Stage 3: Zubiri → Pamplona (Iruñea)

A New Stage Day – Beginning & Atmosphere

Morning in Zubiri begins with a special sound: the gentle rushing of the Río Arga, which will remain your companion all day. After yesterday’s long descent from Roncesvalles you may still feel your knees, yet this stage offers you calm and serenity. Ahead of you lie about 20 kilometers, leading you from a small Pyrenean village into the capital of Navarra – a transition from rural to urban Spain, from silence and nature into history, culture, and vibrant life.

Route & Elevation Profile

• Distance: approx. 20.4 km
• Elevation gain/loss: +250 m / –350 m
• Difficulty: easy to moderate
  

The stage is mostly flat and follows the gentle meanderings of the Arga. There are only a few notable climbs, but just before Zuriáin a steep descent to the river requires careful steps, which can become slippery in rain. Afterwards the paths are pleasant, often shaded, and carry you gently toward Pamplona.

Description of the Way – With All Senses

After leaving Zubiri, the Camino soon leads you on field and woodland paths into the Valle de Esteríbar. It is a landscape full of quiet: riverbanks, light forests, small bridges. The Arga accompanies you like a silent friend, its glitter in the morning light becoming the rhythm of your steps.

You pass small villages: Ilarratz with only a few houses, Larrasoaña, known to pilgrims for centuries, and further Akerreta, before you reach Zuriáin. There a steep descent down to the river forces you into concentrated steps – a place where caution is needed.

The Camino continues through Irotz, where a variant is offered: directly along the river to Huarte via the “Paseo del Arga” – easier and level –, or the historic route via Arleta, which demands a few more meters of ascent, yet rewards you with charming views.

In Zabaldika a detour is worthwhile to the small church, where pilgrims are allowed to ring the bell – an ancient custom that may give you a feeling of deep connection.

Shortly afterwards you reach Arre. Here an old stone bridge leads you over the Arga, directly to the Monastery of Trinidad de Arre, one of the oldest pilgrim hostels in Spain. It is a place that still today lets you feel the aura of centuries. A few kilometers further lies Villava, with all services, and finally Burlada, a suburb of Pamplona.

And then – after a last bridge, through the city gates – you stand in Pamplona. The old town welcomes you with streets full of voices, cafés and bars, where tapas – here called “Pinchos” – await in colorful variety.

Intermediate Places & Particularities

Food, Overnight Stay & Supplies

• Zubiri already offers several albergues and guesthouses – good for the start.
• Larrasoaña has two traditional pilgrim albergues and small infrastructure.
• Zabaldika offers a simple but impressive parish house that welcomes pilgrims on a donation basis.
• Arre invites you to overnight in the ancient walls of the Monastery of Trinidad.
• Pamplona finally offers a wide selection: large municipal albergues, private hostels, as well as hotels and pensions – altogether more than one hundred options. Especially popular: the Albergue Jesús y María in the heart of the old town.

The Special Feature Today

The stage is more than just the way from village to city. It is a quiet preparation for what is to come. The rushing of the Arga, the bridges and villages, the bell of Zabaldika, the monastery of Arre – all act like a careful transition.

And then the contrast: Pamplona. A city full of life, full of history, world-famous for its bull runs, but for pilgrims much more – a place where the Camino unites with culture and joy of life. The pinchos, small culinary artworks, are here more than food: they are part of the culture, part of the reward after the first three days on the Way.

Reflection at the End of the Stage

You started in little Zubiri and now arrive in Pamplona – a transition from rural to urban Spain, from river and forests into the streets and squares of a lively city. It is a preview of how diverse the Camino is: it knows silence and nature, but also culture, history, encounter. And it gives you the experience that both belong together.

📊 Tabular Overview

🌌 Camino of the Stars – Stage 3

Zubiri → Ilarratz → Larrasoaña → Akerreta → Zuriáin → Zabaldika → Arre → Villava → Burlada → Pamplona

Call to Action

Did you ring the bell of Zabaldika or overnight in the monastery of Arre? Share your impressions – your way makes the Camino alive.

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