French Way SectionsSelf-Guided from Pamplona to Logroño

Welcome to Pamplona, one of Spain's greatest cities, and world famous for its Fiesta de San Fermín, a celebration involving the running of bulls and the theme of Hemingway's masterpiece "The Sun Also Rises". The city is bustling with life and there is plenty to discover. Our favorite activity in Pamplona is to walk around the old town and have tapas in several different bars. You should also stop on the famous Plaza del Castillo to have a drink in Hemingway's favorite bar Café Iruña and enter the 12th century Romanesque Cathedral with stunning panoramic views on the region.

One of the most memorable days along the Camino lies ahead as you leave the beautiful city of Pamplona. You will cross the grounds of the 16th-century Citadel of Pamplona. Hike up to the Alto del Perdon to find one of the most recognizable monumental sculptures of the French Way representing a caravan of medieval pilgrims with panoramic views. One of the figures tells us this is “where the way of the wind crosses the way of the stars”. You will also pass near a 12th-century Romanesque Church built on the plan of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and finally reach historic Puente la Reina, “the Bridge of the Queen”.

The legend says pilgrims should always spend the night in Puente la Reina and leave the town barefoot in the morning. So, why not, take off your shoes to cross the famous bridge? The Camino will turn into an earth track between cereal fields, vineyards and olive trees. Continue straight until you pass through a Gothic arch to enter the beautiful medieval hilltop village of Cirauqui, where you’ll find the Church of San Roman and its impressive Romanesque portal. The Camino follows in some sections a well-preserved old Roman road, along the Salado River bank, a saltwater river mentioned in the Codex Calixtinus.

First stop, the Bodega of Irache, where you will find one of the Camino’s most original features: a free unsupervised wine fountain built for pilgrims. After a taste, continue your walk through the vineyards, wheat fields and olive groves. Just before arriving in VillaMayor de Monjardín, make sure to refill your water in the 12th century Gothic fountain, Fuente de Moros, as the next 12 km offer little shade, and only one bar until you reach beautiful Los Arcos.

Leave the beautiful town of Los Arcos through the Puerta de Castilla, and continue your walk through the vineyards, wheat fields and olive groves. On a clear day, you should be able to see Viana, your destination for the day. This is your last day walking in Navarra and you will notice that this frontier was important in Medieval Times. The very well conserved towns are all fortified and impressive. The best examples are Torres Del Rio and Viana built in the 12th century as a defense against the nearby Kingdom of Castile.

Leave Viana, through the Portal San Felices. The Camino will then lead you through fields and woodland to Logroño, the capital of La Rioja, third largest city along the Camino Francés and one of the best cities for tapas in Spain! You will have most of the afternoon free to discover this great city. Either stay all afternoon in Logroño or take a taxi to visit Laguardia, a fortified medieval town 20 min away, considered the center of La Rioja Wine country, where you will be able to visit a 600-year-old winery and architectural award-winning super modern wineries like Marqués de Riscal.

You have accomplished this challenge and reached Logroño, but there are still over 600 km left to reach Santiago de Compostela, the end of the Camino de Santiago and the resting place of the Apostle Saint James. We hope this section of the French Way has brought you whatever you were looking for and that it made you want to discover more of the Camino and Northern Spain.