SPAIN: EL CAMINO DE SANTIAGO FRANCÉS

After having walked almost 120km along The Portuguese Way of Saint James from Valença do Minho in Portugal to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, I wanted to visit some villages of The French Way of Saint James. As we were going to La Rioja and Navarra some weeks later, we visited some of these villages and towns (but this time we went from one town to the next one by car):

• Estella-Lizarra
• Los Arcos
• Logroño
• Nájera
• Santo Domingo de la Calzada

I really liked the Jacobean atmosphere of these towns and the fantastic churches, cathedrals and monasteries I could visit there.

Next I would like to show you some pictures of the places I like the most of these towns.

Estella-Lizarra

The Camino de Santiago enters the town of Estella by Curtidores Street. At the end of this street appears the Palace of the Kings of Navarra

Yellow arrow of The Camino de Santiago and the church of San Pedro de la Rua in Estella

Palace of the Kings of Navarra in Estella

Los Arcos

Shell of The Camino de Santiago near Puerta de Castilla in Los Arcos, a lovely village in Navarra

Bell tower of Santa María church in Los Arcos

Sculpture of Saint James inside the church of Santa Maria in Los Arcos

Logroño

The Camino de Santiago enters Logroño by the Puente de Piedra and crosses the old city by Rua Vieja and Barriocepo streets

Church of Santiago in Logroño

Nájera

Shell of Camino de Santiago near the doorway of Santa María la Real monastery in Nájera

Sculpture of Saint James inside the church of Santa Maria la Real monastery in Nájera

Santo Domingo de la Calzada

Shell of Camino de Santiago in Calle Mayor near the cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada

Santo Domingo inside the cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada

Pilgrim hostel in Santo Domingo de la Calzada in Calle Mayor

Convent of San Francisco behind the Pilgrim Monument in Santo Domingo de la Calzada

A closer picture of the Pilgrim Monument in Santo Domingo de la Calzada

Along The Portuguese Way of Saint James I could visit many interesting places like:

• Valença do Minho in Portugal
• Tui
• Santiago de Compostela in  Galicia
• Galicia Beaches

Finally, other beautiful places you can visit in Spain are:

• Costa Brava in Catalonia
• Barcelona
• Girona

• Basque Country - Bilbao
• Basque Country - Guipúzcoa and San Sebastián
• Cantabria and Santander

• Granada and La Alhambra
• Sevilla
• Córdoba
• Cádiz and Costa de la Luz

• Toledo
• Segovia
• Monasterio del Escorial
• Madrid

• Mallorca
• Ibiza and Formentera

• Zaragoza (Tapeo in Zaragoza)
• Monasterio de Piedra

• Alicante

LA RIOJA: ENOTURISMO AND CAMINO DE SANTIAGO

After having walked almost 120km along The Portuguese Way of Saint James in Galicia (from Valença do Minho and Tui to Santiago de Compostela), I wanted to visit some villages of The French Way of Saint James. As we were going to La Rioja and Navarra some weeks later, we visited some of these villages and towns (but this time we went from one town to the next one by car):

• Estella-Lizarra
• Los Arcos
• Logroño
• Nájera 
• Santo Domingo de la Calzada

I really liked the Jacobean atmosphere of these towns and the fantastic churches, cathedrals and monasteries I could visit there.

We also would like to go to La Rioja to enjoy the Enoturismo and visit some wine cellars, like La Rioja Alta in Haro and Mayor de Migueloa in Laguardia (Rioja Alavesa). Haro is actually the town of La Rioja which concentrates more wineries.

City Hall of Haro

Our hotel was in Logroño, so every evening we went to Laurel street to enjoy a glass of red wine with tapas.

Besides we spent previously two days in Zaragoza to visit some beautiful mudéjar churches.

You can see below all the places I visited in La Rioja, Navarra and Aragón during this trip:

Days 1 and 2

• Zaragoza and Logroño

Day 3

• Haro
• Santo Domingo de la Calzada

Day 4

• Laguardia
• Estella
• Los Arcos

Day 5

• San Millán de la Cogolla
• Nájera

Day 6

• Tarazona
• Monasterio de Veruela

Next I would like to show you some pictures of the places I like the most of these towns.

Zaragoza

Basilica del Pilar from a bridge over the Ebro river

Palacio de la Aljafería in Zaragoza, a really beautiful palace

Logroño

Calle Laurel in Logroño, really lively at night

NH Logroño, the hotel we stayed during the days we spent in La Rioja and Navarra

San Miguel park in Logroño from the room in our hotel

Haro

Casks in Haro

Grapevines in La Rioja Alta wine cellar in Haro

Rioja Alta winery in Haro

Santo Domingo de la Calzada

Cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada in La Rioja

Laguardia

Mayor de Migueloa wine cellar in Laguardia (Rioja Alavesa)

Calle Mayor in Laguardia

Vineyards in La Rioja Alavesa from Laguardia

Torre Abacial in Plaza de la Torre of Laguardia

Estella

Palacio de los Reyes de Navarra in Estella

A closer view of  this beautiful palace of Estella

Plaza de los Fueros in Estella

Los Arcos

Lively square in Los Arcos, a nice village of El Camino de Santiago

Bell tower from the cloister of Santa María church in Los Arcos

Los Arcos is a quiet place with a great pilgrim atmosphere

San Millán de la Cogolla

Monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla in La Rioja

Glosas Emilianenses is considered the first text written in Spanish

The monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla is located between mountains in a quiet valley of La Rioja

Nájera

Cloister of the monastery of Santa María la Real in Nájera

Najerilla river in Nájera

Tarazona

Episcopal palace and mudéjar bell tower of the church of Santa María Magdalena in Tarazona

Monasterio de Veruela

Veruela monastery near Tarazona

Other places I visited during this trip in Zaragoza, La Rioja and Navarra were:

• Monasterio de Piedra near Zaragoza (Tapeo in Zaragoza)
• Haro
• Laguardia in La Rioja Alavesa
• Camino de Santiago Francés
• Tarazona, Veruela Monastery and Sanctuary of Borja
• Sanctuary of Borja

Finally, other beautiful places you can visit in Spain are:

- Catalonia

• Costa Brava in Catalonia
• Barcelona
• Girona

- Basque Country

• Bilbo - Bilbao
• Getaria, Zarautz and Hondarribia in San Sebastián

- Cantabria

• Cantabria
• Santander, Comillas and Santillana del Mar in Cantabria

- Granada

• La Alhambra, Albaicín and Sacromonte in Granada

- Sevilla, Córdoba, Cádiz and Costa de la Luz

• Sevilla
• Córdoba
• Cádiz and Costa de la Luz

- Toledo, Madrid, El Escorial and Segovia

• Toledo, Segovia, Monasterio del Escorial near Madrid

- Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera

• Sóller, Port de Sóller, Deià and Valldemossa in Mallorca
• Palma de Mallorca

• Beaches and Las Dalias Market in Ibiza
• Ses Illetes beach in Formentera

- Galicia

• Santiago de Compostela in Galicia
• Costa da Morte
• Baiona, Islas Cíes and more Beaches in Galicia
• Tui and Camino de Santiago Portugués

- Alicante

• Alicante, Elche and Isla de Tabarca

SPAIN: SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

Santiago de Compostela, in winter a campus and in summer a pilgrimage town is a really lively and warm city despite its rainy weather. Always full of young people, the atmosphere is always cheerful, especially in the many bars and restaurants where you can enjoy delicious Galician food.

Pilgrims in Obradoiro in front of the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

The obradoiro exudes a magical attraction that forces you to walk through it whenever you're around. I couldn't help admiring the cathedral and the other buildings of this huge plaza: the Parador (ancient pilgrim hospital), the Pazo de Raxoi and the College of San Jerónimo.

Around the cathedral there are several places where there is a fantastic atmosphere, and pedestrian arcaded streets ideal for walking and the great monastery of San Martín Pinario.

So in Santiago de Compostela I visited the following places:

• Cathedral of Santiago (and its roofs)
• Obradoiro (Pazo de Raxoi and College of San Jerónimo)
• Parador (also in Obradoiro)
• Squares of Praterías, Quintana and Inmaculada around the cathedral
• Monastery of San Martín Pinario
• Rúa do Vilar, Rúa do Franco and Rúa Nova
• Alameda Park (views of the cathedral)

Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela cathedral from La Alameda

 Towers of the baroque cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

Obradoiro

Pilgrims in Obradoiro in Santiago de Compostela

Pazo de Raxoi and shell of The Way of Saint James in Obradoiro in Santiago de Compostela

Parador of Santiago de Compostela in Obradoiro

Inside the Parador of Santiago de Compostela

College of San Jerónimo in Obradorio

Rua do Vilar in Santiago de Compostela

Rua do Vilar in Santiago de Compostela

San Martin Pinario

Church of San Martín Pinario Monastery in Santiago de Compostela

Roof of Santiago de Compostela Cathedral

Roof of the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

San Martín Pinario from the roof of the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

Botafumeiro inside the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

A Casa do Medio Restaurant

Glass of Albariño white wine in A Casa do Medio restaurant in Santiago de Compostela

Definitely, Santiago is a city with an amazing life perfect to enjoy its rich culture and cuisine. A perfect end to El Camino de Santiago (The Way of Saint James.

After spending two days in Santiago de Compostela, we visited beautiful places and beaches in Galicia, like Fisterra and Costa da Morte, Baiona or Rodas Beach in Cíes Islands National Park. Then we went to Valença do Minho and Tui to begin El Camino de Santiago Portugués (The Portuguese Way of Saint James), which led us back to Santiago six days later. 

Finally, other beautiful places you can visit in Spain are:

- Catalonia

• Costa Brava in Catalonia
• Barcelona
• Girona

- Basque Country

• Bilbo - Bilbao
• Getaria, Zarautz and Hondarribia in San Sebastián

- Cantabria

• Cantabria
• Santander, Comillas and Santillana del Mar in Cantabria

- Granada

• La Alhambra, Albaicín and Sacromonte in Granada

- Sevilla, Córdoba, Cádiz and Costa de la Luz

• Sevilla
• Córdoba
• Cádiz and Costa de la Luz

- Toledo, Madrid, El Escorial and Segovia

• Toledo, Segovia, Monasterio del Escorial near Madrid

- Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera

• Sóller, Port de Sóller, Deià and Valldemossa in Mallorca
• Palma de Mallorca

• Beaches and Las Dalias Market in Ibiza
• Ses Illetes beach in Formentera

- Zaragoza, La Rioja and Navarra were:

• Monasterio de Piedra near Zaragoza (Tapeo in Zaragoza)
• Haro in La Rioja
• Laguardia in La Rioja Alavesa
• Camino de Santiago Francés
• Tarazona, Veruela Monastery and Sanctuary of Borja
• Sanctuary of Borja

- Alicante

• Alicante, Elche and Isla de Tabarca