We were breakfasted and ready to leave for Najera at 7:30 am where we’d end Day 9 of walking the full Camino de Santiago. Day 10 of our Camino experience would finish in the beautiful town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada.
We enjoyed our rest day in Logrono but were itching to return to walking. Walking had become cathartic. We looked forward to waking up each morning and setting out on another day of walking. We realised that we now had our “walking legs”! More on this in our next blog.
Day 9 – Logrono to Najera
Day 9 was another big day walking the full Camino de Santiago. There were nearly 30km to cover before the day’s heat set it in. Luckily in the north of Spain, the hottest part of the day is later, normally around 4-5 pm. As well as being a long walk, there were limited services on the route so it was critical to be prepared with plenty of water.
The long road out of Logrono
Our Camino “bible” warned us that the first five km of the leaving Logrono is “dismal”. It even suggested that pilgrims may want to consider taking the bus to the outskirts of the town. We decided to walk and found it was nowhere as dire as suggested. On the contrary, we enjoyed watching the city coming to life, and locals on their morning walks through parkland accompanying us almost to the first point of interest.
Parque de la Grajera
Parque de la Grajera is a nature reserve set alongside a reservoir. When we arrived at the reservoir, there were no pilgrims and fewer locals around. Picnic tables were set under the shade of the trees and the parking areas were scattered about indicating it was a popular spot.
Buoyed by the better route than expected, we continued for a further six km towards Navarette. The paths were quiet and we didn’t encounter any pilgrims on a scenic countryside walk.
Navarrete
Ruins of the Hospital de San Juan de Acre
Navarrete, like other hilltop towns on the Camino de Santiago, was visible from a distance long before we reached it. Before we walked uphill into the town we passed a significant landmark on the route. The Hospital de San Juan de Acre ruins lie on the left of the path. The Hospital was founded in 1185 for pilgrims to rest and recover before continuing on the Camino. It was abandoned in the 19th century and now just the ruins remain. The portal and windows were salvaged and now stand at the cemetery which was passed after leaving Navarrete.
Navarrete township
After inspecting the ruins, we walked past a winery and up the cobblestone street to the township. Several young pilgrims were putting together a sandwich lunch at the side of the road next to the winery. They were the first we had seen in a few hours.
Navarrete is renowned for two things:
- wine – vineyards surround the area; and
- terracotta pottery – an art practised in the town since Roman times.
The streets were empty with only a couple of people inside the Iglesia de la Asuncion when we reached the top of the hill. The church is worth stopping to look inside at its stunning altar and stained glass windows. There was also a table with a stamp for our pilgrim’s passports.
Before continuing, we rested on a bench in a charming courtyard outside the church. We found many scenic rest spots like this one while walking the full Camino de Santiago.
Navarrete Cemetery and Pottery Workshop
On the roadside on the other side of the town, we came across the cemetery mentioned in our travel notes. This is where the portal and windows from the Hospital de San Juan de Acre have been relocated. If you look closely you will see the details and features including the dragons and engravings on the gate.
On the other side of the road is a pottery workshop where you can see and purchase some of the town’s terracotta pottery.
We walked on a roadside path for approximately five kilometres where the Camino path forked and provided the option to detour through the small township of Ventosa. The detour only added one kilometre to our walk, so we decided to take the scenic route instead of the road and make the town our stop for lunch.
Ventosa
Every year artists display their craft along the meandering one-kilometre-long path to the church at the top of Ventosa’s hill. We enjoyed a leisurely walk admiring each inching closer to our lunch destination. We highly recommend taking a small detour for this added feature on this long and otherwise unremarkable walking day.
The township (pop 175) was quiet. We found our lunch venue, Bar Virgen Blanca at the bottom of the hill on entering the town. It’s a strategic spot where you can rest and eat on the terrace watching the comings and goings.
There are no further service areas on the 10-11 kilometre walk from Ventosa to Najera so this is the best place to replenish any supplies.
Najera
Walking out of Ventosa we turned to see the pretty scene with the church on the hill and were immediately at the gates of a vineyard and its cellar door. Not long after leaving Ventosa, we arrived at the summit of Alto de San Anton which provides sweeping views over the vineyards. Despite the lack of services we were treated to walking on paths surrounded by grapevines and vineyards for much of the afternoon.
On the road downhill we came across the small cone-shaped structure our guidebook had mentioned. It used to provide shelter for shepherds and farmers.
Closer to Najera, we had to navigate its industrial territory before arriving in the older part of the town. The township is inhabited on both sides of its river, Rio Najerillo. We took in the scenery, including the red rock face and the houses built into the cliff before crossing the bridge to our hotel.
Najera is a small town and once we’d completed our daily yoga session and refreshed, we set out to explore by returning over the bridge to visit the Monasterio de Santa Maria la Real. Cafes lined both sides of the river and locals were out after siesta. Back on our hotel side of the bridge, we strolled the quiet back streets before settling down at one of the more popular cafes for pre-dinner drinks.
Our accommodation
Our accommodation for the night, Hotel Duques de Najera, is in a building dating back to the 17th century. The rooms (15 in total) are tastefully decorated and provide facilities for a comfortable overnight stay—a pleasant surprise because we hadn’t expected such a high-quality hotel in a small town.
The hotel had arranged for pilgrims to enjoy an early dinner at 8:00 pm at Meson El Buen Yantar, which offers traditional Riojan cuisine.
The highlights of the day
We enjoyed pre-dinner drinks at a riverside bar while writing in our diaries before sharing our table. A group of locals supporting the Spanish player, Carlo Alcaraz, sat with us to watch Wimbledon tennis on the big screen.
At dinner, we met Martin, who had completed a portion of the Camino with his wife but returned alone to complete the full pilgrimage now that he was retired. Martin had never taken more than two weeks of holiday during his working life and was interested to see how he would feel on Day 14 of the walk. Martin would become part of “our group” of pilgrims with whom we’d stay at the same hotels and dine at the end of each day.
Walking statistics
- 30km
- 7 hours include rest and lunch breaks
Day 10 – Najera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada
Breakfast wasn’t available until 7:30 am so we woke a little later on Day 10 of walking the full Camino de Santiago. There wasn’t a hot breakfast option available and instead, a delicious array of cereals, bread, cheese, meats and cakes were provided accompanied by tea, coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice.
By 8:00 am we had hit the road. The temperature was cool and dark clouds were looming. We packed our wet weather gear in our backpacks just in case. The route out of Najera led us past the houses hugging the cliff then a steady path through vineyards to the hilltop town of Azofra six kilometres away.
Azofra
We found more pilgrims in Azofra. We bought bananas at a small cafe and made a toilet stop. As we were leaving the town we caught up with a Canadian pilgrim we had seen on the way out of Logrono the day before. She had rolled her ankle that day when she had worn her hiking sandals instead of shoes. The injury had slowed her down considerably but she remained optimistic.
Leaving her to walk at her own pace we came across a group of young people leaving an albergue. They invited us to join them for a photo together. Photo taken, we left the jolly group behind. Not another sole from the township was to be seen.
As we continued we came across more familiar faces from previous days wishing each a Buen Camino as we passed them. A pleasant landscape of rolling hills changed to wheat and sunflower fields as we neared Ciruena.
Ciruena
There was a steep climb of about one kilometre before a modern subdivision welcomed us into Ciruena. Again, not a sole was about. We read later that despite the apartments in a modern-day estate, Ciruena is a ghost town with many empty dwellings. The estate was built anticipating an influx of people coming to live in its beautiful countryside which never eventuated.
It was time for a rest break and a park was the perfect place to remove our shoes and eat our bananas before carrying on.
The new Ciruena merged into the old village and we were buoyed by spotting an inhabitant working in her vegetable garden before we crossed the road onto a long open dirt path surrounded by wheat fields. The skies were still grey but with no rain, it was a pleasant walk to Santo Domingo de la Calzada.
Santo Domingo de la Calzada
The countryside turned slowly into the township of Santo Domingo de la Calzada. As we walked past businesses selling farm equipment, it was hard to tell what we would expect from the town, it looked pretty dreary!
Soon enough we crossed the portal into the old township, passed the cathedral and monastery, and realised how pretty this town was. Again, the streets were quiet except for Camino pilgrims.
Santo Domingo de la Calzada is named after Saint Domingo de la Calzada who helped pilgrims complete their journey to Santiago de Compostela by improving the roads and bridges on the Camino Way. He set up the small township with a small chapel and hospital where pilgrims could rest in the 11th century.
Catedral de Santiago de la Calzada
Pilgrims are instantly drawn to the Catedral de Santiago de la Calzada and its bell tower in the Plaza del Santo middle of the medieval town. This is where we arrive to stamp and stamp our pilgrim’s passports. There is a long queue to enter the cathedral. Pilgrims visit the cathedral to commemorate the story of a pilgrim hanged in the town because of his misdeeds.
Plaza de Espana
It was lunchtime and the sun had come out. We found a cafe/bar in Plaza de Espana, a large open square behind the cathedral. The square has a series of arcaded buildings set into the walls which now house the municipal functions of the town. There was a mix of locals and other pilgrims lunching in the square and we enjoyed observing them over lunch.
We checked into our hotel just outside the walls, completed our arrival ritual, found a laundromat, and washed our clothes before exploring the town further.
Old Baroque homes and architecture
The streets on the other side of Plaza de Santo house a legacy of successful times in the old town’s past. Beautiful Baroque facades and entrances of grand homes line the streets, each a wonder to look at. Sadly, many homes are now in a state of disrepair and crumbly. Again, the roads were empty and we could only imagine how they must have been bustling in better times.
Convent of San Francisco
Just outside of the town’s old walls is the San Franciscan Convent. Unfortunately, it was closed to visitors when we arrived so we could only wander into its pretty cloister. We think it would be worth coordinating your visit so you can climb the bell tower and take a guided tour of the convent. The convent grounds also house one of the town’s two paradors (old pilgrims hospitals refurbished into luxury hotels). The town’s second parador is next to the Cathedral in Plaza del Santo.
Old Market Street
We ended our walking tour in the sanctuary of the old market street sitting down to journal and have a pre-dinner wine to sample the famous Riojan wine of the region. The tables are filled with other pilgrims like us. There is an albergue at the end of the street
Our accommodation
Our accommodation for the night was at a boutique hostel on the Camino trail just outside of Plaza de Espana. Hotel de El Molino de Florens is run by a gregarious couple who greeted us enthusiastically and immediately made us feel comfortable and welcome.
Our room, one of ten, looked out to the street and was spacious and tastefully decorated. The hotel offered a seating area behind the reception office where guests could relax.
After our pre-dinner drink in the market square, we enjoyed our three-course meal in the cosy bar and restaurant. Prepared by a family member of the couple, the menu consisted: of a hearty lentil soup, grilled stuffed mushrooms, grilled fish with vegetables finished with a dessert of lemon mousse and cinnamon sprinkled custard topped with biscuit crumb which we shared accompanied by a bottle of white Riojan wine.
Our fellow guests
We observed some of our fellow guests over our leisurely dinner.
- Martin, whom we had met the evening before in Najera was enjoying his meal at one of the tables. We chatted briefly exchanging our experiences of the day and what we had seen in the town. He repeated his fear of how hot it would be walking the Meseta.
- A well-dressed woman came in and sat at a table across from us, took out her journal and spent the evening writing in her journal over dinner. We concurred that she didn’t look like a pilgrim.
- A young fellow sauntered in, smiled at us and sat at another table. He ate dinner over a video call with a lady conversing in Spanish. We felt proud of ourselves each time we heard a word we understood and very quickly confirmed that our Spanish was not as good as we thought.
The highlight of the day
Walking the full Camino de Santiago brought us many experiences. Some were as simple as a short chat with a fellow pilgrim who shared their story.
Three of the youngsters from the group who invited us into their photo, caught up with us within minutes after we left Azofra. We walked and conversed for a time. The two young women, Manon and her friend were walking a section of the Camino together while the young man, Aubern had commenced his journey from Paris. He had taken three months away from work as an aeronautical engineer to complete the Camino de Santiago. Friendly and spirited young adults, strangers to each other who had met while staying in the same albergues. They had become walking companions.
Walking statistics
- 21km
- 5 hours including rest stops
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In case you missed it
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