Information about stage 3: Stage from Zubiri to Pamplona/Iruna
| STAGE 3 |
Km 20.4 |
TIME 04H 30′ |
Itinerary
Zubiri – Km 0
You have to retrace yesterday’s steps and cross the Rabia bridge again. After a kilometer we come to the edge of a road, right in front of the Magna factory, a company founded in 1945 taking advantage of the geological deposit of magnesite. We go up the road, surrounding the perimeter of the company and, later, we go down a flight of stairs to leave the industrial area. Along a cobbled path we arrive at Ilarratz, with a fountain.
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Everything is Available.
Ilarratz – Km 2.9
Eight hundred meters we enter Eskirotz.
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Hostel
Eskirotz – Km 3.7
Barely two kilometers away is Larrasoaña. A landmark town on the Jacobean route, structured by Calle San Nicolás, which owes its origin to the foundation of a monastery in the 10th century.
Larrasoaña – Km 5.5
Coming from Zubiri, the itinerary does not enter this town, since it is separated from the Camino by the Arga river and the Bandidos bridge. A short ascent leads to the next nucleus of the Esteribar valley: Akerreta.
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Hostel, Pensions, Bar, Shop-Supermarket, Office
Akerreta Km 6.1
At the top of the town is the Church of the Transfiguration, which still preserves medieval elements such as the tower, the portal and the baptismal font. We pass next to the rural hotel and after a gate and a section of gravel we come to a local road, which we cross. The next section does not disappoint at all. Sheltered between trees and scrub we go in search of the Arga river and we solve a rapid descent to the very shore, almost touching the water. Sticking to the riverbed, we reached the Zuriain bridge.
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Rural Hotel
Zuriain – Km 9.2
Next to the bridge is the bar and hostel La Parada de Zuriain, which will open in 2014. We exit onto the N-135 and carefully follow some ruts along the shoulder. We take the detour to Ilurdotz and cross the Arga again to head towards Irotz.
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Hostel, Bar
Irotz – Km 11.2
At the entrance of this population is the Irotz Furnace. Leaving the church of San Pedro aside, we continue along the track to the Iturgaiz bridge, of Romanesque origin and rehabilitated in the last century. Right at the exit there is a narrow path on the left that goes between the river on our left and the national road on our right, after about 300 meters we will reach a town where we will see at a crossroads the signs to go to the right to the Church of San Esteban, in Zabaldika, the church is open and is the historical route of the path, Zabaldika has a pilgrims’ hostel and is a good place to stop along the way. From the church there is a path that continues straight ahead and leads us to go up a path that passes through the old Señorío de Arleta, today a set of ruined houses. We say goodbye to the Esteribar valley and further on we avoid crossing a ring road thanks to another underpass. Thus we go down to the bridge over the Ultzama river and the hermitage of Trinidad de Arre, which still has its Romanesque apse. BEWARE, At the exit of Irotz there is a signposted variant that goes along a river walk but that does not go through Zabaldika, with its church and hostel, or the Trinidad de Arre bridge, with how important these enclaves are for the History of the Camino de Santiago. In addition, this variant does NOT follow the historical layout. Let’s not be in a hurry to get there, the important thing is the way.
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Bar
Villava – Km 15.8
Thus, we enter Calle Mayor de Villava, birthplace of Miguel Indurain. Those who want to spend the night in the Villava hostel should turn left towards the middle of the street. It is perfectly signposted. At the exit we cross the road and continue straight ahead, passing several roundabouts, until connecting with Burlada.
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Mocked – Km 17.2
We cross the town along Calle Mayor and after a while, at the height of a mechanical workshop, we turn right to cross a pedestrian crossing next to Viveros Arvena. After the crossroads, paying attention to the Jacobean signs on the pavement, we continue a few meters to the right and turn left onto a promenade. It is the Burlada path, which leads to the gates of Pamplona, the first city on the Camino. A kilometer and a half later we cross the Magdalena bridge over the Arga river. At the exit, on the left, is the detour to the Casa Paderborn hostel. The Path continues to the right towards a pass regulated by traffic lights. We continue through the moat of the walls, specifically next to the Baluarte de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, to cross a drawbridge and the portal of France, from the year 1553. This leads to the streets of Carmen, where on the right sidewalk we have the private hostel Casa Ibarrola, and the Navarrería. At the end of the latter, the signs encourage us to turn left onto Calle de Curia, where the Caminoteca is located., shop specializing in material and products for pilgrims. Then we turn right onto Calle Compañía, where the Jesús y María hostel is located.
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Pamplona – Km 20.4
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All Services
Difficulties
Rapid and pronounced descent between Akerreta and Zuriain: One kilometer after Akerreta there is a rapid descent, with steps included, to the very bank of the Arga river. If there is mud it can be very slippery.
Observations
- In Larrasoaña, in addition to hostels, the Tau Guesthouse offers accommodation. Located at calle Errotabidea, 8, it has three double rooms with the possibility of an extra bed. It has Wi-Fi, garden and washing machine service. Telephone: 622 74 56 20.
- Also in Larrasoaña, on Sorandi street, 2 Ander opened a small supermarket in 2013. They serve breakfast and make bread. It has a terrace with tables and chairs.
- Between Zabaldika and Villava there is a signposted variant that passes through the town of Huarte for those who want to stay in this town.
- In the medieval bridge of Trinidad de Arre there are two alternatives to get to Pamplona: the official one that runs through the urban centers of Villava and Burlada or by the pleasant river walk of the Arga river to the Magdalena bridge where we will find the arrows again yellow. This last alternative is one kilometer longer, but quieter.
- At Calle del Carmen, 10, a little further on from the Casa Ibarrola private hostel, there is a massage center called Ultreia with special prices and services for pilgrims. The telephone number is 948 04 54 01.
- In the center of Pamplona is “ULTREIA” the pilgrim reception center and interpretation of the Camino de Santiago.
- ULTREIA, located in the center of the Old Town of Pamplona, is the Welcome Center For Pilgrim And Interpretation Center Of The Way that presents the history of the city and its relationship with the Camino de Santiago through interactive and audiovisual resources. It is projected as a center with universal accessibility, so it is adapted to all audiences.
What to see, What to do
Esteribar Valley
The Camino de Santiago crosses this valley from north to south for fourteen kilometers, from Zubiri to Arleta. Known in the Middle Ages by the nickname of Valley of the Hunters, Esteribar is made up of 28 towns and several deserted areas.
Larrasoaña
Founded next to a monastery, Larrasoaña is a well-kept town with a notable Jacobean tradition. In the 11th century it already had a pilgrims’ hospital and in the 12th it received the privilege of the Franks: foreign artisans, generally French, who created the current urban configuration on both sides of the Camino. Its emblazoned houses stand out, as well as the parish church dedicated to San Nicolás de Bari and the hermitages of San Blas and Santiago.
- Trinidad De Arre Y Villava: The medieval bridge with six arches over the Ulzama river gives access to the Romanesque hermitage and the convent of Trinidad de Arre, a former hospital for pilgrims from the 11th century. The convent opens the doors of Villava, the birthplace of Miguel Induráin, where you can see an original monument to the five-time winner of the Tour de France. It has all the necessary commercial infrastructure: supermarkets, bars, pharmacies, restaurants, etc.
- Pamplona: The best thing to do is get lost in the Casco Viejo and explore its bustling streets, so many times trampled by bulls in the famous San Fermín running of the bulls. You can walk the scant kilometer that separates the corrals from the slope of Santo Domingo and get to the bullring, passing through the Plaza del Ayuntamiento and going up Estafeta street, where you can taste delicious pinchos. Plaza del Castillo and Calle San Nicolás, with rich gastronomy, and Plaza de San José and El Redín, both next to the cathedral, are obligatory stops.
Santa María Cathedral
The Cathedral has a particular Gothic style, a substitute for the Romanesque original, which has nothing to do with the neoclassical façade of Ventura Rodríguez, behind which a beautiful cloister is hidden where you will stop in front of the Precious Door of the Barbazán Chapel.
- Magdalena Bridge: The Magdalena Bridge is a construction from the 12th century that represents the entrance to the city of Pamplona for the pilgrim. Its original structure was Romanesque, but it was renovated in the Gothic style in the 15th century. On one of its banks is a cruise ship that the city of Santiago de Compostela sent as a gift to the Association of Friends of the Camino de Santiago in 1965. This bridge has been declared an Asset of Cultural Interest and a Historic-Artistic Monument.
- Walls and Portal de Francia: Pilgrims enter the Historic Center of Pamplona flanked by its imposing Renaissance walls until they reach the Portal de Francia, the only one of the six original gates of the wall that remains in its place. It is a complex structure dating from 1553, with two access levels and a drawbridge added later.
- Mercaderes and Estafeta streets: These are two of the best-known streets in the world, because every year the bulls that star in the running of the bulls of San Fermín run on their cobblestones. They border the Plaza del Castillo to the north, the true heart of the city. Estafeta and Mercaderes are cheerful and jovial streets, full of shops, bars and restaurants where it is possible to taste the delicious local cuisine.
- Pamplona City Hall: The Pamplona City Hall stands in the Plaza Consistorial, easily recognizable because every July 6th the Chupinazo is launched from its main balcony, which kicks off the Sanfermines. It has a beautiful Baroque façade, crowned by different allegorical sculptures, and inside it houses a small exhibition with objects representative of the history and symbols of the city.
- Church of San Saturnino: The church dedicated to the patron saint of Pamplona is a medieval fortified temple. It has two tall towers and thick walls characteristic of its defensive function. In it, masses are celebrated daily for pilgrims.
- Ultreia Camino de Santiago Interpretation Center: Ultreia is an innovative center that delves into the medieval origin of the Camino de Santiago and its importance in the development of the city of Pamplona. Through different interactive panels and innovative audiovisual experiences, it is possible to learn how pilgrims lived in the Middle Ages, what they ate, how they dressed or what problems they faced during their Camino. In addition, all the content of the center is accessible to people with different disabilities and is available in Spanish, Basque, English and French. Hours: Low season (from January 2 to March 15, both included; and from October 29 to December 31): Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.. Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. High season (From March 16 to October 28, both included): Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
- Church of San Lorenzo: This temple, which the pilgrim finds at one end of Calle Mayor, is of interest mainly because inside it is the chapel of San Fermín, the saint for whom the people of Pamplona feel the greatest devotion and to whom they dedicate its famous festivals.
- La Taconera and Vuelta del Castillo Parks: Before leaving Pamplona, the Way borders the historic Taconera gardens, which date from 1830 and are home to different plant and animal species, and crosses the Vuelta del Castillo park. It is a spacious green area that surrounds the Citadel, a 17th century military fortress declared an Asset of Cultural Interest and Historical Heritage of Spain and considered one of the best examples of Renaissance military architecture.