Roncal Valley Cheese & Shepherd Experience

The Roncal Valley Cheese & Shepherd Experience is operated by the Cooperativa del Queso de Roncal from Casa del Queso de Roncal in the village of Roncal, situated in the eastern Pyrenean foothills of Navarre approximately 90 kilometres from Pamplona. The cooperative was established to manage and protect the production of Roncal DOP — the first Spanish cheese to receive European protected designation of origin status — and has been offering visitor experiences for over two decades as part of its mission to sustain and explain traditional Pyrenean shepherding culture to wider audiences. The two-hour experience opens with an introduction to the Roncal Valley's geography and pastoral economy. The guide explains how centuries of transhumance — the seasonal movement of sheep between summer Pyrenean meadows and winter lowland pastures in the Bardenas Reales — shaped both the landscape and the cheese tradition. Latxa and Rasa sheep, the two native Navarrese breeds whose raw milk is used exclusively in Roncal DOP, graze on hillsides adjacent to the cheese house and are visible from the visitor area in season. Inside Casa del Queso, participants witness a live cheese-making demonstration covering the stages from raw milk coagulation through curd cutting, pressing, salting, and placement in the ageing caves. Roncal DOP must be aged for a minimum of four months; the caves beneath the cheese house hold wheels at various stages of maturation, visible through a viewing area. The tasting presents four Roncal DOP samples at different ages: young (four months), medium (six to eight months), aged (over one year), and smoked. Each is paired with local wildflower honey from Roncal Valley producers and rustic bread, the traditional accompaniment. The textural and flavour progression from mild and buttery through sharp and crystalline is central to the tasting experience. A retail shop at the conclusion offers cooperative cheeses at discounted prices for visitors.