Famed for the annual Festival of San Fermín — ‘The Running of the Bulls’ — Pamplona is in full celebratory mode every July. This is, of course, the busiest time to visit, but this medieval city is also marvellous when it’s quieter, and you can sample superb cuisine and admire heritage architecture without the crowds. A wide range of accommodation options, fit for a whole array of tastes and budgets, reflect the city’s popularity. Our selection of the best places to stay in Pamplona showcases two very different hotels — one traditional landmark and another ultra-modern new arrival.
The capital of Navarre, Pamplona is also the very first city on the Camino de Santiago’s Spanish Way, which winds towards Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. A legendary pilgrimage route, the Camino is in part responsible for the city’s many churches. The neoclassical Catedral de Santa María la Real y Museo Diocesano is one such highlight, and guided walking tours will lead you to a number of others. For a sense of Pamplona’s past, make for the Museo de Navarra or the Renaissance-era Ciudaela, surrounded by a leafy park. Pamplona lived within its medieval walls until the early 20th Century, and these are still well worth exploring.
To savour terrific regional fare, try the bars and eateries of Plaza del Castillo. Café Iruna, famously favoured by Ernest Hemingway, now boasts a statue of the writer. Pick a perch at one of the tables for a glass of Spanish wine and a taste of the fantastic pintxos. Hemingway first visited the city in 1923, taking a room at one of our Gurus’ picks of the best places to stay in Pamplona. Whether you’re retracing his footsteps, curious to see bulls racing through the streets in July or simply here for the food, Pamplona remains a very special destination.