Cortes is the southernmost town in Navarra, always a border land, and therefore unstable and subject to disputes and battles. In this way, the Cortes Castle arose in the 1993th century, vital in the defense of the kingdom, and the place of stay of the Navarrese kings, who liked to rest there after days of hunting. As the years went by, the castle became a stately palace and we can see it today, a succession of elegant rooms that preserve the furniture and lifestyle of its last owners, the Counts of the Union. In XNUMX the city council bought the castle and, after important restoration works, it was declared a Site of Cultural Tourist Interest. Some pleasant gardens complete the visit and, if we want to go hiking, the desert landscape of the Bardenas Reales Natural Park is nearby. 

THE CASTLE

The castle impresses with its high crenellated tower, the thick walls and the noble door through which we access a monumental complex of 4.535 m2 that little by little has been renovated with the efforts of the city council and the residents of Cortes.

THE PALACE

Crossing the patio we access what was the stately home of the Counts of the Union. A succession of rich rooms, living rooms, bedrooms, the cellar, a carriage... and an interesting collection of oil paintings as well as multiple antique and decorative objects.

THE GARDENS

What was the castle's garden and orchards became a 25.000 m2 municipal park. On a pleasant walk we can enjoy the ducks and swans in its pond and a wide variety of tree species. It has toilets and a playground.

CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

In 1333 the marriage agreements between Juana and Juana took place there.  Read more

heiress of Navarre and Peter the Ceremonious of Aragon. The tower is made of brick and culminates in a bulbous spire from the 17th century. The interior, Renaissance Gothic, houses an interesting altarpiece.

ALTO DE LA CRUZ SITE

Near Cortes is this important archaeological site, from which numerous pieces have been obtained that give an idea of ​​the lifestyle in the Ebro valley in the 1st century BC. An exhibition about this site will soon be inaugurated in one of the rooms of the castle. 

THE ENVIRONMENT – THE BLACK BARDENA

Once we have reached this point of Navarra, we recommend approaching the Bardena Negra, and specifically climbing to the Cabezo de Fraile to enjoy the wide panoramic views of this inhospitable landscape. After the walk, Cortes awaits us, with its castle and its restaurants.

VISITS TO THE CASTLE

If you want to see the interior of the castle, check the schedules on the website www.castillodecortes.com. The visits are always guided, last around an hour or an hour and a half and are carried out by volunteers belonging to the Association of Friends of Cortes Castle

INTERACTIVE PDF OF COURTS

DOWNLOAD THE INTERACTIVE PDF AND TAKE IT ON YOUR MOBILE

PRACTICAL TIPS:

– You can only visit the castle on the last Sunday of each month, at 12:00 p.m. It is best to request an appointment by calling 676 381 563, or by email.

- More information in www.castillodecortes.com

-If you can't visit the interior of the castle, admire its robust facades and go for a walk through the adjacent gardens, which were once the palace's, and are now public.

– WHAT TO DO IN THE SURROUNDINGS: ACTIVITIES

 

With the collaboration of the city council OFFICIAL WEB

 

Guided tours

COURT MAP IN CORTES

WHAT TO DO IN COURTS

CORTES RESTAURANTS

CORTES RESTAURANTS
COURT ACCOMMODATIONS

COURT ACCOMMODATIONS
COURT SERVICES

COURT SERVICES
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PACKAGING OF CUTS

THE PALOTE OF CUTS. It is a colorful dance that is celebrated every September 29 and mixes the tradition of the Ebro Valley with elements collected from the shepherds of the Pyrenean valleys who arrived in the Bardenas in transhumance. It begins with a dramatized part that is, more or less, a fun dialogue between the characters of the devil, the mayoral and the rabadán. Then comes the danced part, which consists of two dances with ribbons and two with sticks. A long tradition that has its origin in peasant celebrations at certain times of the agricultural calendar. INCORPORATION OF WOMEN. Although originally the entire representation of the Paloteado de Cortes was carried out exclusively by men, except for the character of the angel who was played by a girl, the incorporation of women was done spontaneously in the mid-XNUMXth century. This was a response, in addition to other cultural reasons, to the real need to preserve and transmit this cultural manifestation in the face of the risk of disappearing that it had at that time.

PACKAGING OF CUTS
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BLACK BURDEN

Cortes is the GATEWAY TO THE BARDENA NEGRA, more unknown than the Bardena Blanca, and which owes its name to its Aleppo pine forests and abundant well-preserved bush undergrowth with a typically Mediterranean character. Las Bardenas Reales is a desert of 41.845 hectares in which no one lives, but there is a developed livestock and agricultural activity. The cierzo, a cold and dry wind characteristic of this area, which blows in a strong and gusty direction from the northwest-southeast, has been shaping the landscape, forming the typical headlands and ravines. An ideal place to practice natural sports. There are many routes that we will find but among all of them we highlight the climb to Cabezo del Fraile, with the ruins of its castle and the wide panoramic view of the Bardena Negra.    

BLACK BURDEN
MUNICIPAL PARK – CORTES

The old garden of the Castle, today Cortes Municipal Park, with almost 30.000 m2 of surface and with ninety plant species is a unique garden in the Ribera Navarra. In the past it served as both a recreation for the family of the Conde de la Unión and as an orchard, thanks The two irrigation channels that run through its interior were assured of irrigation. The gravel paths, with a higher elevation than the planted beds, could continue to be used during blanket irrigation since they did not flood. The most used area was the one located next to the secondary access to the Castle (B), it had an intimate Italian-style garden and a grassy meadow that served as a tennis court, now missing. The rest, following the English garden model, had winding paths through lush and varied vegetation with small artificial hills. As a curiosity, the land from the excavation of the Winery building was used to create two artificial mountains (F). Of the tree species, the exceptional century-old cedars of Lebanon stand out (E). The Castle was self-sufficient, it had several orchards of tubers, vegetables and fruit trees (H) and greenhouses for vegetables and flowers (C), as well as corrals […]

MUNICIPAL PARK – CORTES
SAN MIGUEL FESTIVITIES – CORTES

These are the town's patron saint festivities, the big day being September 29 when the popular paloteado dance takes place. The festivities usually last from Saturday to Sunday, regardless of which day of the week the Patron's Day falls on.

SAN MIGUEL FESTIVITIES – CORTES
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OSTRICH EGG MUSEUM – CORTES

Private museum, unique in this category in Spain. Inside we can see a collection of more than eight hundred painted ostrich eggs, different collections of pyrography, antiques, ceramics, nativity scenes, etc. Work of Inés Litago, artist from Cortes, who carries out laborious and artisanal work that consists of emptying the eggs, cleaning them and preparing them to later paint them for about six or seven hours with the painstaking care of having to avoid breaking the shell. A complete skill that is shown to us in this hidden museum in the Ribera Navarra. Schedule a visit by calling 637 090 087. Admission is free but donations are accepted for the maintenance of the museum. It is recommended to visit in groups. 

OSTRICH EGG MUSEUM – CORTES
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WHAT TO DO AROUND CORTES

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Middle zone and Ribera
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Trekking
Trekking

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BERBINZANA
BERBINZANA

BERBINZANA

In what is now the town of Berbinzana, next to the Arga River, was the Benedictine Monastery of Santa María, which was donated by King García Sánchez III to that of Santa María de Nájera in the 11th century. In the 12th century, Berbinzana was already a town belonging to the Monastery of Santa María de Nájera. In later centuries, the town had various transactions and owners. By the 16th century it was granted the possibility of holding fairs and markets.

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Accommodation
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VISITS IN THE SURROUNDINGS

ROUTE AND SURROUNDINGS

TUDELA - BARDENA NEGRA ROUTE

OLITE ROUTE - BARDENA BLANCA

TUDELA

CORELLA

FITERO MONASTERY

TARAZONE

TULEBRAS MONASTERY

ARGUEDAS

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ROYAL BARDENAS

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WHAT TO DO IN NAVARRE
GETAWAYS IN NAVARRE
ACCOMMODATIONS IN NAVARRA
NAVARRA ROUTES
WHAT TO SEE IN NAVARRA

Here you can find other places of interest in El Turismo Fácil to visit in Navarre, the Basque Country, Lanzarote, Girona, The Rioja, Madrid, Mallorca y the Camino de Santiago.

NAVARRE TOURISM