# Navarre and La Rioja: the wine road of the Camino

> 4-day road trip of about 231 km (143 mi) with 8 stops, from Pamplona to San Millán de la Cogolla monasteries. About 3 h 11 min of driving in total.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b3-rioja-navarre/

**At a glance:** 4-day road trip of about 231 km (143 mi) with 8 stops, from Pamplona to San Millán de la Cogolla monasteries. About 3 h 11 min of driving in total. A royal palace in Olite, pilgrim bridges and a wine fountain, tapas in Logroño and the walled wine towns of the Rioja.

| | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 231 km (143 mi) |
| Driving | 3 h 11 min |
| Suggested days | 4 |
| Stops | 8 |
| Route | Pamplona → San Millán de la Cogolla monasteries |
| Countries | Spain |
| Updated | August 18, 2026 |

## 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.

## Stop-by-stop itinerary

1. **Pamplona** (Spain)
2. **Royal Palace of Olite** (Olite, Spain): The fairy-tale palace of the kings of Navarre, a maze of towers, stairways and battlements you can climb. Olite is also a good place to taste Navarre wines.
3. **Puente la Reina** (Spain)
4. **Irache wine fountain** (Ayegui, Spain): Beside the Monastery of Irache on the Camino de Santiago, a fountain pours free red wine for pilgrims alongside a tap of water. A small glass is the custom, not a bottle.
5. **Logroño** (Spain)
6. **Laguardia** (Spain)
7. **Haro** (Spain)
8. **San Millán de la Cogolla monasteries** (San Millán de la Cogolla, Spain): The twin monasteries of Yuso and Suso, where some of the earliest written words in Castilian were found. Suso, high on the hillside, is reached only by a short shuttle bus from Yuso on guided visits.