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The Way of Saint James: French Way. Third route: From Estella to Logroño

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ESTELLA-LOGROÑO

From Estella to Logroño (48 kms.) (With exit from hostel, bar-restaurant, or tourist office)

One of the hardest stages but also more gratificantes of all the French Way. The difficulty is considered high with heights of height of until 750 metres, but the route by Navarra and The Rioja, do it an only experience.

Fuente del vino Camino de Santiago

Bodegas Irache en Estella- Fuente del Vino.

When splitting of the hostel of Estella, the first stop forced is the one of the famous source of the wine, of Cellars Irache. A grolo of wine to begin the travesía with energy, always comes very (but without happening ). In this distance, have the option to go by the traditional route, by narrow footpaths and that, depending on the period of the year, can be full of mud, or, visit the road that do the most comfortable Way, although, although it is true, less attractive and without being able to enjoy of the beautiful seen highland.

The first unemployed can do it in The Arches, a place in where you will be able to take a coffee in many of the cafés and take advantage of to do some shopping in the shops and local supermarkets. If you follow the option of road, the asphalt is in quite good state, although, to the equal that following the traditional route, is a continuous goes up and drop, because of the rugged terrain navarro. From Towers of the River, after going up to the high, if you look for backwards have a beautiful sight of Sansol, and if you look for forward, the Way complicates a pile. The following stopped before arriving to The Rioja is in a small pueblecito called Viana. Ideal for afterwards take the lane-bici that begins in the community and that drives directly to Logroño.

Santa María de Arcos- Camino de Santiago

Iglesia de Santa María de Arcos- Fuente: ViajarAhora.com

The way goes in in Logroño by the north until the famous Pozo Cubillas, known source where the pilgrims take advantage of to freshen his feet. You can enjoy in the next oriel to the source, in which the beautiful seen of the bridge of stone and the towers of the churches, will not leave you indifferent. At the beginning of the bridge of stone finds the office of the pilgrim and when crossing the river Ebro go in in the ancient helmet and arrive to the hostel of Logroño.

Logroño Is a small city, but with all the services, kind and near people and interminable places of visit after doing your Way of Santiago in bicycle. Gastronomy of luxury and to popular prices, and tourist visits like the Bridge of Stone, the Bridge of Iron, the Theatre Bretón of the Smiths or the Wall of Revellín.

Camino de Santiago- Pozo Cubillas

Pozo Cubillas en Logroño- Fuente de Peregrinos

The Way, second route: Pamplona-Estella

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PAMPLONA-ESTELLA

Pamplona to Estella (44 kms.) (from the hostel, restaurant or tourist office centre)

Pamplona, the city by recognized of the most multitudinous party of Spain: Saint Fermines. Affable and pleasant people, joy in the city and an old zone full of restaurants with excellent gastronomy. In the next church to the hostel, will be able to assist to the blessing of the pilgrim, so that the trip accompany you with all the luck and fortune of the world. We begin to ride!

Plaza del Castillo en Pamplona

Pamplona

The rest in the hostel of pilgrims of Pamplona is ensured. It consists of rooms with several literary but reigns a very cordial environment so much in the personnel of attention as with the remaining pilgrims. After the exit in bicycle, recommend not carrying a lot of weight in the alforjas, since it treats of a stage with rises and descents in which we will notice the weight of our luggage. True is that it is more remarkable during the descents, but in the rises complicates a lot the comfort in the pedaleo.

We stand out Pamplona like a city in which the amaneceres are cold and humid, by what, in your exit, recommend a good breakfast accompanied of clothes of coat and also some piece for the rain. Descending the street of Curia until Mercaderes, the one of the famous curve of the runnings of the bulls of Saint Fermín, arrive until the Consistorial square, beautiful façade the one of the City council of Pamplona. We continue by Saint Saturnino and visit of tip to tip the Greater street. After a step peatonal advance until the avenue of the Army and go in in the Turn of the Castle, beautiful park grown around the defensive bastion of the Citadel.

More advance, the signaling forces to leave the green zone to access to the street Source of the Iron, that crosses the avenue Sancho the Strong and drop until the University of Navarra. It abandons the private institution by the bridge of Acella on the river Sadar (Km 3). By an andadero, after two kilometres, arrives in light slope until Cizur Lower, population of the Cendea of Cizur.

Puente de paso de Cizur Menor

We leave Cizur between semi-detached and happen to places calmer. In the place of Guenduláin, visionaremos a beautiful lake of water and in two kilometres further up is Zariquiegui, last population of the Cendea of Cizur on the way of Santiago. We leave the tracks and take a more interesting footpath that opens  step between espinos. We will arrive to the famous source of Gambellacos, known by the following legend: they explain that in this place, the devil offered water to a pilgrim thirsty in return that it complained of God, the Virgin and Santiago. The pilgrim, half moribundo, despised the drink and prayed until the demon went  and appeared the source that satiated him. Satiated also we, devote the last effort until the high of the Saw of the Pardon, natural barrier between the Pamplona and Valdizarbe.

Fuente de la Reniega

Fuente de la Reniega

We will arrive to the Height of the Pardon, a good place to do a stop and enjoy of fantastic seen while we do a rest, eat something to replace strengths and pose the following part of the stage. After this light rest, visit the villages of Uterga, Muruzábal and Obanos in where we cross to continue to the vega of the river Steal until the entrance of Bridge the Queen. Beside the church of Santiago fulfil the two dozens of kilometres. The half of our way. In Bridge The Queen have all the services (hostels, cafeterias, restaurants, tourist offices, etc). A good place to stop to eat and enjoy of his architecture and monuments to face the afternoon until Estella, a more complex route.

The distance of game of Bridge The Queen goes through the valley of Mañeru, that gives us one of the postcards of the Way: a panoramic totally natural and no adulterated, surrounded by a road full of winegrapes and cereals that illustrate the image. Spectacular. Going down the valley, continue until Cirauqui, that stands out by his shod roman, the boat race of Iguste and the viaduct of the channel of Alloz, worthy places to contemplate and decelerar in the pedaleo.

The last stops would be Lorca and Villatuerta in where contáis with hostels, pharmacies, restaurants and cafés for “repostar” and take any refrigerio and can complete the 44 kms. Of this stage until Estella. A complete stage for any cyclist: rises and descents, different types of route: city, field, footpaths and shod, and excellent seen natural.

Puente del Picudo de Estella

Picudo Bridge in Estella

 

The Way, first route: RONCESVALLES – PAMPLONA

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RONCESVALLES – PAMPLONA

Km 0. Roncesvalles (from the hostel, restaurant or tourist office centre)

Km 0. Saint Jean au Pied du Port.-01

In the beginning of the way a priest expects to all the one who undertakes the armed trip with a good bunch of stamps of the virgin of Roncesvalles and with a smile of these that hit. It greets you, question, interests by your plan of trip and until does a photo with you if like this you ask it to him. Ready, smart?, and it begins the riding.

Depending on the station in which it do , is very important to take into account the suitable clothes and a kit of first helps for our bicycle (stock exchange of complete repair, new camera and bomb), especially if it travels in period of rains. It is very typical to listen in this first stage (if it is period of rains) that it is impossible to go down in bicycle from Roncesvalles, but those that are accustomed to walk by earth will be delighted and will be able to forget of the pilotage to enjoy of the colours, the pastures, and the first greetings of proud pilgrims of an amazing trip: 790 kilometres until Santiago de Compostela.

Going out by the N-135 takes a small way that discurre to the embroider of the forest of Sorginaritzaga or robledal of Witches, a bucólico walk that leaves to see at the end the mythical cross of the Pilgrims, a cruise of the Gothic period that was moved to this place to finals of the XIX. This walk finishes beside the polygon Ipetea, where goes back to go out to the N-135 to go in in Auritz/Burguete.

cruz-peregrinos-02

In Auritz/Burguete there is a pair of bars that open early for those that are to repeat breakfast. One of them finds beside the church of Saint Nicolás and another some one hundred metres afterwards. Happened the parish the Saint street Nicolás (corresponds with the N-135, are all one) twist to the right beside a banking branch to the river Urrobi. After sortear several courses of water by rudimentary driveways of stone and solve a small repecho, goes out to a track asphalted from which already appreciate the roofs of Spinal, first pertaining village to the valley of Erro.

When arriving to the village of Spinal, just where there is a bar and a bakery (a perfect place to take down of sweet and recomponer energy) turns to the right to a zone by which only can circulate by the sidewalk. Justo after a step of pedestrians it is necessary to turn to the left until it takes the track to go up to the height of Mizkitirtz. Two kilometres afterwards finds an image ploughed of the Virgin of Roncesvalles. Care when crossing the road: it is necessary to have a lot of care of not to confuse and take the senda that is not.

A metallic door carries to an impressive hayedo that will guide until the next population. The last stretch of this senda will be pavimentado to keep moved away the possible barrizal of winter. This will carry to a senda that drives to Bizkarreta, end of stage during the 12th century thanks to the existence of a hospital of pilgrims.

Just to the manually left entrance finds a bar, and when leaving the village, beside the shop of Biskarret takes course to Lintzoain, following village that finds to some two kilometres.

Once in Lintzoain, arrived to a pediment it is necessary to twist to the right to take a way of cement very hard. It follows him a track of gravel? A stone signposts that they remain four kilometres until the high of Erro- and afterwards a senda narrow.

The first going ups are the hardest, but little by little the slope yields and the way widens , until enjoying by moments of small falling stretches, as the one who carries until the same high of Erro, where crosses the N-135.

Between the spring and the autumn exists a mobile bar that works with energy solar. They sell sodas, fruit, barritas energetic and bollería industrial. In spring serve also drunk hot.

It begins the descent, surprise some stretches of the descent in which there are stairs, until arriving to the bridge of the Anger on the river Arga, construction by which accesses to Zubiri and to the valley of Esteribar.

Km 0. Saint Jean au Pied du Port.-01

To follow the way having visited the village of Zubiri it is necessary to go back on the steps and cross again the bridge of the Anger. A kilometre afterwards finds a polygon that it is necessary to surround by a road, until descending a small stretch of stairs to abandon the industrial area and arrive to the village of Ilarratz. Roughly a kilometre afterwards will be Eskirotz and another kilometre more will carry to Larrasoaña.

If you come from Zubiri the itinerary does not arrive to this place, since it finds separated of the way by the river Arga and the bridge of the Bandits. A short promotion of 500 metres roughly carries until the following core, Akerreta.

Following the way it is necessary to happen near of a rural hotel and after a porthole and a stretch of gravel arrives until a local road that has to cross . The following stretch is of tale: protected between the trees and thickets until finding the river Arga and begin a descent until the same bank. Hit to the course of the river until arriving to the bridge of Zuriain.

Beside the bridge find the bar and the hostel The Stop of Zurian. It goes out until the road N-135 and takes the detour of Ilurdotz, until going back to cross the Arga to direct until Irotz.