Camino Francés: Stage 8

You will leave Logroño through the Plaza de Santiago square; you will get to this square through the Ruavieja and Barriocepo streets. You will cross a church where St. James preached one time. The you will through Puerta del Camino one of the entrance to the city that used to have a city wall. If go in summer you will find very high temperatures but you will be able to rest, have a break and drink fresh water in one of the springs that are along the way before the Calle Marqués de Murieta. After walking approximately one kilometres you will go through the left, through the Calle Duqes de Nájera street, leaving behind all the shops and entering in the Parque de San Miguel park.

You will walk for a while through a gorgeous forest to finally get to another park, the Parque de la Grajera park. This is a perfect place to rest next to the reservoir, built in the 19 century to accumulate the water that comes from the Iregu river used to water. This is one of the unique damp places in this community.

After this stop, you will go through a shaded path. After walking up a little bit you will enjoy the wonderful views. After this stop, you will go through a shaded path. After walking up a little bit you will enjoy the wonderful views. You will nos walk from the Alto de la Grajera to Navarrete, crossing for a while the N-120 and then you will return to the path. You will cross the A-68 through an overpass and seeing a Toro de Osborne. You are now very close to Navarrete that was declared a Historic-Artistic Grouping.

This village is next to Navarre and it was named after this community. It was a key village for the Castilian monarchs in the 12 century to defend their territory. Now you will go through the Calle de la Cruz street and you will see the Iglesia de la Asunción church that was built by Juan Vallejo in the Renaissance. After crossing this village through its main street and it old city you will turn left once you get to left to the Calle Arrabal street and continue straight forward through the Calle de San Roque street.

Here you should stop to see the remains of an old pilgrim’s hospital called San Juan de Arce, one of the most important monuments in the Romanesque architecture. It was a monastery at the beginning but then it became a hospital for those who were walking to Santiago de Compostela. It was destroyed in the 19 century and now you can only see the front and two windows that are the entrance to the cemetery.

It was destroyed in the 19 century and now you can only see the front and two windows that are the entrance to the cemetery. A little bit after you will find a new hostel, a bar and also a pharmacy.

Returning to the way you will go through a path next to the A-12 and a little bit forward you will find a turn away that will lead you to another village that is not in the original way: Ventosa that is located one kilometre and a half. In this village you will find bars, and also a hostel. Here you can visit the Iglesia de San Saturnino church that is from the 17 century. If you decide to take the turn away you will continue straight forward and then you will cross the road LR-341.

n a while you will get to Alto de San Antón where you can see the Valle de Najerilla valley, located 20 kilometres from Nájera. Then you will cross the N-120 through an underpass. You will continue through a path and you will see Alto de San Lorenzo in the Sierra de la Demanda mountain pass, the highest top in La Rioja (2271 metres). Llegamos entonces al cerro donde se emplaza una de las más famosas historias del Camino (donde actualmente hay un repetidor de telefonía): la batalla entre Roldán y el gigante Ferragut, en el Poyo (colina) de Roldán. La leyenda dice que en el castillo de Nájera vivía un fuerte e inmenso gigante descendiente de Goliat. Un día, estando el gigante sentado a las puertas de su castillo, Roldán lo divisó desde la colina y le tiró una piedra que pesaba dos arrobas (unos veintidós kilos). Esta impactó en la frente de Ferrugat, derribándolo estrepitosamente.

You will continue through a path that leads you to the Yalde River and after a kilometre and a half you will get to Poema del Camino. You can take a break after crossing the N-120, but a little bit after you will get to the end of the stage the hostel is located to the left. Si lo deseamos podemos tomarnos un pequeño respiro bajo alguna de sus sombras y seguir hacia Nájera, tras haber cruzado la N-120, donde tampoco hay paso de peatones. Avanzaremos por las avenidas de Logroño y San Fernando para cruzar en este caso el río Najerilla. El albergue se encuentra a mano izquierda siguiendo un sendero paralelo al curso del río. Daremos por finalizada la etapa de hoy.

Bear in mind

This is the largest stage in the French Way but it is easy. It is different from the other ones that are full of ups and downs.

There are just two dangerous points, the ones that cross the N-120 because there is no pedestrian crossing and we have to be patient and also be careful.

People with reduced mobility won’t have any problem during this stage, we recommend them follow the N-120, being very careful, after Alto de San Antón.