Navarra is a region with much to discover, from its picturesque medieval towns to its impressive natural landscapes. Its rich culture and gastronomy are a major draw for visitors, who can enjoy the region's traditional pintxos and world-renowned wines. If you want to discover the best places to visit in Navarra, we will tell you everything. Enter a world of beauty, history and flavor.
The history of Navarra is a history of diverse people and rich cultural exchanges. The Basques arrived to stay, and then, more along the way, the Romans, the Franks, the Arabs, the pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago... In the year 812 Iñigo Arista was crowned king of Pamplona, and from there the old kingdom of Pamplona arose. Navarre resisted the attacks of the powerful neighboring kingdoms until the year 1512. So much history and so many battles have left many castles, fortified towns, monasteries, churches and cathedrals in Navarre. If we add to this the beautiful towns of the north, the monumental complex of Navarra is truly vast and varied.
NAVARRA AREA, LAND OF DIVERSITY
BAZTAN VALLEY – BIDASOA
Read more
CLICK TO SEE TOWNS AND MONUMENTS. The north of Navarra is a mountainous land, with green meadows, Basque farmhouses and ancient traditions. Our route begins along a winding road that, passing through spectacular beech forests, takes us to the Sanctuary of San Miguel de Aralar. It is a place of legend and devotion, which dominates the Arakil valley from the top of the mountain range. The Señorío de Bértiz was a private estate that by generous will became public for the general enjoyment of its botanical garden and beech forests. We will regain strength in Elizondo, capital of the Valley. Further away is Urdax, a small town that grew up around the Monastery of San Salvador, its canals and mills and the Urdazubi caves.
STARLAND
Read more
CLICK TO SEE TOWNS AND MONUMENTS. You can go to Estella by the highway or by the Camino de Santiago, which being the same route, one way of traveling has little to do with the other. Nearby we will find the old Iranzu monastery that was revived from ruins and abandonment in a spectacular and secluded enclave. And all that remains is to continue the Camino (or the highway) to Viana. Its past glories come from its border condition, which few enclaves like this can resist the onslaught of history. There is a beautiful church, that of Santa María, very well preserved, and another half in ruins, that of San Pedro, both worth visiting.
PYRENEES, RONCAL AND IRATI FOREST
Read more
CLICK TO SEE TOWNS AND MONUMENTS. The Pyrenees in Navarra are not too high, but they are high enough to find impressive panoramic views. The Table of the Three Kings, right at the vertex where the kingdoms of Navarre, Aragon and France met, is the highest peak (2.428 m). At its feet is the Roncal valley, where all its towns are worth visiting and whose river, the Eska, makes its way between mountains and ravines. The hard-working Roncalese went down the cold waters on rafts to earn a well-deserved wage. On their way south they passed near two powerful stone constructions, the Javier Castle and the Leyre Monastery.
OLITE, TUDELA AND BARDENAS REALES
Read more
CLICK TO SEE TOWNS AND MONUMENTS. Navarra, contrary to popular belief, can be warm, even suffocating. If you still doubt it, the Bardenas desert will change your mind. Yes, a desert in the middle of Navarra, arid and dry, with sculptural shapes shaped by the wind and with torrid heat in the summer months. There are many historical monuments, where the Olite castle is its most notable piece. From its high towers, perched in the mountains in the distance, we can see Ujué, a town that grew up sheltered by the Santa María Fortress Sanctuary and which was the watchtower most feared by the Moorish people during the times of the reconquest. More peaceful is the visit to the Monasterio de la Oliva, next to the Aragón River and its fertile fields. Going further south, and crossing the aforementioned Bardenas desert, we will arrive at Tudela, whose historic center is crowded around its magnificent cathedral.
Loading...
Loading...
PLACES OF INTEREST IN NAVARRA
PAMPLONA / IRUÑA
Pamplona is the capital of Navarra and has a population of 200.000 inhabitants. It is a modern, clean, green city, with great commercial, industrial and service activity. The tourist visit focuses on its historic center with its walls, the cathedral and the bullfighting route. Then there are many other Pamplonas: the university, the night, the party, the pinchos, the cultural and all the ones you want to discover...
ARGUEDAS
Arguedas is the gateway to the Bardenas Reales, a unique desert landscape that is almost a must-see when you arrive in Navarra.
ARTAJONA
Artajona is a town of 1.600 inhabitants famous for its Cerco at the top of the hill, which preserves its walls and nine of its fourteen towers. Entering the Siege is taking us back to the Middle Ages to imagine battles and sieges. It began to be built in 1805 under the auspices of the canons of Saint Sernin, of T
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.
BURGUI
Burgui is the gateway to the Roncal valley, the southernmost town of all and also the one with the mildest climate. In other times, a castle on the rock dominated the hamlet where the hermitage of the Virgin of the Castle is located today, and since the Middle Ages it had a stone bridge with a photogenic silhouette, through which the migrating shepherds crossed the Esca River on their way to the mountains. Bardenas. A dam or “port” with a steep ramp reminds us of the rafters who descended through the cold waters of the d
CASTLE
Carcastillo is one of the gateways to the Bardenas desert and is located in the fertile plain of the Aragón River and next to the old Cistercian monastery of La Oliva.
JAVIER CASTLE
It emerged in the 7th century as a watchtower in border lands to which little by little battlements and turrets were added. On April 1506, XNUMX, Saint Francis Xavier, patron saint of Navarra and the missions due to the many trips he made to distant lands, was born there.
CORELLA
The first thing that catches your attention when we approach Corella are the high towers of its two churches, San Miguel and Rosario. The second, walking through its historic center, the numerous palaces that overlook its narrow and winding streets.
CUTS
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 12th 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.
MS. MARIA
The history of Donamaria is linked to that of the Ibargoiara valley until the year 1.845, the year in which the places of Askarraga, Artze, Donamaria, Gaztelu, and Igurin formed the municipality of Donamaria, taking Donamaria as its capital.
ELIZONDO
In Baztán all the towns are beautiful, Elizondo being the largest of all and the capital of the valley. It is distributed in neighborhoods along the Baztán River and has numerous old farmhouses, baroque palaces and Indian houses.
ESTELLA / LIZARRA
To get to Estella you have to go straight, especially if we leave from Roncesvalles and head towards Santiago. But it was not always like this. In its beginnings the Camino did not pass through Estella, rather Estella did not exist
EZCAROZ / EZKAROZE
It is one of the fourteen towns that make up the Salazar Valley. A Pyrenean town between Roncesvalles and the Roncal Valley, very close to the Irati jungle. The urban complex is characterized by its cobbled streets and the stately appearance of its Pyrenean houses with steeply sloping roofs and flat tiles. Livestock town, with sheep and Pyrenean cows; Agricultural, potatoes are grown for seed and consumption; and a large part of its extension is forested, with pine, beech and oak.
Funes
Bathed by the waters of the Ebro, Aragón and Arga rivers, lies the picturesque town of Funes in the Autonomous Community of Navarre. The historical origins of Funes are linked to the period of Roman domination. It is believed that its name comes from the Latin term finis, which means limit, due to its important border location very close to the territory occupied by the Muslims. At least twenty archaeological sites have been identified in the area, although not all have been studied and cannot be visited. The history of Funes is also marked by the tragedy of the Roman Empire.
FUSTIÑANA
Fustiñana, located in the Ribera de Navarra next to the Ebro River, is a town with a history linked to its natural environment and the civilizations that have
ISABA
It is a town with a lot of life. You walk through its narrow cobblestone streets and greet its neighbors who are busy in the gardens, cleaning the doorways, watering the gardens and, ultimately, taking care of their houses and thus beautifying their town.
JAURRIETA
It is a pretty town located between Ochagavía and Roncesvalles, which spreads across a hillside around the Gothic church of San Salvador. It has numerous hotels and rural houses. After visiting the town, a short walk takes us to the hermitage of the White Virgin.
LEITZA
It is a large town that has an interesting historic center, with its hamlets around the monumental church of San Miguel. Once you have visited the town, there is a short route along what is the Plazaola greenway, which goes through long tunnels, forests and meadows, until you reach the old Leitza station.
LEKUNBERRI
Lekunberri means “good new place” since, due to its border location, throughout its history it was razed and rebuilt numerous times. Today it is a large town, full of commercial activity, and with a very well-kept old town.
THE ARCHES
Los Arcos was always a disputed land, first by Muslims and Christians and then by Navarrese and Castilians, with the town passing from one hand to another. A castle on top of the hill and a wall that completely surrounded its historic center were witnesses of those battles.
MAÑERU
A pleasant town of old stone houses where pilgrims arrive on their way to Santiago.
MARCILLA
The castle, palace, a beautiful example of Gothic fortification, was built in brick on stone slopes, which could date from a previous period (the different colors and textures indicate the different phases of the work). The moats that surround it indicate its character as a fortress
IRACHE MONASTERY
Irache is a solid mass of stone that outlines its silhouette on Montejurra, the mythical mountain of Carlism, witness in November 1873 of the bloody battle in which the liberal troops suffered a painful defeat.
IRANZU MONASTERY
Iranzu is reached by crossing a gorge. Doing it now is easy, but in the 12th century the first Cistercian monks would think that “the ways of the Lord are inscrutable”, or what is the same “what have we lost in these wanderings”.
OLIVE MONASTERY
It was built during the 12th and 13th centuries in the Cistercian Romanesque style of great purity. Under the protection of the Navarrese monarchy and nobility, he achieved great prosperity and became one of the most powerful of the time. Then came times of ruin and the definitive reconstruction that we can now enjoy.
LEYRE MONASTERY
It is located in the impressive Sierra de Leyre and above the Yesa reservoir. It began to be built in the 11th century in Romanesque style, to be completed at the end of the 15th century with the Gothic nave of the church. The first kings of Navarra are buried there.
OCHAGAVÍA / OTSAGABIA
It is a town to stroll through its narrow streets and look out over its stone bridge over the Salazar River. You can go up to the Muskilda hermitage by walking up a steep slope or by car on the road. It is a temple from the 12th century and has magnificent views of the Pyrenees.
OLITE
The Olite Castle is an impressive monumental complex made up of high towers, battlements, Gothic galleries and rich rooms ordered to be built by the King of Navarra, Charles III the Noble. The façade of the church of Santa María and the tower of San Pedro complete the visit to the historic center of Olite.
BANK
The Peralteses have been coining peculiar names over time whose meaning is not always clear. This occurs, for example, with Espoz y Mina street, known by the people of Peralte as Calleja Matapadres.
PETILLA DE ARAGON
Petilla de Aragón is a Navarrese island in the neighboring community of Aragón, and its identity is based on its resistance, when against everything against its rock castle it resisted sieges to remain faithful to its king and its land. The castle disappeared but its people remained, in a spectacular environment of mountains and forests, who hospitably receive anyone who comes to visit them. The famous scientist and Nobel Prize winner Santiago Ramón y Cajal, father of the neu, was born there.
RONCAL – ERRONKARI
It is the capital of the valley and has a tourist office. It is a town to walk around: go to the Castle neighborhood and look into the threshing floor, visit the church of San Esteban, the laundry or go to the cemetery to see the tomb of the famous tenor Julian Gayarre, with the wonderful sculptures by Benlliure.
RONCESVALLES / ORREAGA
It is the most common starting point for pilgrims to Santiago. The church of Santa María is one of the best examples of Navarrese Gothic.
SAINT ADRIAN
SAINT ADRIAN
Welcome to San Adrián, a cozy town in the Foral Community of Navarra, located between the Ebro and Ega rivers, in the Ribera del Alto Ebro region.
SAINT MARTIN OF UNX
San Martín de Unx is a town of steep streets, stone houses and temples in elegant Romanesque style, and if you go a little further away you will discover its harmonious silhouette over the vineyards, from which its inhabitants have extracted the most famous of their products since ancient times. , rosé wine. On the slopes, terraces and ravines of this mid-mountain area, the freshness of the forests gives the Garnacha grape its uniqueness, then
SAN MIGUEL DE ARALAR
To get to the Aralar sanctuary you have to climb a high mountain along a winding road, but it is here where the premise that “the path is the goal” almost comes true due to the beautiful beech forests that we find before arriving.
BLOOD
Located in a privileged natural environment between the first Pyrenean mountains and the Aragón River, it is an important stage of the Camino de Santiago from the Port of Somport and Jaca, known as the Aragonese Way.
SANTA MARÍA DE EUNATE
It is a small church located on the Aragonese Camino de Santiago, just before meeting the French Camino in the nearby town of Puente la Reina. What makes it unique is its perimeter portico and its centralized floor plan.
CODÉS SANCTUARY
The Sanctuary is at the foot of the mountain range of the same name, and the devotion of the residents of the valley who come there on pilgrimage to visit their Virgin and patron saint is joined by the arrival of many hikers attracted by
BERTIZ MANOR
The Señorío de Bértiz is an extensive forest declared a natural park that has a botanical garden with exotic plants and unique buildings. Its owner was Don Pedro de Ciga who in his will bequeathed his property to Navarra with the condition that it be preserved without changing any of its characteristics.
TARAZONE
Tarazona, in the province of Zaragoza, acquired relevance when it became a Roman city with the name of Turiaso. The Carolingian kings erected powerful walls there to defend themselves against Basque incursions and in the year 449 there is evidence of the episcopal see of Tarazona, one of the oldest in Spain.
RIVER TOWERS
The Town of Torres del Río, also called Torres de Sansol, is located halfway between Los Arcos and Viana, at the very edge of the old pilgrimage route to Santiago, dominating a hill next to the Sansol hill, in
TUDELA
Tudela is the second largest city in Navarra and has an important historic center with old churches and palaces, but the jewel of the city is its cathedral, a mix of architectural styles in which the Romanesque cloister, the Gothic temple and the baroque chapels.
TULEBRA
Tulebras is a small town that was born under the protection of the monastery of Santa María de la Caridad, founded by the Navarrese monarch García Ramírez, who asked the nuns of the French monastery of Favars to come to Navarra.
UJUE
Ujué is a town perched in the mountains with a fortress church that impresses from a distance. It emerged during the time of the reconquest as a border castle from which to watch the banks of Navarre. In its historic center, the houses are crowded on a slope around the Sanctuary of Santa María.
URDAX
Among the countless attractions that the town has we have the Monastery and its cloister, the mill, the Ikaburu caves, a fauna interpretation center and an impressive landscape in which to enjoy life and leisure outdoors.
VALCARLOS / LUZAIDE
THE BATTLE OF RONCESVALLES. Charlemagne and his troops, as they passed through the Pyrenees, were defeated in the Luzaide / Valcarlos ravines by the Vascones. The defeat had a great echo and was sung and reproduced hundreds of times throughout the Middle Ages. Since then, the legends and myths about that event have been known throughout Europe. Now, Luzaide/Valcarlos has an exhibition center that explains to visitors the
VIANA
It preserves the historic center of what was a walled city. The church of Santa María was declared a national monument in 1931 and has an interesting Renaissance façade and a superb Gothic interior from the XNUMXth century. The other essential visit is the ruins of the churches of San Pedro.
MAP OF TOWNS AND MONUMENTS OF 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.