CF09 - Navarrete - Nájera - 16,9 km
Itinerary
After leaving Navarrete, you will find the municipal cemetery with its façade. Some capitals show scenes of medieval pilgrims’ daily life.
Once you walk 5km from Navarrete, you will see the entrance to the dirt road that will lead you to Nájera. Saint Lawrence’s Peak (El Pico de San Lorenzo), which is the highest mountain in La Rioja, is on the left. A hill stands out over the other: it is the mythical “Poyo Roldán”, scenery of evocative legends of medieval knights fighting. It is the story of the combat between the giant Ferragut and Roldán, one of Carlomagno’s knights.
To reach the old centre of Nájera you have to go down San Fernando Street until you find the River Najerilla and cross the bridge (which is said to be another work of San Juan de Ortega). Nájera was the most important political centre during the Reconquest (918 – 1076). It was the headquarters of the “Kingdom of Pamplona-Nájera”.
A visit to the Monastery of the Royal Saint Mary is something you should not miss, as this is the place where many kings and nobles belonging to this dynasty are buried. There has been always a place inside the monastery reserved as a pilgrims’ hostel.
There are also impressive the cave formations in the hillsides of the mountains around Nájera. They are artificial caves which date from those dark ages when Celtic invaders created a climate of social insecurity.
External info sources about this route and recommended websites:
Federación Española de Asociaciones del Camino de Santiago
Very useful guide: Camino de Santiago. National Geographic
La Rioja Turismo
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To download a route in PDF format you must be registered , this is a simple and free process also enjoy other benefits.
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