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!

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.

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

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.

Picudo Bridge in Estella