The relatively little-known Navarre is a province within the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Navarre is a unique region with a rich history and surprisingly diverse natural landscapes. In the north, you’ll find the high peaks of the Pyrenees, surrounded by lush greenery and forests—and there’s even a desert. Time to explore this region in northern Spain!
The starting point for this trip is San Sebastián, which you can easily reach by train from the Netherlands in a single day. From San Sebastián, you can take a train to Pamplona in Navarre in under two hours. Read here to find out how to travel to Spain by train from the Netherlands.
The Pamplona train station is located just outside the city, but a half-hour walk or a 15-minute bus ride will take you to the Plaza del Castillo, the central square of this capital of Navarre. Pamplona feels like a friendly provincial town. There’s a friendly yet reserved atmosphere on the streets, and the pace of life is leisurely. There’s plenty of greenery in and around the city, and the birds are singing away.
The city also exudes the spirit of the famous Camino ( the Way of St. James), which runs right through it. As the afternoon wears on, the first hikers gradually trickle in, tired, and plop down with their backpacks on one of the many outdoor patios. On almost every street corner, you can buy a memento of the Camino or other souvenirs, and there’s no shortage of charming cafés and restaurants offering affordable daily specials.
In the Navarre region, great importance is placed on local products. Key regional products include asparagus, artichokes, olive oil, and wine. This is evident not only at the local markets but also in the countless small shops in Pamplona that offer a wide selection of local goods. Even the (smaller) supermarkets mainly sell products from the region. A wine that isn’t from the region is a rare find here.
The direct minibus that left Pamplona chugs quietly into the sleepy town of Arguedas an hour and a half later. The bus stop turns out to be on the side of a long, deserted road. At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be much going on here; it’s the middle of the day and the streets are dead quiet. The shutters on most of the houses are closed. There are hardly any tourist facilities, but we quickly find a place to stay: the surprisingly charming Casa Rural La Bardena Blanca.
Despite its seemingly deserted appearance, there are definitely things to do here. Arguedas serves as the ideal base for visiting the Bardenas Reales, one of Spain’s desert regions that lies just beyond this village.
The entrance to the Bardenas Reales Nature Park is eight kilometers from the village. At Bardenas Bikes, you can rent mountain bikes or e-bikes to explore the park. You can choose to complete the entire 35-kilometer loop or just a small portion of it, which will take you to the main highlights . It’s also a great place for hiking or driving through.
The Bardenas Reales is a nature reserve with a unique landscape. It is, in fact, a semi-desert, which means it has the aridity and appearance of a desert, but at the same time features patches of greenery because it does receive occasional rainfall. As a result, one moment you’ll be cycling right through bone-dry areas with large cracks in the earth, while at other times, fresh-looking green fields adorn the landscape. The nature park has been designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It’s home to more than 100 bird species. Here, you’ll encounter many birds of prey and a wide variety of steppe birds.
The most remarkable features in this area are the limestone and sandstone rock formations that have been eroded into unique shapes by wind and water. The most iconic (and therefore most visited) of these is the Castildetierra, which has taken on a shape resembling a castle tower. Incidentally, climbing on it is strictly prohibited because the formations are eroding further and further away. Some people even predict that these formations will no longer be visible in just 50 years.
If you’re looking for a special place to stay in this unique desert, check out Aire de Bardenas. A unique, eco-friendly boutique hotel in the Bardenas Reales Nature Reserve.
The owner of the bike rental shop says that the early and late seasons are the best times to explore the Bardenas by bike. In the summer, it gets very hot, with temperatures that can rise above 40 degrees. In addition, the high season is incredibly crowded with cars and RVs all taking the same route and kicking up clouds of sandy dust. During our visit in March, hardly any cars passed by, and we practically had the desert to ourselves. On top of that, the temperature was a pleasant 20 degrees.
The medieval town of Olite is located halfway between Arguedas and Pamplona. Olite is best known for its impressive Palacio Real, a medieval palace built for the king and queen of Navarre. The part of the palace that is open to visitors is the “new” section. This section was added later, in 1402, after the old section was deemed too small. With seven towers, galleries, courtyards, and countless balustrades, it was a very luxurious palace for its time.
It’s interesting to note that the old part of the palace now houses a hotel, the Parador de Olite. Here you can spend the night in true medieval style, with many original features still intact, such as thick carpets, a grand dining hall, and even stone fireplaces in some of the rooms. After visiting the palace, take a stroll through Olite’s narrow cobblestone streets and stop by one of the many wineries the town has to offer.
Tip: According to Google Maps, there should be a direct bus from Arguedas to Olite, but no one in the village itself seems to know anything about it. So it’s best to first take the bus to Tudela, and from there transfer to the train to Olite, which is another 40-minute ride.
On the outskirts of Olite lies Bodegas Ochoa, a winery now led by the sixth generation of the family. The wine is produced here using traditional methods, but a few years ago, the winery decided to adopt a more sustainable approach. Since 2021, they have been using 100% organically grown grapes, no pesticides are used, and they are committed to increasing biodiversity in the vineyards, working toward a balanced ecosystem. Another unique aspect of this family-run business is that they manage the entire process in-house—from planting to harvest, yeast development, and the aging process. Incidentally, they don’t shout their sustainable approach from the rooftops. After all, the wine maintains the same quality. The only thing that changes is that production is carried out in a future-proof manner. According to the Ochoa winemakers, this is only logical.
Through the Ochoa website, you can book a guided tour of the winery where every step of the process is explained. While enjoying your first glass of wine, you’ll visit, among other places, the “wine library”—a room where wines from years marked by special family events are stored. The tour concludes with a tasting of three more of their most iconic wines, accompanied by local vegetarian delicacies, including their homemade olive oil.
From Olite, you can take the train back toward Pamplona and travel back to the Netherlands via San Sebastián.
The diversity of Navarra’s nature reserves is immense. And that’s what makes it so appealing. From the desert in the south to the Irati Forest in the Pyrenees in the north. It’s an ideal area for hikers and cycling enthusiasts. The best time to visit is spring or fall, as summers can get very hot. Using Pamplona, Olite, and Arguedas as your starting points, you can easily explore the region. It’s also easily accessible by public transportation from San Sebastián.
Met een passie voor reizen en fotografie én meer dan 30 jaar ervaring in de reisbranche, deel ik graag mijn bijzondere natuur-reistips. Reizen is heerlijk en belangrijk, je ontmoet nieuwe mensen en culturen en het opent je blik op de wereld.
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