The last route is the route of Navarre. This is without doubt the most known route nowadays. It is divided in five parts and in each one there are uncountable monuments, churches, or places to visit. This way has very good infrastructures of lodges and services for the pilgrim.

It starts in Roncesvalles, situated in the frontier with France in the Navarre Pyrenees. In the first stage, one of the villages is Tiesa where the pilgrim can make stop to visit the ruins of the castle, the gothic church and to admire the sightseeing of the Pamplona basin. In the second stage, after having a break in Zubiri the pilgrim can go to an Association of Friends of the Santiago Road in Larrasoaña, where he can ask any doubt about the route, after he will cross the Arga River along a marvellous roman bridge and he will stop in Zabaldica before going to the city of Pamplona.

The capital of Navarre, Pamplona, is the starting point of the third part of the route, which finish in the Reina Bridge. Here you can enjoy of the Santiago church (XII Century), situated in the main street which has the most beautiful colouring carvings in the Jacobean route. The fourth stage of the Santiago route leaves this charming village along the Pilgrims Bridge, a lovely medieval work of the XI Century until Estella.

The fifth and last stage is in the monumental village of Estella, a place with Roman traces and full of medieval history, is a first-rate tourist centre. It has lovely buildings, among San Pedro de la Rua's with its Romanesque portal; San Migue's the Gothic Church of El Santo Sepulchre and San Juan Bautista's. Also worthy of special mention is the palace of the kings of Navarre, a magnificent example of civil Romanesque architecture, and the Gustavo de Maeztu Museum, which houses most of the artist's paintings. During the nineteenth century Estella was the headquarters of the Carlists in the Civil Wars, and each May there is still a pilgrimage up a nearby mountain to honour the dead. Near Estella, there is the monastery of “Santa María la Real de Irache”, one of the most important in the country; it is from the XII Century. The pilgrim has to continue along Urbiola until Los Arcos.

Our Navarre road finishes in the village of Arcos, just before the country of La Rioja, which is famous because of its wines.

Sources:
• Special edition nº 7 Altair magazines: Los Caminos de Santiago, Rutas de una peregrinación milenaria. Marzo 2004.
• Open News bulletin nº 52: Especial Xacobeo 2004. Febrero 2004.
• Guía Dos Caminos a Santiago. Gobierno Vasco 2002.