Since arriving in Bilbao we have traveled extensively within Euskadi, exploring the region via its extensive transit network. We have also occasionally ventured beyond the Basque Country, including making progress towards our goal of visiting every Autonomous Community with trips to Galicia and Las Islas Baleares.
Unfortunately, with the exception of Navarra, most of the remaining Autonomous Communities are harder to access via bus or rail. So, for the first half of 2025 we did not make any progress towards our goal. To address this we decided to travel to Pamplona in the fall.
First Stop: Barcelona
The exact dates of our trip to Navarra changed a few times, but we ultimately decided to spend three nights there towards the end of October.
We made the stop on our return from a short stay in Barcelona, where we ate arroz, rode a teleférico, and went on an epic quest to purchase a lotería de navidad ticket for our neighbors.
[The view from the train of autumn in La Rioja was gorgeous. It’s an Autonomous Community that we’ve visited frequently, but I do want to return later this year!]
Pamplonan Pintxos
As every blog/guide book will tell you, pintxos, small snacks served on a slice of bread, are a staple of Basque cuisine. We eat our fair share of them in Bilbao [especially gilda], but we’ve also noticed variations in how they are served throughout Euskal Herria. [In Bilbao bars display pre-made options in a case. In Donostia/San Sebastian many places serve specialties “al momento”, meaning they are prepared when ordered.]
Pamplona’s pintxos were served similar to those in Bilbao, with the day’s offerings being on display atop the bar. However, in most cases they were much heartier than the snack-sized pieces available in Bilbao. Many places served large tostas [open faced sandwiches with unique toppings] that we partook in with frequency. We also found some super tasty torrezno. [We made two trips to that bar in three days because it was that good.]
An Urban Hike [Including El Encierro]
Pamplona is most famous for the annual Festival de San Fermin, when the Running of the Bulls [El encierro] occurs every morning at 8:00. The route starts at a corral near the old city walls and ends a half-mile later at the Plaza de los Toros. Traveling the narrow and windy streets of Casco Viejo, El encierro passes by cathedrals with impressive bell towers and the Ayuntamiento, among other historic landmarks.
Running with the bulls is not something we’ll ever do. Instead we chose to include the path of the daily run on a leisurely urban hike, months removed from Sanfermines. Looking to cover more distance than the half-mile route, we continued beyond the Plaza de los Toros to a series of riverside parks. We encountered a fascinating bridge, nicknamed the “The Tightrope” and peeped some leaves. We returned to the city center through an opening in the aforementioned city walls that were built centuries ago as the first line of defense against an invasion.
Parque de la Taconera
On our last full day in Pamplona we stopped for post-workout tortilla at a cafe in Parque de la Taconera before making our way to a mirador. Google Maps indicated that to walk between the cafe and the viewpoint we’d need to take a much longer route than expected, traveling around the periphery of the park rather than through it. We thought this had to be wrong. Surely there would be sidewalks or other pathways through the park that we could use.
After finishing our snack we began to walk in the direction of the mirador, rather than following the route suggested in the map, and almost immediately heard roosters crowing. It’s not uncommon to encounter livestock close to cities in Euskal Herria. After all, there are cows and donkeys roaming freely in the mountains we hike near Bilbao. But Parque de la Taconera is in the center of Pamplona, it’s not a place that I expected farm animals to live.
Turns out I was very wrong, both in terms of our walking route and the presence of animals. A portion of Parque de la Taconera is a fortress which is now inhabited by all sorts of birds [🦚🦆🪿🐓]. While you can approach the area and observe the birds from above, you cannot, in fact, pass through it. I was fascinated by this discovery and spent a not insignificant amount of time observing the birds and their interactions on our longer-than-expected walk to the mirador.
Up Next: Perhaps Pays Basque?
We’re in the midst of a very Bilbao winter. While the temperatures are mild and it doesn’t snow, the rain comes in the form of downpours, rather than zirimiri. This doesn’t exactly motivate me to venture very far from the apartment. I’ve decided to fill my extra time by reading [I finished four books in January alone!] and writing. Perhaps I’ll post next about our trip to Pays Basque, the portion of Euskal Herria in 🇫🇷, where we spent two weeks in August. It was a delightful trip that included plenty of quality of time with our neighbors that really does deserve its own post!