3-5 day routes BY CAR

We propose a simple itinerary to discover key places along the two branches of the French Route of the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago de Compostela through Navarre, and also some attractive activities that combine Nature and gastronomy.

• Day 1. From Orreaga/Roncesvalles to Pamplona (48 km)
  • Visit to the monumental ensemble of Orreaga/Roncesvalles
  • Walk along a section of the Pilgrim's Way to Compostela: from Orreaga/Roncesvalles to Auritz/Burguete (2 km)
  • Visit villages built along roads in the Pyrenees: Auritz/Burguete and Aurizberri/Espinal
  • Viewpoint at the Erro pass
  • Walk through the old quarter of Pamplona and along its city walls
  • Visit to the Cathedral of Santa María in Pamplona
  • Pinchos (tapas) route
  • Evening show (Teatro Gayarre or Baluarte)
• Day 2. From Pamplona to Viana (78 km)
  • Walk around Puente la Reina, where different pilgrims' routes come together
  • Guided visit to Estella
  • Monastery of Iratxe and its wine fountain
  • Visit to the church at Los Arcos or the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Torres del Río
  • Tasting or lunch in a winery on the Pilgrim's WayViana, a stroll through its monumental quarter
• Day 3. From Sangüesa to Puente la Reina (65 km)
  • Church of Santa María de Eunate
  • Walk through the gorge at Lumbier
  • Guided visit to the monumental quarter of Sangüesa
  • Castle of Javier
  • Gregorian chants at the Monastery of Leire

Day 1. From Orreaga/Roncesvalles to Pamplona (48 km)

• Visit to the monumental quarter of Orreaga/Roncesvalles: ta small and enigmatic enclave that contains a wide range of architectural features. The 45-minute guided visit includes Charlemagne's silo (the oldest building on the site in which pilgrims were buried), the Gothic church of St James and the Religious Art museum, with pieces of exceptional value such as “Charlemagne's chess set”. The visitor can explore the collegiate church, a magnificent example of French Gothic (access free of charge), the  cloister and the Chapterhouse, where the tomb of King Sancho VII 'el Fuerte' lies.
• Walk along a stretch of the Pilgrim's Way: from Orreaga/Roncesvalles to Auritz/Burguete (2 km): this section is characterised by a refreshing, gentle landscape through woods that will make you feel like a pilgrim for a day. Estimated time for the return trip: 90 minutes.
• Getting to know two villages built along roads in the Pyrenees : Auritz/Burguete and Aurizberri-Espinal: Ernest Hemingway described this area as “the damned wildest landscape in the Pyrenees”; he regularly went fishing here. Aurizberri-Espinal and Auritz-Burguete are two typical villages built along roads that stand out for the beauty of their strongly-built houses in the Pyrenean style.
• Viewpoint at the Erro pass: fantastic scenery and an impressive view. When you go up to the Erro pass you can see "The Steps of Roland”, a big stone that – according to legend – marked the size of the epic character's foot.
• Walk through the old quarter of Pamplona and the city walls: let yourself be seduced by the old quarter of the mediaeval city, surrounded by walls, whose narrow streets, squares and noble houses are watched over by towers and befries. The three boroughs that gave rise to the city are Navarrería, San Cernin and San Nicolás, together with their respective fortress-churches (the Cathedral and the churches of San Saturnino and San Nicolás). Visit them at leisure and admire their outlines, a highly recommended exercise that can be extendedd by walking around part of the 16th century city walls, five kilometres along one of the most interesting and best-kept military complexes in Spain. Indeed, the city walls were awarded the status of National Monument.
• Visit to the Cathedral of Santa María: this excellent example of 14th and 15th century Gothic stands on high ground in the eatern part of the old quarter of Pamplona, on the site of the Roman Pompaelo. The sobriety of its neo-classical façade contrasts with the Gothic interior, whose 28-metre-high central nave contains the beautifully carved tomb of King Carlos III of Navarre and his wife Leonor of Castile. The real jewel of the building is the cloister, considered one of the most beautiful examples of gothic architecture; it is really worth a visit. Guided visits to the rooms and halls of the cathedral museum can be booked; the visits last approximately one hour.
• Pinchos (tapas) route: even the most demanding palates will enjoy the culinary miniatures that the bars of Pamplona provide every day. The old quarter is the area where most of these bars are located (especially in Estafeta and San Nicolás streets), although other parts of the city also offer a good selection. To make things easier for visitors, the Website of the catering trade has information on easy-to-read interactive maps with links to the websites of the bars, showing their opening hours and specialities.
• A show in the classical Teatro Gayarre or in the modern 'Baluarte' Congress Centre and Auditorium in Pamplona:See their varied cultural programmes and get your tickets in advance, from 6€ in the Teatro Gayarre and 22€ in Baluarte.

Day 2. From Pamplona to Viana (78 km)

• Walk through Puente la Reina, where different routes of the Pilgrim's Waty come together: a mediaeval town where the two main routes of the Pilgrim's Way to Compostela join. The non-stop passage of pilgrims, shells and walking sticks are part of the urban landscape of this town, a magnificent example of a town built along a road. Its layout is similar to many other towns along the Pilgrim's Way to Compostela that grew up around a main street and developed parallel streets. Its most famous monument is the Romanesque bridge over the river Arga, one of the most beautiful and noble examples of this type of architecture along the route.
• Guided visit to Estella: organised by Navark (948 55 00 70 or visitasguiadasdeestella@gmail.com). The visit lasts 90 minutes and shows you the palaces, noble houses, churches, convents, bridges and beautiful buildings of the town. Get to know the old streets of the Franks and the Jews, taste culinary delights and see for yourself that the description made by Aymeric Picaud (12th century) is still valid: "Estella is to town of good bread, excellent wine, a lot of meat and fish, and all kinds of happiness".
• Monastery of Iratxe and wine fountain: stop off and visit the Romanesque church (12th century), its Plateresque cloister, its Herrerian-style tower and other parts built between the 16th and 19th centuries to get to know the history of this monumental site, one of the most important in Navarre. After the cultural visit, you can slake your thirst in a fountain with two very original spouts: one with water and the other with wine!
• Church of Santa María de los Arcos or the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Torres del Río: the first, elegant and proud with its Baroque door and Plateresque tower. The second is a rare example of 12th century mediaeval art and is related to the order of the Knights Templar. It has an octagonal layout and a Moorish vault.
• Tasting or lunch in a bodega on the Wine Route of the Pilgrim's Way to Compostela: 15 wineries under the 'Navarra' Designation of Origin and 1 from the  'Rioja' D.O. oen their doors to pilgrims to offer guided visiits, wine tasting sessions, aperitifs and food-wine pairings. Make your choice.
• Viana, a stroll through its monumental quarter: standing high on a hill, the town looks out over the horizon. The echoes of its turbulent past as a defensive bastion against Castile can still be heard in its streets. Its walls open out, leading onto several noble houses, palaces and churches that reveal the splendour of the town in the 16th and 18th centuries. The church of Santa María has an impressive Renaissance façade, and the tomb of Cesare Borgia lies at its feet.

Day 3. From Sangüesa to Puente la Reina

• Church of Santa María de Eunate: one of the most beautiful and intriguing churches on the Pilgrim's Way to Compostela. Declared a National Monument, its solitary position and original atrium around the octagonal building are quite enigmatic. The unclear mystery surrounding its origins and its unsettling interior have created a lot of interest around this church, which has served as a pilgrims' hospital, a cemetery, a guiding beacon for travellers, a place of Christian worship and and a teluric religious sanctuary for people seeking esoteric forces.
• Walk through the gorge at Lumbier: an easy stroll of 2.6 kilometres (45-60 minutes), passing through the tunnels that saw the first electric train in Spain, allowing the visitor to get to know the gorge in detail. Griffon vultures fly over the cliffs; there are steep rock faces where birds nest; a river with clear and cold water that cuts narrow and capricious openings in the rock; the remains of a bridge which, according to legend, was built with the help of the devil; basically, a harsh natural area with a tourism quality "Q" label.
• Guided visit to the monumental quarter of Sangüesa: two companies offer 90-minute guided visits to discover the town's heritage: Sie7 (includes the interior of the church of Santa María la Real) and Gesartur. Let yourself be guided along the mediaeval streets and discover the hidden secrets of each building: churches, convents, palaces… the jewel of the town is undoubtedly the church of Santa María la Real (12th - 14th centuries), declared a National Monument. Its front is considered one of the prime examples of Spanish Romanesque architecture.
• Castle of Javier: an invincible fortress and the birthplace of St Francis Xavier, patron saint of Navarre, missionaries and tourism in Spain. A drawbridge leads you into a world of towers, dungeons, machicolations, embrasures and arrow holes where St Francis Xavier was born (in 1506) and lived. If you would like to stretch your legs and you have time, there is a 1.5-kilometre path (the walk takes 30 minutos) that leaves from the esplanade of the castle and goes up through a landscape of fruit trees as far as the ruins of a 15th century ogival mill on the banks of the river Aragón.
• Gregorian chants in the Monastery of Leire: a magnificent example of mediaeval architecture located on the slopes of the Leire mountain range with a superb view of the Yesa reservoir. A National Monument that conserves an interesting triangle in the Romanesque style: an 11th century crypt with low columns and great capitals; a tunnel that evokes the legend of Abbott San Virila and the Puerta Speciosa, a beautiful 12th century door full of mediaeval symbols and elements related to the Pilgrim's Way. You can also enjoy 20 minutes per day of Gregorian chants, the musical prayers of the Benedictine monks.