Casca, who was murdered shortly before the writer's arrival in the village because she had allegedly caused plagues and diseases at the time.
This year, Trasmoz takes part in the Luz de las Ánimas festival on 29 October, which includes activities such as pumpkin collecting, a fancy dress competition and a procession of souls from the church to the cemetery (book tickets here). The village also holds an annual witch and medicinal plant market on the first Saturday in July.
Where to park?
You can park and stay in Trasmoz itself or you have the option of staying 30 minutes from the village in Agreda.
What is there to visit?
- The castle of Trasmoz
- The monastery of Veruela
- The church of the Virgen de la Huerta
- Moncayo Natural Park
Summary
A country like Spain with many small, ancient villages holds many dark secrets. Especially at Halloween, you can get wonderfully spooky here and be transported back to old, gruesome times. With our travel ideas, we can guarantee that you'd better look around twice more in the camper van at night before you switch off the lights.
