Stage 8: Logroño – Nájera Distance 29.5km

Logroño

Head out of Logroño along Calle Rúa Vieja onto Calle Barriocepo, passing the Iglesia de Santiago and the 16th century pilgrim fountain Fuente de los Peregrinos.
 
Beside this is a square with a mosaic of the game Juego de la Oca. This is a snakes and ladders style game and the board and pieces represent the pilgrimage to Santiago.
 
Continue on through the Old Town , Casco Antiguo, until you come to Plaza del Parlemento. Continue through the Puerta del Camino in Logroños town walls.
 
Head out through the suburbs of Logroño keeping an eye for the yellow arrow way markers. Go straight along the Marqués de Murrieta over the railway line to Avenida Burgos then turn left onto Calle Portillejo. For the next few kilometres you’ll walk through open parkland along a paved track to Plantano de la Grajera.
 
Take a right along the reservoir wall, over a foot bridge to the picnic area, cafe and fountain.

Follow the gravel track around the lake passing a fountain and head uphill along an a path that runs parallel to the main road where pilgrms have placed hundres of small wooden crosses in the wire fench on the right.
 
At the end of the fench, cross the main road onto a dirt track through fields and vineyards crossing the motorway over a foot bridge.
 
You now come to the ruins of a 12th century medaeival Hospital de San Juan de Acre which as founded to look afer pilgrims walking the camino.
 
Continue on, climbing some steep steps over a bypass and into the town of Navarette.
 

Navarette

Leaving Navarette, take a right up the Calle La Cruz to the church square and the Iglesia de la Ascunción. Turn left down the Calle Mayor Alta onto the main road passing the cemetery. The 13th century gateway was brought here from the Hospital de San Juan de Acre. The capitals show various battle scenes including the battle between Roldán and the giant Ferragut
 
Pass the cemetery along a right red earth track, this red clay soil is used by local potters, through vineyards running parallel to the main road. Continue on over the Río de la Fuente and crossing the road to Sotés at the Vitivinicola Wine co-operative. You can take a left here to the Albergue Bodegas Fernando J Rodrigues in Sotes
 

Sotes

Or you can continue on the track that runs alongside the main road. After a few kilometres the path leaves the road on towards the village of Ventosa
 

Ventosa

With a population of around 150 Ventosa’a main monument is the 16th century Iglesia de San Saturnino Siglo.

Leaving Ventosa head uphill on dirt track through countryside passing small piles of stone mounds leftby pilgrims over the years. Keep going uphill towards Alto de San Antón. On your right you can see the ruins of the Convento de San Antón, you also get views of Nájera.
 
Continue on on the red dirt track trough vineyards until you cross the main road to the right of the Poyo de Roldán, Mound of Roland. This is the spot where Roland is alleged to have killed the giant Ferragut and then freed the Christian Knights of Charlemagne’s Army from captivity.
 
Carry on on the track across a main road then across footbridge over the Río Yalde continuing around the side of a gravel factory, through a vineyard towards the outskirts of Nájera.
 
Follow the signs for the town centre passing the Guardia Civil and the Convento de Santa Helena.
 
Cross the bridge over the Río Najerilla taking a left on the other side to the albergue municipal in Nájera
 

Nájera