STAGE 4: FROM ESTELLA TO LOGROÑO

Xavier Rodríguez Prieto

Stage 4 is the first stage where you leave Navarre and enter another autonomous community — La Rioja, the smallest in Spain and the one most associated, internationally, with a single product. You will know when you arrive: the landscape changes colour, the soil turns red-orange, the vineyards begin to dominate, and in the afternoon the old city of Logroño offers one of the best pintxos and wine circuits on the entire French Way. Getting there takes 49 km through Navarrese fields, a remarkable monastary, a wine fountain, a village with a troubling history, a twin Romanesque church, and the tomb of one of the most fascinating — and dangerous — figures of the Italian Renaissance.

Key stops: Ayegui (km 2) · Fuente de Bodegas Irache + Monastery of Irache (km 3) · Azqueta · Villamayor de Monjardín (km 9) · Urbiola · Los Arcos (km 22) · Sansol (km 26) · Torres del Río (km 27) · Viana (km 38) · Logroño (km 49)

Route profile and key milestones

Profile summary: two sections to know

Most of this stage is straightforward: paved agricultural tracks with gentle gradients, long stretches through cereal fields and vineyards, good surface throughout. Two sections require attention. The first is the Azqueta to Villamayor de Monjardín climb — 1.5 km on a narrow, sometimes uncomfortable dirt track. Manageable but worth knowing about. The second is the Torres del Río to Viana stretch — 10.5 km of continuous ascents and descents with surface changes, multiple road crossings near curves, and no remarkable monuments to justify the effort on a bicycle. On this section specifically, Tournride recommends the NA-1110 road. It is not usually our recommendation to take the road over the traditional path, but here the path offers nothing the road does not at twice the difficulty and three times the danger.

Estella to Ayegui: leaving the city southwest (km 0–2)

Leave Estella heading southwest via either Calle San Nicolás (visited in yesterday’s walk) or Calle Fray Diego from the bridge over the Ega, both ending at a roundabout for the Carlos VII Street. Head to Ayegui, taking the second exit toward Calle de Estella at the next roundabout. Ayegui is practically a continuous extension of Estella; the NA-1110 passes through its centre. In 200 metres a pilgrim sign with an arrow indicates the left turn to the obligatory first stop of the day.

The wine fountain and the Monastery of Irache (km 3)

On the right side of the path stands the Fuente de Bodegas Irache — the wine fountain. A stone structure with a metal plaque bearing the Cross of Santiago flanked by two taps: one flows water, the other wine. It was installed in 1991 by the Irache winery, explicitly referencing Aymeric Picaud’s description of Estella in the 12th-century Codex Calixtinus as “una tierra de buen pan y gran vino” — a land of good bread and great wine. The webcam installed beside it has been streaming live footage of pilgrims drinking since its installation; it is one of the most-watched pilgrim feeds on the internet. The winery office and its Wine Museum both stamp the credencial.

A few metres further: the Monastery of Santa María de Irache. This is the oldest pilgrim hospital in Navarre — it predates Roncesvalles by nearly a century. The complex began in the 11th century on the site of an 8th-century earlier structure, accumulated extensions and reforms until 1985, and now occupies almost 7,000 square metres, of which more than 1,000 are the church alone. Its functions over the centuries included pilgrims’ hospital, monastic residence, university and clerical training institution.

The 12th-century church is the oldest surviving element and shows clear Cistercian influence. The Cistercian movement developed as a reform of the Cluniac monasteries, rejecting the ornamental richness that Cluny had encouraged and returning to austerity and structural elegance. Irache’s church is clean-lined, undecorated and spatially impressive — all the visual weight in the stone structure itself, none in applied ornament. The two cloisters are also worth seeing: one late Gothic, one Herrerian (the severe Renaissance style associated with Philip II’s Escorial). The legend associated with the monastery tells of its abbot hiding food under his habit to give to the poor; when the monks challenged him, he opened his habit to reveal roses and flowers rather than bread.

Azqueta and Villamayor de Monjardín: the Moorish cistern and the castle of four lies (km 9)

From the monastery, at a half-kilometre junction, yellow arrows point right toward Azqueta and Monjardín. The alternative route through Montejurra and Luquín climbs to 970 m and back down — technically possible but harder than the main option. Take the arrows. The path from Ayegui to Azqueta via the camping area is narrow with jumps; Tournride recommends the NA-1110 for this short stretch, then rejoining at Azqueta.

Azqueta is known among long-term Camino pilgrims for a character named Pablito, said to be one of the first people to cycle the Camino (in the 1960s), who for decades waited at the village entrance to give advice to passing cyclists. Leave Azqueta on Carrera Street and take the left after an industrial warehouse onto the 1.5 km dirt ramp to Monjardín.

At Villamayor de Monjardín (km 9), the dirt track becomes asphalt and on the left the Fuente de los Moros is signposted. Despite its recent roof reconstruction, the rest of the cistern is exceptional: a 13th-century example of medieval civil engineering in the tradition of Arab water management. The word cistern comes from Arabic; the form — a covered structure with arched entrance leading down stone stairs to a water tank — reflects the Al-Ándalus tradition of the central courtyard pool that collected and stored rainwater. It is not a western fountain with pipes but a qanat-influenced cistern: a shed with two large arches opening to stairs descending to the cool tank below. In summer it is one of the best places on Stage 4 to stop and cool down.

The town’s full name generates its most memorable local joke: el pueblo de las cuatro mentiras — the village of four lies — because it is neither Villa (it lacks the size the title implies), nor mayor (there is a larger Villamayor elsewhere in Spain), nor does it have monjas (nuns), nor a jardín (garden). The mountain above was formerly called Deyo; hence the castle at its summit is the Castillo de San Esteban de Deyo. Its history follows the standard Navarrese formula: archaeological evidence dates it to the 8th century, making Roman construction impossible despite the local saying that it was “built by the Romans, strengthened by the Moors, and taken by the Navarrese.” What is true: the Arab presence here ended when King Sancho Garcés reconquered it at the beginning of the 10th century. He is said to have been buried in the castle — appropriate for a monarch whose victory determined the strategic direction of the Navarrese reconquest.

Provision here or in Urbiola — there are no services for the next 13 km to Los Arcos.

Urbiola to Los Arcos: 13 km of Navarrese agricultural track (km 9–22)

Leave Villamayor by the Romaje road following the milestones south, cross the A-12 by underpass and climb a light ramp to Urbiola. From Urbiola’s Calle Mayor, cross the NA-7400 and follow a wide agricultural track for over 10 km in gentle slope — paved intermittently, mostly firm — to Los Arcos. This is one of the most peaceful stretches of Stage 4: open fields, good surface, consistent forward progress, the occasional cereal farm in the distance. The bell tower of Los Arcos’ church of Santa María was historically used to ring a bell guiding pilgrims across these fields before the modern signage system existed.

Los Arcos (km 22) developed as a road junction — Jacobean route, Roman trade routes, regional connections — and follows the pueblo-calle plan of every significant Camino town. Three pilgrim hospitals served it in the Middle Ages, one dedicated to San Lázaro for pilgrims with infectious diseases — a great leprosy epidemic is remembered here. The stone houses along the main street carry carved family shields on their facades; important Navarrese families maintained residences here through the modern period.

The church of Santa María (begun late 12th century, reformed to the 18th) is worth stopping for. The exterior has a notable 16th-century northern Renaissance doorway with angels and cherubs, and an 18th-century neoclassical portico. The interior is exceptional: a Baroque main altarpiece from the 17th century fills the apse, surrounded by numerous smaller rococo altarpieces on every wall, creating a chromatic and sculptural effect of extraordinary richness. The Mannerist choir stalls and the 18th-century organ — the most ostentatious in Navarre — add to the impression. The 16th-century late-Gothic cloister is outside and should not be missed.

Sansol and Torres del Río: the twin church of the octagon (km 26–27)

Leave Los Arcos by the Plaza de Santa María, cross the zebra crossing to the Jacobean route, and follow the agricultural track past the poorly preserved hermitage of San Vicente for 7 km to Sansol (km 26). Sansol and Torres del Río are practical twins, separated only by a ravine. From the NA-1110 at Sansol you can see Torres del Río at lower elevation to the left; the road curves and descends steeply into the village.

In Torres del Río (km 27) stands the church of the Holy Sepulchre — a strange jewel of the Romanesque that will immediately recall the church of Santa María de Eunate from Stage 3. Both are from the 12th century; both have been associated (without documentary proof) with the Templars; both recall the octagonal plan of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. But where Eunate’s octagon is intentionally imperfect, Torres del Río’s is geometrically precise. Where Eunate is isolated in fields, this one stands in a village.

Inside, the vault draws the eye immediately: its intersecting ribs create patterns explicitly recalling Islamic geometric decoration, thought to be the work of Christian craftsmen who had spent years under Muslim rule and carried that visual language into their later work. The exterior is also unusual for Romanesque: three floors with open spans that bring light to the upper dome, and a large cylindrical tower providing vertical emphasis rare in a style that tends toward horizontality. Like other towers on this route, it was used as a beacon at night to guide pilgrims across the fields.

Torres del Río to Viana: take the road (km 27–38)

The 10.5 km between Torres del Río and Viana on the traditional path involves continuous ascents and descents, variable surfaces, multiple crossings of the NA-1110 near curves, and the difficult ravine of Valdecornava. The traditional path is well signposted and cyclists do cover it, but there is no heritage along it that justifies the effort over the road option.

Tournride recommends the NA-1110 from Torres del Río to Viana. It is safer, faster, and there is 11 km of riding to go after Viana. Save the energy for the city.

If you take the traditional path: leave Torres del Río on the Camino de Santiago asphalt road, cross the national road by underpass, follow 2.5 km to the Ermita del Poyo (visible from the road too), navigate the Valdecornava ravine descent and the Cornava river crossing, and rejoin the NA-1110 for the final 2 km into Viana’s industrial zone.

Viana: César Borgia and the Gothic church of Santa María (km 38)

Viana (km 38) is the last Navarrese town on the French Way. Its strategic position on a hill near the Castilian border made it important throughout its history — six pilgrim hospitals at its peak, walls, fortifications, emblazoned houses. The monument count and the state of preservation both confirm that this was a wealthy and significant town. If you are not continuing to Logroño today (11 km remaining), Viana is a perfectly good overnight stop.

In the Plaza de los Fueros stands the Gothic church of Santa María, built between the 13th and 14th centuries. The interior has three large naves, decorated chapels with frescoes in the vaults, and the option to walk the triforium — the aisle above the side aisles — for an elevated view of the impressive 17th-century Baroque altarpiece in the apse. The church is a good example of mature Gothic, with the spatial confidence that comes from a century of accumulated technical experience in the style.

On the south side of the church, a Renaissance doorway leads to a tombstone that stops most visitors. César Borgia — prince, cardinal and condottiere — is buried here. The fact requires a brief explanation.

César was the son of Pope Alexander VI, of the Borgia family (Borgia is an Italianisation of Borja, a Navarrese lineage). He was bishop of Pamplona at 16 and a cardinal a year later. The Borgias are one of the most notorious dynasties of the Italian Renaissance: multiple popes, suspected poisonings, alleged incest, systematic accumulation of power through the papacy. César in particular pursued his political objectives with a ruthlessness that became legendary. His motto was “o César o nada” — either Caesar or nothing. Niccolò Machiavelli met him, studied him, and the encounter is said to have shaped The Prince — the foundational text of modern political philosophy with its thesis that the end justifies the means.

When Pope Julius II — a committed enemy of the Borgias — was elected, César was imprisoned. He eventually escaped to Spain, served as a military commander for the King of Navarre, and died in a battle at Viana in 1507. He was 31. The tomestone’s carving is one of the finest Spanish Renaissance examples, with Biblical and mythological scenes covering every surface. The Renaissance dome above the burial site is equally impressive.

Viana to Logroño: crossing into La Rioja (km 38–49)

Leave Viana on the NA-1111. After 1 km a paved track on the left, marked with a milestone, leads to the Ermita de la Virgen de las Cuevas — an 18th-century hermitage of modest artistic value but significant position: it stands on the site of the pre-Roman settlement of Covas, mentioned by Aymeric Picaud in the 12th century. A small picnic area with stone tables makes it a natural rest point. Continue along the track to the NA-1111 roundabout, pass the green sign marking the entry into La Rioja, follow the blue and yellow directional sign to the paved track, cross three underpasses with the N-1111 to the right, and in just over 2 km reach the Puente de Piedra — the Stone Bridge — at the entrance to Logroño.

When you arrive: Logroño

Logroño has been the capital of La Rioja since 1982. Its territory was occupied before the Romans arrived in the 1st century BC, when the name Vareia (the Roman city) derived, it is believed, from the Celtiberian root gronio — ford or crossing — referring to the continuous crossing of the Ebro. The river is navigable and linked commercial routes from Italy to the interior of the Peninsula, giving the city a strategic value that shaped everything that followed.

Three factors have defined Logroño’s history. Its position beside the Ebro — navigable, crossable, the axis of the commercial zone. Its role as a Jacobean staging point — in the 11th century the King directed the route through the city, and it has grown around pilgrimage infrastructure ever since. And its position as a border crossroads between the kingdoms of Castile, Navarre and Aragon, which brought military infrastructure, commerce and a cosmopolitan character unusual for a city of its size. In 1092 the Cid Campeador destroyed it. Three years later the King of Castile granted it a fuero to attract foreign settlers and rebuild — the same mechanism used at Larrasoaña, Puente la Reina and every significant Camino town.

The walking tour (45 minutes)

The Stone Bridge and the Ruavieja

You arrive across the Puente de Piedra — the Stone Bridge, inaugurated in 1884, seven arches, 198 metres. It was built because the previous stone bridge (17 arches, two fortified towers, the city’s historic symbol — it appears on the coat of arms of Logroño) had been weakened beyond repair by repeated Ebro flooding. The river’s flow is now much more stable thanks to upstream dams and subsidiary channels. The old bridge is gone; the one you cross was its replacement. From the Pozo Cubillas park on the right after crossing, a viewpoint looks back at the bridge and the river.

Enter the old city via Ruavieja — one of the city’s oldest streets. Turn left at the first street to reach the church of Santa María de Palacio, built between the 12th and 13th centuries. Its characteristic feature is a lantern tower known as la Aguja — the Needle — one of the symbols of Logroño, associated with the Order of the Holy Sepulchre (one of the military-religious orders that protected pilgrims). The Renaissance altarpiece inside is also notable.

The Plaza de Santiago: the Game of the Goose, the pilgrim fountain and Santiago el Real

Return to Ruavieja, cross Sagasta Street and reach the Plaza de Santiago. Three things to see here, all connected to the Camino.

On the ground: a giant version of the Game of the Goose — board game, oversized dice and all — with each square representing a city on the Camino de Santiago, starting at Logroño. The theory — popular, contested, but entertaining — holds that the game was invented by the Templars in the 11th century as a symbolic representation of the pilgrimage, with bridges as the squares from which you take another turn (“de puente en puente y tiro porque me lleva la corriente”) and the goose as the protective role of the order (geese make noise when strangers approach). Whether the Templars invented it or not, the representation of the Camino as a board game with specific hazards and lucky squares is apt. Life as pilgrimage; pilgrimage as board game; the rules are the same: advance when you can, accept the setbacks, reach the end.

Across the plaza: the Pilgrim’s Fountain, built around 1675, fully restored in 1986. And behind it: the church of Santiago el Real, said to have been founded by a disciple of the apostle himself — the traditional founding story of the earliest Christian church in Logroño, almost certainly legendary but deeply embedded in the city’s identity. The current building dates from the 16th century, replacing an earlier one burned down. On its facade, a sculpture of Santiago Matamoros — the Moorslayer — on horseback. We have seen Santiago as a pilgrim and as a patron of the road; this is his third iconographic form, the warrior saint who appeared in battle to assist the Christian reconquest.

The iconography of Santiago in battle is worth understanding historically. During the Reconquista, miraculous apparitions of the apostle on horseback killing Moors were reported after key battles — the Battle of Clavijo (844) is the most famous, though the historical record of the battle itself is partly legendary. The iconographic pattern then repeated itself across the centuries of Spanish imperial expansion: in the Americas, the same mounted saint became Santiago Mataindios (the Indian-slayer); in the independence wars of the 19th century, the sons of those conquered reappropriated the image as Santiago Mataespañoles. The different military iconographies of Santiago trace the trajectory of Spanish history across five centuries. The apostle’s statue on the facade is one specific moment in that longer story.

The Parliament, the Mercado de Abastos and the concatedral

Continue via Calle Barriocepo to the Parliament of La Rioja — housed in the former convent of La Merced (14th–16th century). Since 1998 the church and its cloister (now covered with a glass dome forming the hemicycle) have served as the parliament; the eastern wing is the Library of La Rioja. The building has also been a tobacco factory — the large red-brick chimney on Portales Street remains as a souvenir of that period.

Continue to the Mercado de Abastos (early 20th century, red brick, iron structure, large windows) — one of the best food markets on this stage of the route. La Rioja’s produce is among the most celebrated in Spain: the vegetables, the lamb, the mushrooms, the sausages. There are also places inside where the products are cooked. An excellent place to eat well and cheaply before the evening’s pintxos.

From the market, exit via Sagasta Street, turn right on Portales and reach the concatedral of Santa María la Redonda. The name — “the round one” — recalls a previous octagonal church on the same site (similar in plan to Eunate and Torres del Río, which we have now seen twice on this pilgrimage). When Logroño was granted city status in the 15th century, that small Romanesque was demolished and construction began in 1516 on what we see today.

The interior is Elizabethan Gothic — the style of the late Catholic Monarchs period, fusing Gothic structure with early Renaissance forms and incorporating Moorish and Flemish decorative elements. The columns and arches are Gothic; the rib vaults form palm-grove patterns of Arabic derivation with filigree detailing; the main facade (18th century, fully Baroque, with twin towers) and the interior altarpiece system represent different centuries layered on the same building. The foundation itself is reinforced with vine branches — the land is marshy near the Ebro, and vine wood does not rot in moisture. La Rioja’s defining product is literally in the foundations of its cathedral.

Wine and pintxos to end the day

Logroño has been producing wine since the Romans introduced viticulture here, and its winemaking identity has not weakened. The Rioja D.O.C. is one of the most internationally recognised wine designations in the world. Bodegas near the city include Ontañón and Ijalba among others. But the most immediate way to experience La Rioja wine culture is on Calle Laurel — more than 50 bars in a concentrated stretch south of the Mercado de Abastos, each specialising in a specific pintxo or tapa, paired with the house Rioja. The adjacent Calle San Juan (parallel to Portales to the south) offers the same format in a slightly less concentrated form. Order small, move between bars, and let the stage end the way La Rioja intends it to: standing at a bar counter with a glass and something good to eat.

Practical notes for Stage 4

Stage 4 is the easiest profile of the first four stages — gentle gradients, mostly paved tracks, significant distance covered with manageable effort. The main caution is the Torres del Río to Viana section on the traditional path (recommended to take the NA-1110 instead). The other notable point: no services for 13 km between Urbiola and Los Arcos, and a similar gap between Torres del Río and Viana on the traditional path. Provision in Monjardín or Urbiola before the long stretch, and again in Sansol or Torres del Río before Viana.

In summer this stage crosses long stretches of open field without shade. Start early, carry 1.5–2 litres minimum from each provision point, and use sun protection.

Accommodation: Ayegui (1), Villamayor de Monjardín (2), Los Arcos (2), Sansol (1), Torres del Río (2), Viana (3), Logroño (6, including the parish hostel on Santiago Street which does not have covered bicycle storage).

Getting to Estella: no train station. La Estellesa bus connects from Irún, Pamplona (30 min), Logroño, Puente la Reina and San Sebastián. Taxi from Pamplona (approximately €55 on weekdays, €68 on holidays; up to 8 passengers — the contact for a pilgrim-specialist taxi is +34 609 44 70 58).

Frequently asked questions about Stage 4

How far is Stage 4 from Estella to Logroño by bike?

49 km between 420 m and 590 m elevation — the flattest and easiest stage profile of the first four stages. Two sections require note: the 1.5 km Azqueta to Monjardín climb (narrow dirt track) and the Torres del Río to Viana section (Tournride recommends the NA-1110 road for this 10.5 km stretch). Allow approximately 4 hours riding time.

What is the wine fountain on the Camino Francés?

The Fuente de Bodegas Irache in Ayegui, installed in 1991 by the Irache winery. A stone structure with two taps: one dispenses water, the other wine — a free offering to pilgrims in reference to Aymeric Picaud’s 12th-century description of the area as a land of good bread and great wine. A webcam broadcasts the fountain live; pilgrims and their families can watch online. The Monastery of Irache, immediately adjacent, is the oldest pilgrim hospital in Navarre.

Who is buried in Viana on the Camino de Santiago?

César Borgia (1475–1507) — son of Pope Alexander VI, bishop of Pamplona at 16, cardinal at 17, and one of the most feared political operators of the Italian Renaissance. His ruthless pursuit of power is said to have inspired Machiavelli’s The Prince. He died in battle at Viana at 31. His tomb is in the church of Santa María, beneath a Renaissance dome with carved Biblical and mythological scenes. The family name is a Italianisation of Borja, a Navarrese lineage.

What is La Rioja known for?

La Rioja is Spain’s smallest autonomous community and internationally synonymous with its wine. The Rioja D.O.C. (Denominación de Origen Calificada) produces predominantly red wines from the Tempranillo grape, classified by ageing time: Crianza (minimum 2 years), Reserva (minimum 3 years), Gran Reserva (minimum 5 years). Viticulture here dates to Roman times and the region’s soil, climate and winemaking tradition make it one of the world’s most respected wine designations. Logroño’s Calle Laurel is the ideal introduction.

Can I rent a bike starting from Estella or Logroño?

Yes. Tournride delivers to both. Estella is accessible by La Estellesa bus from Pamplona, Logroño, Irún and San Sebastián. Logroño is well connected by train and bus from across Spain. See all bike models and check availability here.