Of great natural and ecological importance, it is considered one of the largest beech-fir forests in Europe and is a great nature attraction all year round. An interesting range of fauna, on a par with the quality of the Forest, can be found in Irati: deer, wild boar, martens, Pyrenean frogs, black woodpeckers. The landscape is a permanent succession of small events: the explosion of green in spring, pastureland for livestock in the summer, the many colours of autumn, the silence of winter, occasionally swathed in snow...

There are numerous walks and tracks to cover on foot or mountain bike, as well as climbs and places to do winter sports (snowshoes, cross-country skiing on marked courses on Abodi, etc.), which mean that the area can be enjoyed all year round. The reservoir of Irabia, in the heart of the Forest, highlights the beauty of the area.

There are also 16 marked tracks. Carefully chosen, walking these paths is one of the best ways to discover its secrets. Most of them are suitable for all age groups.
Irati can be reached from Aezkoa via Orbaitzeta and from Salazar via Otsagabia.
The tourist information offices in Otsagabia and Orreaga/Roncesvalles (all year round) and Garralda (tourist season) can help with any queries.
During the tourist season, there are also information points in Irati itself at Arrazola and V. de las Nieves.

Different parts of the Forest have different nature protection status, such as ZEPAs (Special Bird Protection Areas), INTEGRAL and NATURAL RESERVES, the creation of a LIC, Place of Community Interest, currently in progress.
The Irati has a harmonisation and rationalisation plan for all its resources and activities: tourism, hunting, farming and the timber trade.