After Pamplona El Camino de Santiago continues along beautiful fields and small villages. Before getting to the historical town of Puente de la Reina, el Camino de Santiago goes throw the summing of a small but really steep mountain called in Spanish “Alto del Perdon”  which would mean in English something like Peak of Forgiveness. Pilgrims would understand why when they are climbing its steep slope and then once inthe summit observe the breathtaking landscape around. In the summit of Alto del Perdon there is also a beautiful monument in homage to the pilgrims of El Camino de Santiago.

After Alto del Perdón and before Puente de la Reina pilgrims get into the merging point with El Camino Aragones (Aragonese Way) which comes from France crossing the central Pyrenees and goes through the beautiful Spanish region of Aragon. Very close to this merging point there is the 12th century Romanesque church of Santa Maria de Eunate. It’s a Knights Templar church, it’s a octagonal church surrounded by a polygonal construction of arches, in fact Eunate means “One hundred doors” in Basque language. Eunate’s church is full of Knights Templar and Masonic symbolism.

Finally you reach medieval Puente de la Reina with its narrow cobbled streets, Romanesque and Gothic churches, medieval nobility’s mansions, and its best landmark: the Romanesque bridge over the river Arga. Puente de la Reina’s bridge was built in the 11th century by order of the queen of the kingdom of Nájera (actually the name of the city means “The Queen’s bridge” in Spanish). Its length is 110 m and it has 6 arches and 5 pillars, the causeway is 4 m wide. It’s one of the most beautiful bridges I’ve ever seen and definitely one of the top monuments along El Camino de Santiago.

<< 3. Larrasoana – Pamplona (15km) | 5. Pte de la Reina – Estella (22km) >>

<< 3. Larrasoana – Pamplona (15km) | 5. Pte de la Reina – Estella (22km) >>

<< 3. Larrasoana – Pamplona (15km) | 5. Pte de la Reina – Estella (22km) >>