Stage 4. Pamplona – Puente la Reina (23.9 km)

We start the stage from the Town Hall Square and say goodbye to Pamplona and head towards Puente la Reina, crossing the medieval bridge of Azella, which crosses the river Sadar. The road takes us to Cizur Menor. After a crossroads, we see a detour to Guenduláin, an abandoned hamlet where only the ruins of a church and a mansion remain.

We continue in a slight ascent until we reach Zariquiegui, where we can stock up on supplies and visit the Church of San Andrés. Here begins the dreaded rise of the Alto del Perdón, we pass by the Fuente de la Reniega, where, according to legend, the devil used to tempt pilgrims with water in exchange for renouncing their faith.

With patience and strong winds, we finally reached the top of the Alto del Perdón, one of the most famous and photographed points of the Camino de Santiago, both for the spectacular views and for the unique sculptures representing a family of pilgrims from the Middle Ages .

In an inscription we can read: “Where the path of the wind crosses the path of the stars. After a well-deserved stop, the descent to Uterga begins. The descent is quite steep in the first stretch and the track is uneven, so it is advisable to take extreme caution.

We pass Uterga, a pretty village at the foot of the mountain, and without difficulty we reach Muruzábal. In the middle of the village we find the detour to the wonderful Romanesque chapel of Santa María de Eunate, which is worth a visit at the cost of lengthening the stage by 3.2 km.

If we do not take the shortcut we will arrive at Óbanos, where the Mystery of Obanos is commemorated annually, which is a Festivity of National Tourist Interest. We continue the last stretch along the path of the river Robo, which will take us to Puente de la Reina.

To consider

In the Alto del Perdón the wind usually blows hard, so we recommend to do the stage with warm clothes even in summer. The detour to the hermitage of Santa María de Eunate is perfectly signposted. It is an octagonal Romanesque church of great beauty which, we insist, is well worth a visit.

You won’t have any supply problems during the stage, as you will find a lot of bars where you can make your stops. Even in the Alto del Perdón there is usually a mobile bar from Easter to October.

Places of interest

• Church of San Miguel – Cizur Menor
• Church of San Andrés of Zariquiegui
• Muruzábal Palace
• Church of San Esteban de Muruzábal
• Hermitage of Santa María de Eunate
• Church of the Crucifix – Puente la Reina
• Church of Santiago – Puente de la Reina
• Plaza Mayor and Casa de los Cubiertos – Puente de la Reina (Bridge of the Queen)

Typical dishes

• Wines of Señorío de Sarria
• Ribs to the Sarmiento
• Campollano Beans
• Cheeses of Urbasa
• Lean meats with tomato
• Trout with ham
• Cod in ajoarriero sauce