Navarre
The Navarre region sits in the north of Spain. It borders France in the northeast, Basque Country in the northwest, La Rioja in the southwest and Aragon in the southeast.
The region has the Pyrenees mountain range in the north and lush fertile valleys in the south along Ebro river valley. In between are a variety of landscapes.
The region has a population of just 650,000. Its capital, Pamplona is home to almost a third of the region’s population. Of course Pamplona is most famous for its festival of San Fermín or the running of the bulls festival. The festival attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year and usually makes the news all over the world.
Navarre has a rich history and the Kingdom of Navarre existed up until 1841. Sitting as it does between France and Spain Navarre has been an important political and strategic power throughout history.
There are plenty of things to do in Navarre. Pamplona Cathedral is beautiful and there are parks and historical fortifications close to the city centre. Iruna Cafe was a favourite haunt of Ernest Hemmingway and is beautiful. There are a number of national parks offering scenic hikes and spectacular scenery. The region is littered with pretty towns and rivers begging to be explored.
To help plan your visit, our 7 Day Itinerary for Navarre provides excellent tips and advice to help make the most of your stay.
Towns and places in Navarre
Aribe – is a tiny stone village with its medieval bridge, wooden balconies and mountain backdrop making it feel like a postcard
Bardenas Reales – a desert landscape, right in the middle of green, rainy Navarre
Burguete – offers hiking, cycling, wildlife watching and quiet escapes in nature
Estella-Lizarra – combines medieval architecture, rich traditions, excellent food, and stunning natural surroundings
Isaba – step back in time with stone houses leaning over narrow, cobbled lanes and wood balconies dripping with geraniums
Mendigorría – known for its Roman heritage, peaceful rural landscapes, and strong cultural identity
Obanos – offers visitors a rich mix of history, culture, architecture, and traditional Spanish charm
Ochagavía – is known for its stone houses, steep slate roofs, flower-filled balconies and centuries-old bridges
Olite – is famous for its medieval streets, impressive royal palace, and strong wine-making traditions
Pamplona – famous home of the running of the bulls
Roncesvalles – renowned for its medieval religious buildings, mountain scenery and its role in the Camino de Santiago
Sangüesa – feels like a living museum, with stone mansions, medieval churches, and a slow, welcoming pace
Tafalla – once home to Navarrese kings, and the town still carries the weight of its royal past
Tudela – combines history, architecture, food and access to some of the region’s spectacular landscapes
Ujué – looks like something from a storybook with stone houses, steep cobbled streets and a fortress-church at
Getting to the region
There are no major airports in the region. Your best bet is to fly into either Madrid, Donostia-San Sebastian, Bilbao or even Zaragoza and drive or catch a train from there.
From Madrid, to the capital Pamplona is about 3 hours 30 minutes by train.
Coming from Donostia-San Sebastian, it is about 1 hour 40 minutes by train.
From Zaragoza it is a 2 hour 20 minute train trip.
Driving from Madrid takes around 4 hours.
From Donostia-San Sebastian it is about an hour by car.
Bilbao to Pamplona is about a 2-hour drive.
Zaragoza to Pamplona is about a 2-hour 10-minute drive.