Sansol It is much more than just a clever way to mark the end of a stage: within a 21-kilometre radius on foot along the Camino, you’ll find two of Navarre’s Romanesque gems, traces of Cesare Borgia and Spain’s best street for pinchos, whilst a short drive away lie turquoise springs, walled villas and century-old wineries. This guide contains only verified information: what each place is, how far away it is, and what you need to know before you go.
What lies ahead for the pilgrim (or what they have just left behind) without straying from the French Way, listed in order of distance from our doorstep.
The parish church that overlooks the village and gives it its name, dedicated to Saint Zoilo, a martyr from Córdoba. Built between 1701 and 1746 on the site of an earlier church, in a classical style, it features a dome with paintings dating from around 1800 and a Gothic carving of Saint Peter from the 13th–14th centuries. Its silhouette atop the hill is the landmark that pilgrims see as they approach from Los Arcos.
One of the most important Romanesque churches in Navarra (12th century, circa 1160–1170) and an absolute gem on the French Way. Its octagonal floor plan conceals a dome with intersecting ribs forming a star of Caliphate inspiration, attributed to the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. Admission €1; the church is opened by local residents, with morning and afternoon opening times subject to availability. Just a 5-minute walk from the hostel: the unmissable highlight of your afternoon in Sansol.
One of the great monuments of Navarra: it combines architectural styles from the 12th to the 18th centuries, featuring a Plateresque façade designed as a stone altarpiece, a Flamboyant Gothic cloister, a Renaissance tower and a Baroque interior. From May to October, it is open from 12:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 20:00; the rest of the year, it is open during mass times. If you’re walking from Los Arcos, it’s well worth stopping off here before continuing on to Sansol.
A town founded in the 13th century as a stronghold of the Kingdom of Navarra, with walls, palaces and one of the most elegant squares on the Camino. In Santa María —a Gothic church with a monumental Renaissance façade dating from 1549— the tombstone of César Borgia, who died in Viana in 1507, lies on the floor of the narthex. Nearby, the Gothic ruins of San Pedro now offer a viewpoint over the Ebro plain.
The reward of splitting the stage into ‘Sansol’: arriving in Logroño still full of energy. The Co-Cathedral of La Redonda, with its twin Baroque towers, offers free entry; the Camino enters the city via the Puente de Piedra bridge over the River Ebro; and Calle Laurel is home to more than 50 tapas bars within a stretch of around 200 metres, making it the most famous tapas district in La Rioja.
For those travelling by car, accompanying a pilgrim or returning to the area at a more leisurely pace: the best of Navarra, La Rioja and the Rioja Alavesa, all within an hour’s drive, listed in order of proximity. Approximate road distances from Sansol.
The Los Arcos speed circuit: driving sessions for enthusiasts in cars and on motorbikes, go-karting and open days featuring demonstrations. Bookings for these activities can be made on the official website.
Official websiteThe ‘Toledo of the North’. San Pedro de la Rúa boasts a 12th-century Romanesque cloister, one of the finest in the region (Navarra), whilst the Palacio de los Reyes in Navarra – a jewel of Romanesque architecture – now houses the Gustavo de Maeztu Museum, which is free to enter.
A walled medieval village perched on a hill, with some 300 cave-cellars dug beneath its streets, several of which can be visited (with wine tasting available by booking). In Santa María de los Reyes, one of the few polychrome Gothic porticoes still intact in Spain has been preserved.
The village where the French Way and the Aragonese Way meet. Its 11th-century Romanesque bridge, 110 metres long and with seven arches, built for pilgrims, is one of the best-preserved on the entire route. The visit is rounded off by the Church of the Crucifix and the Church of St James.
A 12th-century Romanesque chapel, standing isolated amongst fields of grain: an octagonal structure surrounded by a colonnade of 33 arches. The most widely accepted theory links it to an ancient pilgrims’ cemetery. Open to visitors from March to October.
Official websiteThe River Urederra rises from turquoise pools at the foot of the Urbasa mountain range, in a nature reserve with a daily visitor limit of around 500 people. Online booking is compulsory and free of charge, and there is a charge for parking at Baquedano.
Official websiteBeech woods and high-altitude grasslands nestled between two mountain ranges. The Balcón de Pilatos, situated beside the NA-718 road and offering free parking, overlooks a cliff face some 300 metres above the Urederra valley.
The best-preserved walled enclosure in the ancient kingdom of Navarra: dating back to the 11th century, with a 13th-century layout, nine surviving towers and the fortress-church of San Saturnino with its parapet walk. Free entry at any time.
The world’s leading centre for wine culture, alongside the family-run winery in Briones (La Rioja): history, winemaking and art centred on wine, with daily guided tours. Closed on Mondays; online booking is recommended.
Official websiteSansol It is a peaceful village on the French Way, dominated by the church of San Zoilo (1701–1746), with viewpoints overlooking Torres del Río and the valley. A 500-metre walk away is the octagonal Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the jewels of Navarrese Romanesque architecture, and at the hostel itself you’ll find a garden with a foot bath to soothe your feet.
Yes, it’s a must-see: a 12th-century octagonal Romanesque church with a star-ribbed dome inspired by Caliphate architecture, the only one of its kind on the Camino. It’s a 5-minute walk from Sansol and admission costs €1.
By car only: it is about 49 km from Sansol and online booking is compulsory (free of charge, with limited capacity). It isn’t a feasible day trip on foot, but it is a perfect excursion if you’re travelling with a support vehicle or returning to the area.
The church of Santa María de Los Arcos with its Gothic cloister, the church of San Zoilo at Sansol, the Santo Sepulcro in Torres del Río, 500 metres from the hostel, Viana with César Borgia’s tombstone, and the entrance to Logroño via the Puente de Piedra. Staying at Sansol gives you time to enjoy it all at a leisurely pace.
