Ochagavía (Navarre), 29 August 2026 — A historic wooden raft of the Orhipean type known as an Almadía made up of two sections was completed and presented to the public in Ochagavía on Saturday as part of the event. The replica was built collectively by volunteers and adds to this year’s festival, which recreates traditional occupations and everyday scenes from the early 20th century and is recognised in Navarra as a festival of tourist interest.
The initiative is supported by the Gobierno de Navarra and organised by the local association Bizirik Gaude . The organisers also said that the associations Bidazarra and Orhipean: usos y tradiciones took part. The forestry Guarderío selected suitable, certified pine trunks from municipal forests; a timber company handled the cutting and pre-treatment. On site, participants bound the trunks together with hazel rods that had been soaked beforehand — a technique traditionally used for Almadías.
The regional minister responsible, José Mari Aierdi visited the work and praised the project as a contribution to preserving practices rooted in collective memory, cultural identity and sustainable forest management. He said that restoring an Almadía went beyond creating a museum reconstruction of a transport system. The remarks were recorded in regional reports.
The Almadía is to be displayed at an easily accessible section of the Río Anduña . Explanatory information is planned for the site, along with related activities, including guided visits for school groups and local institutions. The project thus brings together heritage conservation, local volunteer work and the presentation of a technique that had economic significance in Navarra until the mid-20th century.
Historically, Almadieros in the region’s Pyrenean valleys used rivers to transport timber from mountain forests downstream. Regular timber rafting in Navarra came to an end in the 1950s; the construction of the Yesa reservoir is often regarded as the turning point. Elements of timber rafting are recognised as intangible cultural heritage. The new structure gives Ochagavía a visible landmark that brings this history to life without turning it into folklore. The project also shows how regional institutions and civil society groups can work together to preserve knowledge of traditional techniques and make it accessible to the public.
Those involved have not provided forecasts of future visitor numbers or economic impact, and no reliable estimates can currently be made.
Editor: Celestina Fuentes (Article created with AI assistance).