Stage 9: Nájera → Santo Domingo de la Calzada

A New Day on the Camino – Beginning & Atmosphere

Morning in Nájera often begins in the shadow of the red cliffs that tower like walls above the town. The memory of the Monasterio de Santa María la Real, where kings are buried and history rests in every stone, accompanies you as you step out onto the streets. The way first takes you through narrow alleys, then up along a rising dirt track between vineyards and fields. Looking back, you see Nájera in the rising sun – an image many pilgrims carry deep within.

Before you lies a stage that is neither steep nor dangerous, but long enough to test your strength. Around 21 kilometers, almost entirely on agricultural tracks, mostly without shade. It is a day for walking, for wandering in thought, for listening to your own steps.

Route & Elevation Profile

• Distance: 20.8 km
• Elevation: +426 m / –271 m
• Difficulty: easy, with gentle ascent to Cirueña and descent to Santo Domingo

The landscape changes noticeably: vineyards increasingly give way to fields of grain. La Rioja falls behind you, the border with Castile is only a few kilometers away.

Description of the Way – with All the Senses

After only a few kilometers you reach Azofra, a small village with deep roots in the tradition of the Camino. Already in 1168 a pilgrim hospital was documented here – a reminder that the Camino has always created places of help and hospitality. Azofra lies in a fertile plain, its alleys quiet, yet for pilgrims it is an important point to refill water or have breakfast, for the way to Cirueña is long.

From Azofra the Camino leads you across wide fields, where vines gradually disappear and golden grain fields dominate. This section is long and solitary, almost ten kilometers without any significant villages. In summer the sun can be relentless here, making water and patience the best companions.

Eventually you reach Cirueña, a place that surprises many pilgrims. The old village is small, almost unassuming, yet alongside it spreads a modern housing development with a golf course – a contrast that seems foreign in the expanse of La Rioja. For many, Cirueña is not the most romantic place, but still a welcome stop before the final section begins.

From here the way descends gently, and soon you see the striking silhouette of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, where the baroque spire of the cathedral rises from the plain. The Camino leads you into one of the great pilgrim towns, a place created by a single man: Domingo García.

Santo Domingo García – the “Bridge Builder of God”

Santo Domingo de la Calzada bears its name not by chance. Here in the 11th century lived Domingo García, a simple priest whose life and work are inseparably linked with the Camino. He devoted his whole life to the pilgrims: clearing fields, leveling paths, building bridges over rivers, establishing hostels and hospitals. He transformed a harsh region into a safe passage – and founded the town, from the beginning dedicated to pilgrims.

Domingo’s vision was clear: to make the road to Santiago as accessible and safe as possible. His work was so impressive that veneration began shortly after his death. To this day his remains rest in the cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, and the town continues as a city that arose “through and for the Camino.”

The Cathedral & the Miracle of the Rooster

The cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada is not only a masterpiece of sacred architecture, but also the setting of perhaps the most famous pilgrim legend: the Miracle of the Rooster. The story tells of a young pilgrim, falsely accused of theft and hanged. Through the intervention of Saint Domingo he remained alive. When his parents appealed to the judge, who was at that moment eating roasted chickens, these suddenly rose and crowed: “Santo Domingo lives!”

In memory of this miracle, live chickens are still kept in a coop inside the cathedral – a unique symbol of the wonders and mysteries that have accompanied the Camino for centuries.

Intermediate Stops & Highlights

Food, Lodging & Supplies

• Azofra: pilgrim albergue with 60 beds, bars, small shop – last stop before Cirueña.
• Cirueña: limited infrastructure, but bars and restaurants available.
• Santo Domingo de la Calzada: wide choice of albergues and hotels, from simple donativo to the Parador in the old pilgrim hospital.

Today’s Special Feature

This is a stage that offers calm – through the expanse of fields, the steady rhythm of walking, the simple landscape. Yet its destination makes it special: Santo Domingo de la Calzada, a town that owes its very existence to pilgrims. Here you encounter not only the history of an extraordinary man, but also a legend that still lives on within the cathedral walls.

Reflection at the End of the Stage

In Santo Domingo de la Calzada you feel how strongly the Camino shapes places – and how people can create places that endure for centuries. Domingo García, the Bridge Builder of God, lives on in every street of this town. The chickens in the cathedral remind you that the Camino is not only a way of effort, but also a way of miracles.

📊 Tabular Overview

🌌 Camino of the Stars – Stage 9

Nájera → Azofra → Cirueña → Santo Domingo de la Calzada

Call to Action

Was it the quiet walking through the fields that marked you, or the cathedral with its chickens? Share your impressions – this is how the Camino is kept alive.

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