Castle of Cortes, Navarra. Visit information and download digital brochure

Cortes is the southern gateway to the Chartered Community of Navarre and the first town on the Ebro Way of St. James. Its history dates back to ancient times: settlements in the area are known as early as the Bronze Age. Later, the Romans also left their mark, and the town was reconquered in 1119 by Alfonso I the Battler.
With a distinct identity, Cortes invites you to discover it at any time of year, although one of the best times to visit is during its patron saint festivities in honor of San Miguel, held around September 29th. During these dates, the traditional Paloteado (dance dance) is a unique folk expression declared a Site of Cultural Interest in 2014.
The old town of Cortes is organized around two emblematic monuments: the castle and the parish church of San Juan Bautista. Strolling through its streets, you can still see traces of its Muslim past, such as cul-de-sacs and adarves (walled streets), and historic buildings like the Casa Gaviria, with its noble coat of arms, have been preserved.
Permanent Exhibition of the Alto de la Cruz Site
Located in the castle's grounds and open to the public since October 1, 2017, this exhibition offers a valuable selection of artifacts found at the Alto de la Cruz archaeological site. The tour highlights the importance of the site as a key point for understanding European prehistory on the Iberian Peninsula.
Archaeological Site of Alto de la Cruz
Discovered by chance in 1946, the Alto de la Cruz site in Cortes was initially investigated by Blas Taracena, who revealed its relevance for the study of the arrival and development of iron metallurgy in Western Europe. Its extensive stratigraphic sequence, spanning the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age, makes it an essential reference for Iberian Peninsular prehistory. It was declared a Site of Cultural Interest in Navarre in 1999.
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Municipal park
Located on what was once the castle's orchard, the Cortes Municipal Park extends over 25.000 m² and is home to nearly 90 plant species. It is a unique garden in the Ribera Navarra region, ideal for strolling and relaxing.

Church of San Juan Bautista
Its construction began in 1547, although it is notable for an earlier event: in 1333, it hosted the marriage contract between Queen Juana, heiress of Navarre, and Peter IV the Ceremonious, heir to Aragon. Inside, a XNUMXth-century Flemish statue of the Virgin, donated by Queen Blanca of Navarre, is preserved, and its main feature is the main altarpiece. Also noteworthy is the Baroque sculpture of the Holy Christ of the Good Death.

Paloteado of Cortes
The Paloteado de Cortes, celebrated every September 29th, has been a living tradition since the late 2014th century. This folklore event combines popular theater with ribbon and stick dances performed by men and women. Its roots are linked to ancient agricultural rituals, and since XNUMX, it has been declared an Asset of Cultural Interest as an expression of intangible heritage.

CASTLE OF CORTES
Cortes Castle is one of the greatest witnesses to the town's historical development. Although its origins may date back to the Muslim era, the first written mention of it appears in 1128. Over the centuries, it was one of the most prominent fortresses in the Kingdom of Navarre and the scene of significant historical events. It even temporarily hosted several Navarrese kings.
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Over time, the fortress passed into the hands of various noble families, who transformed its defensive character to adapt it to the palatial tastes of the time. In the 19th century, the castle was expanded and restored in the neo-Gothic style, as reflected in its pointed arched windows and the romantic decoration of its interiors. Royal weddings and institutional events have been held within its walls.
At the rear lies what was once the castle's garden, now converted into a municipal park. Inside, some of the original furnishings and a valuable collection of paintings belonging to the Counts of La Unión are preserved, with works spanning the 16th to the 19th centuries, representing various styles and schools.
Since 1993, Cortes Castle has been declared a Site of Cultural Interest in Navarre.

PRIVATE MUSEUMS
Ostrich Egg Museum
Inés Litago opens the doors to her stunning private collection, featuring more than 1.000 hand-painted ostrich eggs, making it a unique museum in Europe. It also houses more than 500 decorated goose eggs and an interesting display of antiques.

The Chest of Memories Museum
Salvador Ibáñez invites you to travel back in time through this charming exhibition, which brings together tools and objects from traditional trades, rescued from oblivion, to show what life and work were like in the village decades ago.
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Exhibition "Give me your hand and let's go around the world"
Artist Pedro Mari Monasterio presents this exhibition dedicated to creative recycling. Under a poetic title, the exhibition proposes an imaginary journey through ingeniously and sensitively repurposed materials.

Carlos Sebastián “Calabrocha”
This local artist transforms iron into art in his workshop. His metal sculptures breathe new life into disused pieces, transforming them into unique creations that combine strength, expressiveness, and a second chance for forgotten materials.

INTERACTIVE PDF OF COURTS

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PRACTICAL TIPS:

-VISITS By appointment, call 676 381 563.

SCHEDULES Every Sunday at 12,00:XNUMX p.m. Rest of days: Call to check availability.

- 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.

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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.

September 29, 2025

PACKAGING OF CUTS

Duration: 29 September 2025 - 29 September 2025

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

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

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.

September 26, 2020

SAN MIGUEL FESTIVITIES – CORTES

Duration: 26 September 2020 - October 4 2020

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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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.