Stage 6: Estella – Los Arcos Distance: 20.5km
Estella
Heading out of Estrella pass the Albergue Municipal Oncineda through the Puerta de Castilla across the road and head uphill to Ayegui
Ayegui
Head towards the Monasterio de Irache. You’ll come to the Fuente del Vino, free red wine on tap provided by Bodegas Irache.
A perfect start to a days walking!
You can watch the thirsty pilgrims here www.irache.com/webcam.html
Beside the tap is the Monasterio de Irache, one of the most important monumental complexes in Navarra.
Over the years it has been a pilgrims’ hospice, university, military hospital, religious college and, it will soon become a Parador.
Irache
Irache is a small town of modern houses with a large camping complex, which also offers rooms, and a hotel.
Heading through Irache you walk along some fields and through a kermes oak wood woods.
The path crosses a local road and, once out of the wood, follows a track until it reaches Azqueta.
Continue on through village, and head downwards and pass in front of a dairy.
The track leads to the Gothic fountain, Fuente de los Moros, of Villamayor de Monjardín.
Continue on until you reach the village situated at the foot of its famous ruined castle.
Villamayor de Monjardín
At an altitude of 650m Villamayor de Monjardín has great view over the surrounding countryside.
The ruins of Castillo de San Esteban over look the vilage from the top of Monjardín.
The Town Hall, a former school and jail (at different times of course), was restored in 1987. It consists of two floors: On the first there is the meeting lounge, the archives, an office, and the bathrooms. On the second there is a store. On the ground floor there is a bar.
You will also find the Fuente de los Moros (Fountain of the Moors) , a precious Romanesque cistern of the 12th century with a rectangular floor and stairs descending to the spring. An impressive vault starts from the insterior forming two pointed arches. It was restored by the Institution of the Prince of Viana in 1991.
The Iglesia de San Andrés is a Romanesque building with some of the pre-gothic structure dating to the 12th century. It consists of a single nave composed of various sections ending in an ample front where there is a window.
A very important element of this church is the Romanesque doorway with its archivolts, monogram of Christ, and scenes depicting the battle between the two knights (Charlemagne and a Navarran Prince).
Leave Villamayor de Monjardín passing by the church and heading along a concrete path that soon heads downhill until it reaches a wider track.
Cross the local road and continue on a gravel path along flat land, between vineyards, cereal fields, and small pinewoods.
The track continues past the ancient Fuente del Pozode Baurín around a hill on which the Corral Santo (Holy Enclosure) is found.
A little further on the route makes a right turn and crosses the fields until it reaches the other side of a watercourse, approaching a small hill range covered with replanted pine trees.
Continue walking through cereal fields and olive groves until you arrive at a fountain on the outskirts of the town.
Take the left hand fork in the road and walk along the Calle Mayor into Los Arcos
Los Arcos
Los Arcos is located on the foot of a hill on the banks of the Río Odrón.
Taking a short walk around the town you can discover all this beautiful village has to offer.
In addition to it’s most beautiful building the Iglesia de Santa María, you will see the Estanco and the Santa María doorways. The last is dating from the 17th century.
After mass pilgrims can climb to the church’s Renaissance bell tower.
If you cross the Los Arcos streets and squares you will find several baroque mansions and manor houses dating from the 17th & 18th century.
Los Arcos has three hermitages, the Calvario – an 18th century baroque building, the San Sebastián and the San Blas.
Tourist Information, Calle Fueros Tel: (0034) 948 42 77 53
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