Navarre and La Rioja: the wine road of the Camino

Route description

From Pamplona, famous for the bull runs of San Fermín, drive south on the A-15 to Olite, where the turreted palace of the kings of Navarre is fun to explore from dungeons to rooftops. Then head west to Puente la Reina, where the Camino de Santiago crosses the Arga on a six-arched Romanesque bridge.

Follow the pilgrims west on the A-12 via Estella to the Monastery of Irache, where a fountain serves free wine to walkers; a small glass is enough. The road then enters La Rioja at Logroño, whose Calle Laurel is lined with tapas bars, busiest on weekend evenings.

North of the Ebro lies Rioja Alavesa, the Basque part of the region, with Laguardia, a walled hilltop town riddled with old wine cellars, under the wall of the Sierra de Cantabria. Continue west on the A-124 to Haro, whose historic wineries cluster around the railway station; many offer tours and tastings, most need booking.

End south of the Ebro at San Millán de la Cogolla, where the twin monasteries of Yuso and Suso guard some of the first written words in Spanish. September and October, during the harvest, are the best months; stay in the towns and do not drink and drive, as Spanish limits are strict.