Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide
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ESSENTIALS
Practicalities
• TOURIST OFFICE: The tourist office has excellent maps and information on the city of Pamplona, as well as on the region of Navarra and camino-specific sights. It also offers an essential San Fermin Fiesta Programme guide, with just about everything you would want to know about the encierro and festivals. Ask about guided tours. English, French, and Basque spoken. (C. Eslava, 1, on northwest corner of Pl. San Francisco 848 42 04 20 www.turismo.navarra.es Open Sept 22-June 20 M-Sa 10am-2pm and 4-7pm, Su 10am-2pm; June 21-Sept 21 M-F 9am-6pm, Sa 9am-2pm and 4-6pm, Su 10am-2pm; San Fermín daily 9am-2pm and 3-5pm.)
• CURRENCY EXCHANGE: The Banco Santander Central Hispano has a 24hr. ATM and will exchange American Express travelers checks commission-free if they are for euros. (Pl. del Castillo, 21, and Paseo Sarasate, 15 948 20 86 00 Open daily Apr-Sep M-F 8:30am-2pm; Oct-Apr M-F 8:30am-2pm, Sa 8:30am-1pm; during San Fermín open M-F 9:30am-noon.)
• LUGGAGE STORAGE: is available at the bus station for €5.10 per day ( Open M-Sa 6:15am-9:30pm, Su 6:30am-1:30pm and 2-9:30pm; closed for San Fermín, when the Escuelas de San Francisco, across Pl. San Francisco from the library, is open instead. Passport or ID required. Open 24hr. Jul 4-Jul 16 8am-2pm. €3.40 per day.)
• LAUDROMAT AND PUBLIC BATHS: The Casa del Baño offers wash-and-dry services as well as showering facilities. (C. Eslava, 9 948 22 17 38 Wash and dry €10.60. Showers €1.10. Open M-Sa 8:30am-8pm, Su 9am-2pm. Wash and dry not offered during San Fermín.)
• INTERNET ACCESS: For free internet access, go to the library on Pl. San Fran cisco. ( Open Sept-May M-F 8:30am-8:45pm, Sa 8:30am-1:45pm; Jun-Aug M-F 8:30am-12:30pm. During San Fermín open M-F 12:15-1:45pm.)
• POST OFFICE: The post office is just a couple minutes’ walk from the Pl. del Castillo (Paseo de Sarasate, 9 948 20 68 40 Open M-F 8:30am-8:30pm, Sa 9:30am-2pm. Jul 6 9am-2pm. Closed Jul 7. If you’re walking the camino, it will send any excess luggage—up to 20kg—to Santiago to await your arrival (up to €13.40.)
• POSTAL CODE: 31001.
Emergency!
• EMERGENCY NUMBERS: Municipal police are at C. Monasterio de Irache, 2 ( 092 or 948 42 06 40). National police are at C. General Chinchilla, 3 (091).
• 24HR. PHARMACIES: Farmacia Yangüas is located opposite the bus station. (C. Yangüas y Miranda, 17 948 24 50 30 www.farmayanguas.com Open 24hr.)
• MEDICAL SERVICES: The Hospital de Navarra is at the corner of C. Irunlarrea and Av. de Pío XII (C. Irunlarrea, 3 848 42 22 22 or 112 for emergencies). During San Fermín, the Red Cross sets up stations at the bus station, along the corrida, and at various points in the casco antiguo.
Getting There
By Bus
The bus station is located along the eastern edge of la Ciudadela (Av. de Yangüas y Miranda 948 20 35 66 www.estaciondeautobusesdepamplona.com Open daily 6:30am-11pm). Buses arrive from: Barcelona ( €31-37. 6hr.; M-Sa 3 per day 7:30am-3:35pm, Su 5 per day 7:30am-11:30pm.) Bilbao ( €13. 2½-3hr.; M-Sa 6 per day 7am-8:30pm, Su 5 per day 8:30am-8pm.); Irún ( €7. 2hr.; 1 per day M-Sa 8am, Su 9am.); Logroño ( €8. 2hr.; M-F 9 per day 6:45am-8pm, Sa 7 per day 7:45am-8pm, Su 5 per day 10am-8pm.); Madrid ( €38. 5¾hr., M-Th 6 per day 1am-7:30pm, F 7 per day 1am-7:30pm, Sa-Su 6 per day 1am-7:30pm.); San Sebastián ( €7. 1¼-2hr.; M-Th 13 per day 7am-8:15pm, F 17 per day 7am-9:15pm, Sa 13 per day 7am-8:15pm, Su 15 per day 7am-9:15pm.)
By Train
The RENFE train station (902 24 02 02 Open M-Sa 6am-11:30pm, Su 8am-11:30pm.) is a bit far away from the casco antiguo, but is serviced by bus #9 (€1. 10), which goes to the center of town in about 15min. Trains arrive from Barcelona ( €56, if booked a week in advance €34. 3¾hr.; M, Tu, Th, Sa 3 per day 7:35am-3:35pm, W, F, Su 4 per day 7:35am-4:35pm.) and Madrid. ( €56, if booked a week in advance €33. 3hr.; M-F 4 per day 7:35am-7:35pm, Sa 3 per day 7:35am-3:05pm, Su 3 per day 10:35am-7:35pm.)
By Plane
Aeropuerto de Pamplona-Noáin (902 40 47 04 www.aena.es), about 4mi. out of town, is serviced by bus #21 (€1.10). Planes arrive from destinations throughout Spain; check Iberia’s website (www.iberia.es) or TAP-Air Portugal’s (www.flytap.com) for prices and schedules, as they vary.
Getting Around
The easiest way to get around Pamplona is by foot. The casco antiguo is tiny, and the segundo ensanche is not so big that you can’t walk from one end to the other in 10min. There is a bus system (901 50 25 03 www.mcp.es/tuc/index.asp €1.10, withtarjeta monedero €0.56; free transfers. Wheelchair-accessible except lines #13, 21, and 23.) The #4, 10, 12, 13, and 18 buses go to the bus station; bus #9 goes to the RENFE train station, and bus #21 goes to the Aeropuerto de Pamplona-Noáin. Taxi stands near the casco antiguo and segundo ensanche can be found at Hotel 3 Reyes (C. Navas de Tolosa, 25), Pl. del Vínculo (intersection of C. de Estella and C. de Sancho “El Mayor”), Pl. Duque de Ahumada (just south of Pl. del Castillo, on east edge of Av. Carlos III), C. Amaya between Av. de la Baja Navarra and C. Teobaldos, Pl. de la Cruz (Bergamín, 6), inside and outside the bus station, and at Pl. Conde Rodezno; there is also a stand at the RENFE station. Alternatively, call Teletaxi San Fermín (948 23 23 00 or 948 35 13 35).
logroño
941
The Roman town that stood where Logroño is today (if it’s a town and it’s in southern or western Europe, it’s safe to assume the Romans founded it) was destroyed by the Visigoths in the sixth century; the city’s current incarnation began around that time. The name Logroño most likely comes from the Latin illo (“that”) and the Germanic gronio (“river’s ford”); in a similar multicultural mishmash, the Romance culture in Logroño has grown and flourished out of the ruins left by the Goths. The city owes much of its local prominence to its location along the pilgrimage route known as the Camino de Santiago, which has made Logroño a hub of travel and commerce since the Middle Ages. This town was also strategically important in the Middle Ages, as it was located near the border between Castile, Navarre, and Aragón. Today, Logroño is the capital of the Comunidad Autónoma de La Rioja and is home to over 150,000 citizens. The region is famous for its wines, which make up a large portion of the region’s economy and draw oenophiles from around the world. Since Logroño tends to be a bit off the typical tourist’s path, there is more of a focus on commerce than on tourism, and it is clear that this is a modern, growing city that is open to tourism but not driven by it.
ORIENTATION
Logroño can essentially be divided into two sections: the casco antiguo (old quarter) and everywhere else. The casco is bordered by the Río Ebro to the north and the Paseo del Espolón (a large open area, somewhere between a park and a plaza) on the south, and it is cut into quarters by the C. Sagasta (north-south) and the C. Portales (east-west). The Gran Vía Rey Juan Carlos I, lined with tall apartment and office buildings, is the main east-west thoroughfare and is generally seen as the old town’s southern border. The Calle del General Vara de Rey is the major north-south avenue and goes past the bus station and train station. The train station’s entrance is temporarily on the side of the tracks away from the center of town; from the station, head right on C. Marqués de Larios, which bends left and becomes C. Hermanos Hircio; then turn right at C. Poeta Prudencio and right on C. del General Vara de Rey, which goes to the Paseo del Espolón.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Most hotels and hostals in Logroño can be found in the casco antiguo, but the more modern living areas have better prices and aren’t too far away. Besides, living in an apartment building in a residential neighborhood where it seems like only five tourists have been since the city’s founding in the 11th century makes you really feel like a badass local.
PENSIÓN REY PASTOR
C. Marqués de Murrieta, 35, 1D, 2nd fl.
PENSIÓN
630 50 23 50 www.pensionreypastor.com
About a 10min. walk from the casco antiguo, this pensión is in an apartment building in a more modern part of town, across the street from two supermarkets and surrounded by shops and
restaurants. The affordably priced rooms with free Wi-Fi and a TV are spacious and cheerfully decorated with orange walls and rainbow-colored comforters.
From the casco antiguo, follow C. Portales to Pl. Alférez Provisional, then take C. Marqués de Murrieta, passing through the Gran Vía. From the bus or train stations, take C. del General Vara de Rey to the Gran Vía, then make a left; make another left at the C. Marqués de Murrieta. Shared baths. Singles €20; doubles €30; triples €55. F-Sa €25/49/69. Reception 8am-midnight.
ASOCIACIÓN RIOJANA DE AMIGOS DEL CAMINO DE SANTIAGO
Ruavieja, 32 (enter on Travesado Palacio)
ALBERGUE
941 26 02 34 www.asantiago.org
This is probably the cheapest place you’ll find to spend a night in Logroño (€3), but it’s just for pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago. If you don’t have a stamped pilgrim passport and a backpack, you will be turned away. To stay in one of their 88 beds (you share a room with 21 of your closest new friends), you must come “andando, a caballo, o en bicicleta” (“on foot, on horse, or on bicycle”), and beds are given on a first-come, first-served basis.
Head north on C. Sagasta, then right at C. Ruavieja. Must have pilgrim passport (available at Federación Española Asociaciones de Amigos del Camino de Santiago, C. Ruavieja, 3 bajo, open M-F 8am-3pm) and stamp from Logroño (available at tourism office or cathedral). €3. Backpack pickup and showers noon-4pm. Reception open 4-10pm. Lights-out 10pm.
SIGHTS
MUSEO WÜRTH
Av. de los Cameros, 86-88
MUSEUM
941 01 04 10 www.museowurth.es
Don’t let this museum’s location (in an industrial park in Agoncillas, 15min. by car from Logroño) drive you away; instead, let the museum drive you to it with its complimentary bus service. Opened in 2007 by industrial manufacturing company Würth Spain, the Museo Würth’s architecturally stunning white cement, red steel, and tinted glass building stands in stark contrast to the cheaply made industrial buildings of the surrounding polígono industrial. Inside, bright and spacious galleries display works from the Würth collection—mostly 20th-century European art, including works by Picasso and Braque—and exhibitions by contemporary artists based in Spain and around the world.
Free bus provided by museum (large white coach, not a city bus) on M, W, F at 6pm (returns 8pm); Tu, Th varies, check schedule; Sa at 11:30am and 6pm (returns 2pm and 8pm), Su at 11:30am (returns 2pm). Bus leaves from Logroño’s Glorieta del Doctor Zubía bus stop Free. Open M-Sa 10am-8pm, Su 10am-3pm. Guided visits M-Sa 6:30pm, Su noon.
EL CUBO DEL REVELLÍN
C. Once de Junio, 6
MUSEUM, HISTORICAL SITE
941 50 31 16 www.logro-o.org/cubo_revellin/index.htm
El Cubo, the artillery fortification at the northwest corner of Logroño’s city walls, was built in the 1520s when Logroño was Castile’s main stronghold on the border with Navarre. Today, it houses a museum opened in 2006 after renovations and restoration. The old structure’s architecture represents a middle phase between medieval and more modern building techniques, while the recent glass, metal, and faux-old-wood additions highlight the best of modern design.
Just up C. Once de Junio from the tourism office. Call ahead or email cubodelrevellin@logroo. org for tours. Free 6min. film every 15min. Free. Open W 10am-1pm; Th-F 10am-1pm and 5-8pm, Sa 11am-2pm and 5-8pm; Su 11am-2pm.
SALA AMÓS SALVADOR
C. Once de Junio
MUSEUM
941 25 92 02 www.logro-o.org/culturalrioja/sala_amos.htm
On the northwestern edge of the casco antiguo is a building that has been a convent, military hospital, barracks, warehouse, jail, tobacco factory, and, most recently, a space for art exhibitions. It still says “Fábrica de Tabacos” above the entrance, but the building is now 640 sq. ft. of exhibition space where tourists and locals can come for free to browse an exhibition of photography, sculpture, or whatever is on display at the time; there is usually a new exhibition every couple of months.
Head north on C. Sagasta, then left at C. Portales, then right at C. Once de Junio. Closes occasionally to take down and install exhibitions; check website to make sure it will be open. Free. Open Tu-Sa 11am-1pm and 6-9pm, Su noon-2pm and 6-9pm.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
If the tree-lined Paseo del Espolón and the thrilling mile or so of Camino that runs through Logroño don’t satisfy your thirst for natural beauty and adventure, just keep following the Camino de Santiago. You can head northeast, crossing the Ebro via the Puente de Piedra and heading up into the hills. All the pilgrims heading west will think you’re quite lost, though, since Santiago de Compostela is in the other direction. To take the Camino westward, you can find a backpacker and follow him, or you can follow the yellow arrows and signs, which will lead you along C. Marqués de Murrieta and C. Duques de Nájera, and into the Parque San Miguel. From there, the route goes across the highway and into the countryside, through fields and toward Santiago de Compostela. The next stop on the Camino after Logroño is Navarrete (7½ mi.), then Nájera (another 9½ mi.).
FOOD
JUAN AND JUAN
C. Albornoz, 5
BAR, RESTAURANT
941 22 99 83
Juan and Juan, owned by brothers Juan Manuel and Juan Marcos, is a lively bar and restaurant hidden in the winding streets of the casco antiguo. You may have to push your way through the throng of locals to get to the bar, but it’s worth the trouble for the affordable and salty panceta (€2) or chuletilla de cordero (lamb chop; €2.50), which go great with a glass of local Rioja vino tinto (€0.70). For a full meal, try the 3-course lunch menú (€14) or an entrée (€9-15); there are also plenty of vegetarian options (€6).
Head west on C. Portales, then left onto C. Capitán Gallarza, then right onto C. San Agustín, and then left onto C. Albornoz. Entrees and tapas €2-15. Open daily noon-4pm and 8pm-midnight.
EN ASCUAS
C. Hermanos Moroy, 22
SPANISH
941 24 68 67
The name En Ascuas literally “In the Embers,” is a reference to the open flame in the kitchen that diners can see through a large glass pane in the back of the restaurant. This establishment is much more clean-cut and modern-looking than some of its neighbors but has no problem serving up traditional dishes like the savory revuelto de hongos y jamón ibérico, scrambled eggs with mushrooms and Iberian ham—don’t let the runny texture scare you away (€10.85). And, as befits any self-respecting restaurant in the heart of La Rioja, the wine selection is extensive.
Take C. Sagasta north from Paseo del Espolón, then left onto C. Hermanos Moroy. Entrees €8-15. Side dishes €4-7. Open Tu-Su 1:30-3:30pm and 8:30-11:30pm.
LOS ROTOS
C. San Juan, 14
FAST FOOD
941 23 65 67
This place’s specialties are its namesake rotos (€2.30)—hollowed-out half-loaves of bread filled with scrambled eggs and just about anything you can think of: mushrooms, cod, Basque sausage, blood sausage, chicken, cheese, and more. These rotos are messy and wonderful, perfect for a late lunch or for a quick refueling stop before tearing up the nightlife.
From Pl. del Mercado, head south on C. Marqués de Vallejo, then left onto C. San Juan. €2-6. Open Tu-Su noon-4pm and 6:30pm-1am.
NIGHTLIFE
Logroño’s really not known for its club scene—to be honest, in most places it’s not known at all. The main streets for nightlife are in the casco antiguo: Calle de los Portales, Calle del Laurel, C. del San Agustín, and Calle de San Nicolás tend to be the best for bar hopping, and there are a couple of places with older crowds along C. del Marqués de Murrieta.
JUAN Y PÍNCHAME
C. Laurel, 9
BAR
678 58 96 33
This bar, whose name is a clever pun—pinchos are a type of tapas, and Juan y Pínchame is a classic joke (Question: “Juan and Pínchame are in a boat. Juan falls out. Who’s left?” Answer: “Pínchame,” which
means “stick me”)—is a popular place for tapas in the afternoon and drinks at night. If you can push your way up to the bar, their specialty is a juicy brocheta de langostino y piña, a skewer with pineapple and prawns (eight for €4).
From C. Sagasta heading north, turn left at C. Hermanos Moroy, then left at C. del Capitán Gallarza, then right onto C. Laurel. Drinks and tapas €6-11. Open Tu-Th 1-3:15pm and 8pm-12:30am, F-Su 1-3:15pm and 8-11:30pm.
ESSENTIALS
Practicalities
• TOURIST OFFICES: Logroño’s tourism office offers information in English, French, and German and excellent (as well as necessary) maps of the city. Call for information about tours. (C. Portales, 50 941 27 33 53 www.logroturismo.org. Tours €3 Open Jul-Sep daily 10am-2pm and 5-8pm, Oct-Jun M-Sa 10am-2pm and 4:30-7:30pm, Su 10am-2pm.)