Getting Around
Transportes Rober (900 710 900 www.transportesrober.com) runs almost 40 bus lines around the city ( €1.20, 7 rides €5.), as well as smaller direct buses to the Alhambra, the Albaicín, and the Sacromonte. These tourist lines are #30, 31, 32, and 34, and the circular lines (#11, 21, and 23) make full loops around the city. Rober also runs a special Feria line. ( €1.40.) While most lines generally run between 6:30am and 11:30pm every day, the Buho lines (#111 and 121 €1.30. Midnight-5:15am.) Lines #3 and 33 from the bus station and lines #3, 6, 9, and 11 from the train station take you to Gran Vía de Colon. Also, there’s an airport shuttle from the 2nd stop on Gran Vía. ( €3. 45min.; 11-13 per day.)
pamplona iruña
948
If people know one thing about Pamplona (pop. 200,000), it’s the Running of the Bulls. If they know two things about Pamplona, it’s the Running of the Bulls and the earth-shattering week of partying that accompanies the former. Hemingway may have made this town famous in The Sun Also Rises, but Pamplona has had no trouble keeping itself in the headlines. The week of los Fermines fills the city to the gills with revelers, and the high demand leads to skyrocketing prices. Pamplona takes its name from the Roman general Pompey, who is said to have founded the town in the first century BCE, after which it grew and developed under the Romans and later the Visigoths. Despite its Roman history, though, Pamplona has a strong sense of its Basque heritage: almost all public signage in Pamplona (Iruña in Basque) is in both castellano and Basque (euskera in Basque). The heavily fortified Pamplona has been a border city since the eighth century, caught between various Iberian kingdoms, France, and Spain. Since the Middle Ages, the Camino de Santiago has connected Pamplona with the rest of Europe across the Pyrenees and has kept it economically and culturally prosperous. The casco antiguo and nearby areas are largely tourist-oriented, but are still heavily frequented by locals in the low season.
ORIENTATION
Most of the action in Pamplona takes place east of the parks (la Ciudadela and Parque de la Taconera) and to the south and west of the río Arga. At the north end of this area is the casco antiguo, the old quarter, which has narrow streets lined with shops, bars, and plazas. The Catedral is in the casco’s northeast corner; the massive Pl. del Castillo is in the center at the south end. The wide, pedestrian Av. Carlos III connects the casco to the segundo ensanche, an urban zone certainly newer than the casco, but not without its own charm. The Av. de la Baja Navarra is the city’s main thoroughfare, and it cuts east-west through the segundo ensanche, with the bus station at its western end.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Most of the accommodations in Pamplona are in the casco antiguo. Cheaper and quieter places can be found in the segundo ensanche. The city’s just not big enough to worry about being 3 blocks away from all the action.
HOSTEL HEMINGWAY
C. Amaya, 26, 1izq. (2nd fl., on the left)
HOSTEL
948 98 38 84 www.hostelhemingway.com
Traveling alone and looking for a group to go tapas-tasting or barhopping with? This recently opened hostel’s communal spaces (like its common area with a giant TV) create instant bonds among the young crowds that stay here, facilitated by the fact that English is Heminway’s lingua franca. The hostel was opened in 2009 by three young friends traveling through Pamplona who realized there wasn’t a hostel in town save those for pilgrims, so they decided to open their own. The shared bedrooms aren’t exactly spacious, and it’s in the segundo ensanche, a short walk from the casco antiguo, but the free breakfast and camaraderie among guests and hosts more than make up for it.
From bus station, take Av. de la Baja Navarra east 8 blocks, then right on C. Amaya for 3 blocks. Breakfast included. Laundry €3 wash, dry €4. Kitchen available. All rooms with shared bath. Computers with internet €0.50 per 15min.; €1.50 per hr. 6-bed dorms €19; 4-bed €20. Singles €21; doubles €22; Su-Th €15 for pilgrims with accreditation. During San Fermín €55/€65/€14. Bike rental €2 per 2hr., €3 per 4hr. Reception 8am-midnight, but keys are available to guests with a €10 deposit.
PENSIÓN ARRIETA
C. Arrieta, 27., 1izq. 2nd fl. on the left
PENSIÓN
948 22 84 59 www.pensionarrieta.net
Though it’s located a few blocks out of the casco antiguo in a more modern part of town, this pensión is close to both the wide, pedestrian Av. de Carlos III, and the bus station. The rooms are large and bright, and don’t worry about that squawking noise—the house parrot goes to sleep at night, so he won’t keep you up.
Pamplona
From bus station, take Av. de la Baja Navarra east, then left onto C. Caballero, then right onto C. Arrieta. From casco antiguo, take Av. de Carlos III south, then right onto C. Arrieta. Laundry service. English spoken. July 5-14 doubles €150, with bath €200; triples €200. Jul 15-Sept 15 singles €40; doubles €50; triples €60. Sept 16-July 4 €35/45/55. Reception 9am-8pm.
PENSIÓN ESLAVA
C. Eslava, 13, 2nd fl.
PENSIÓN
948 22 15 58
A shrewd old woman operates this pensión on the second floor of a purple-painted building at the end of C. Eslava. The rooms are bare-bones: beds, closets, and windows. Some rooms come with a sink, while others have balconies looking onto one of the few relatively quiet streets in the casco antiguo. The few rooms here fill up quickly in the summer.
From Pl. San Francisco, take C. Eslava 3 blocks north. Shared baths. Singles €15; doubles €20-25. During San Fermín singles €60-70; doubles €100.
SIGHTS
Walk around the old quarter enough and you’re bound to see some historic sight that catches your eye. The northeast corner of the casco, by the cathedral, is one of the most beautiful areas of the town. Don’t miss the Pl. Consistorial, with its unbelievably florid city hall.
CATEDRAL DE SANTA MARÍA Y MUSEO DIOCESANO
C. Dormitalería, 3-5
CHURCH
948 21 25 94 www.catedraldepamplona.com
This Gothic cathedral was built over the course of the 15th century on and around the ruins of its 12th-century Romanesque predecessor, whose larder still stands. The larder is currently part of the museum, and may contain more silver and jewel-encrusted crosses than the entire rap music industry. The facade was added later, completed in 1799. The cloister is considered one of Europe’s most beautiful, though it hides a dark secret: the numbers on the floor tiles correspond to tombs beneath them.
From Pl. del Castillo, head east on Bajada Javier 3 blocks, then left onto C. Dormitalería. Facade undergoing renovations due to be completed in 2012, but the sides and rear of the cathedral are unaffected and can still be seen in all their Gothic splendor. Free information pamphlets with plenty of pictures available in English. €4, children €2.50, pilgrims €2, groups €3.35 per person. Mar 16-Nov 14 M-Sa 10am-7pm; Nov 15-Mar 15 M-Sa 10am-5pm.
LA CIUDADELA
Av. del Ejército
PARK, HISTORIC SITE
948 22 82 37
What would you do if you had an unused medieval fortress half the size of the casco antiguo just sitting around? If you were Pamplona, you’d make it a public park. La Ciudadela is a fascinating mix of vegetation and crumbling fortifications. Its a great place to lounge during the siesta, or while waiting until your bus leaves from the station next door.
From Pl. del Castillo, take Paseo de Sarsate to C. Taconera, then left onto C. Chinchilla; the entrance is on the other side of Av. del Ejército. Free. Park open M-Sa 7:30am-9:30pm, Su 9am-9:30pm. Rotating art exhibitions open M-F 6-8:30pm, Sa 11am-2pm and 6-8:30pm, Su 11am-2pm.
FOOD
MESÓN PIRINEO
C. Estafeta, 41
TAPAS
948 20 77 02
This bar serves up great tapas and pinchos at some of the lowest prices around. Just look at the counter, find something you like, and order it; all the tapas are delicious and under €2. The pincho with mushrooms and ham and the tapa with bacalao
(cod) are particularly tasty.
From the Pl. del Castillo, head east one short block on Bajada Javier, then left onto C. Estafeta. Tapas and pinchos €1.80-5. Open daily 11am-3:30pm and 5:30pm-midnight.
LA MEJILLONERA
C. Navarrería, 12
TAPAS
948 22 91 84
This cervecería and tapas bar is a favorite among locals who come to enjoy the mejillones (mussels; €2.50-3) from which the bar takes its name. The drinks cost about half what you could expect to pay a couple of blocks away at the Pl. del Castillo—€1.20 for a caña of beer, €1.50 for a sangría. The tapas selection is mostly seafood-based, but still varied. They also claim “the best patatas bravas in Pamplona.”
From Pl. del Castillo, head east on Bajada Javier, then left onto C. Calderería, then right onto C. Navarrería. Standing room only. Tapas and mussels €2-5. Open M 6:30-11pm, Tu-Su 12:30-3pm and 6:30-11pm.
ÑAM
Paseo de Sarasate
BAR, CAFE
948 22 05 49 www.tmservicios.com/nam
A small, newer bar and restaurant on the Paseo de Sarasate, Ñam has far and away one of the coolest names to pronounce in Pamplona. It also has excellent bocadillos (€2) and cheap pinchos del día (€0.90). The weekend menú (€20) is more expensive than those at some of the other establishments in the area, but the selection is wider and the dishes are of higher quality. A young crowd takes over this restaurant’s bar F-Sa after 10pm.
From Pl. del Castillo, take Paseo del Sarasate from southwest corner. €8-18, weekend menú €20 Open M-Th 8:30am-11pm, F-Sa 8:30am-1am, Su 8:30am-11pm; during San Fermín open 24hr.
NIGHTLIFE
The claustrophobic streets of the casco antiguo are the main arteries of the Pamplona nightlife scene. Most of the bars are more or less the same, and after a couple of minutes of wandering around to find one with the kind of crowd you’re looking for (younger, older, loud, mellow—they often change from weekend to weekend and vary by night), head in and order. The main locales for this type of barhopping are C. San Nicolás, C. San Gregorio, C. Caldereria, C. Navarrería, and C. San Agustín, but following the shouts echoing down the streets can also help you start your night. Fair warning: things are dead around here on Sunday or Monday nights. But of course, during los Sanfermines, the party practically never stops.
DISCOTECA REVERENDOS
C. Monasterio Velate, 5
CLUB
948 26 15 93 www.reverendos.com
For those who don’t mind a little evening stroll (20-30min. from casco antiguo), head to the barrio de San Juan. This futuristic discoteca tends to draw a big student crowd from the nearby university and pumps house music and hip hop until the early morning.
Follow Av. de la Baja Navarra west, then follow Av. del Ejército along the northern edge of la Ciudadela, then take a slight left onto Av. de Bayona, then stay right at the fork onto C. Monasterio Velate for 2 blocks; Reverendos is on the left. Mixed drinks €6-11. Open M-Th 12:30-6am, F-Sa 12:30-6:30am, Su 12:30-6am.
BAR BAVIERA
Pl. del Castillo, 10
BAR, CAFE
948 22 20 48
Find yourself looking to grab a drink late at night early in the week, but you’ve noticed that every place in the casco antiguo closes around midnight? Bar Baviera is open until 2:30am and is a convenient alternative to wandering around an otherwise dead part of town. It’s a little pricey (€2 for a caña), but that’s the Pl. del Castillo for you.
On the east side of the Pl. del Castillo. Mixed drinks €2-8. Open daily 11am-2:30am; during San Fermín open 23hr. (must close 1hr to clean).
FIESTA DE SAN FERMÍN
Las Fiestas de San Fermín, also known as los Sanfermines, is considered by many the greatest, wildest week of partying in Europe (or anywhere, for that matter). The nine-day festival encapsulates two crucial facets of Navarra’s culture: millennia-old religious conservatism and a fervent desire to party like it’s going out of style. The festival celebrates the third-century Saint Fermin (San Fermín) of Amiens, Navarra’s patron saint and first bishop of Pamplona, whose mentor, Saint Saturninus, was martyred by being dragged to death after having his feet tied to a bull. The religious components of the fiesta take place alongside the nonstop debauchery of the red-scarved revelers, and despite the city’s relatively small size, the two manage to coexist.
The Sanfermines begin the morning of July 6, when the entire city of Pamplona and visitors from around the world gather at the Pl. Consistorial. At noon (though the plaza is too crowded to get into by 10am), the mayor appears amid shouts and traditional San Fermín cheers and songs, such as the famous “Uno de enero, dos de febrero, tres de marzo, cuatro de abril, cinco de mayo, seis de junio, siete de julio, ¡San Fermín! A Pamplona hemos de ir, con una media, con una media, a Pamplona hemos de ir, con una media y un calcetín.” (“January 1, February 2, March 3, April 4, May 5, June 6, July 7, San Fermín! To Pamplona we must go, with a stocking, with a stocking, to Pamplona we must go, with a stocking and a sock!”) The mayor then fires a rocket from his balcony and yells in Spanish and Basque, “People of Pamplona! Long live San Fermín!” Whatever can be found (food, clothing, trash, small animals) is then thrown up in the air and rained down on the partiers, as the fiesta begins and everyone fans out from the Pl. del Consistorial to fill the streets of the casco antiguo, which won’t empty again for another nine days. The religious side of the festival makes an appearance with the procession of San Fermín at 10am on July 7, when church and city officials march the 16th-century statue of San Fermín from its home in the Iglesia de San Lorenzo through the casco antiguo, in the hope that it will protect the runners in return for the extravagant adulation.
THE RUNNING OF THE BULLS
Encierro route
The most famous component of los Sanfermines is the encierro, the running of the bulls each day July 7-13 at 8am. The encierro’s roots lie in the Middle Ages, when the bulls would be driven at dawn from the corralillos outside the city walls to certain death at the plaza de toros. At some point, young men began a tradition of running in front of the bulls during this daily routine, an act of lunacy and courage much like riding on top of subway cars today. Though the authorities tried to stop this dangerous ritual for the first couple of centuries of its establishment, they eventually decided to embrace it. In 1776, the Pamplona City Council passed a law that fences must be put up along the whole route, and thus began the centuries-old tradition. The route used for the encierro today has been in place since 1927. At exactly 8am the first txupinazo (rocket, pronounced and sometimes spelled chupinazo) is set off and the encierro begins. The first segment is a steep uphill section that is quite dangerous, as the bulls handle the incline much better than the bipedal humans. Once all the bulls are in the street, the second txupinazo is set off. The runners—who have just finished praying for San Fermín’s blessing—and bulls then go through the Pl. Consistorial, past the Ayuntamiento (town hall), and make a left turn and then a 90° right turn. At this last turn, the Mercaderes bend, and the speeding bulls tend to skid and pile up against the wall; the runners who aren’t pinned use this brief distraction to get away. After another few hundred yards, they all enter the bullring (cue txupinazo number three), where the bulls are rounded up and put into holding pens (final txupinazo) for bullfights later in the day. For those who think about running with the bulls and hear their mother’s voice unbidden in the back of their heads shrieking, “You’re going to do WHAT?” the encierro can be watched from a safe distance, in the bullring or behind the fences. Those who wish to watch the spectacle at the plaza de toros should arrive no later than 6:30am, as tickets (€4.50-6) go on sale at 7am at the bullring box office. There is a free section, but the danger of suffocation and trampling is significantly higher. To watch from behind the fences, arrive as early as you can get up (or as late as you can stay up, as the case may be), around 6am to get a decent spot. If you want to see one of the bullfights (Jul 7-13, 6:30pm), chances are pretty slim th
at you’ll get in, as only a few tickets are on sale each day; the rest belong to season ticket-holders. Some travelers purport that the easiest way to procure tickets is to buy them from scalpers (usually €50 or higher; lower as the start of the fight approaches).
THE PARTY
Plaza del Castillo
Seriously. This is The Party, capital T, capital Plaça 9 days of chaos, shennanigans, fireworks, dancing, singing, music, drinking, and just about anything else you can think of adding to make things crazier. Sleeping often occurs (when it does occur, that is) in streets, parks, or any free square inch that can be found in the packed city. Many of the bars are open 23hr. per day—they are legally obligated to close 1hr. each day to clean up a bit—or at least give the drunken masses a second to breathe between beers. The Pl. del Castillo, in the heart of the casco antiguo but close to the segundo ensanche, is the center of this orgiastic glory. The plaza becomes one massive 24hr. discoteca, with the ever-swelling sea of partiers dressed in white with red fajas (sashes; about €6) and pañuelos (handkerchiefs; €2-5), which can be bought at stands throughout Pamplona. At midnight on July 14, the festival officially ends, as the revelers that remain sing the Pobre de mí: “Pobre de mí, pobre de mí, que se han acabado las Fiestas de San Fermín.” (“Woe is me, woe is me, San Fermín has ended.”)
Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide Page 198