3rd Stage; Roncesvalles - Zuribi

Wednesday, July 22, 2026 – 3rd day

Navarra – La Rioja

Roncesvalles - Zubiri

21.50 km

This morning at six fifteen, we were already in the taxi heading to Roncesvalles to walk back towards Zubiri the almost twenty-two kilometers that the stage has. The night was not very peaceful because around nine, some kids came to play pelota vasca against the wall of the sports center and they didn't finish until almost midnight... Well, we were so tired that we were listening to them in our dreams and thinking about their families 😣 but we weren't in a position to complain because since there was no camper area, we parked at the door of the sports center, after the afternoon at the pool, because it seemed like a safe place to leave Thorqui while we did today's route.

Zubiri in Basque means “village of the bridge,” which attests to the antiquity of this river crossing at this point. The village is located halfway between Roncesvalles and Pamplona and is the entrance of the Camino into the Esteribar valley after the steep descent from the Erro pass, a long and flat stretch that follows the entrance to the Pamplona basin.

It is the capital of the Valley and one of the most populated towns in the area. It has undergone enormous changes in the last decade. The medieval bridge that gives the municipality its name crosses the Arga River and is also known as the “Bridge of Rabies.” It is a legendary construction that until recently witnessed a unique tradition that required animals to pass around its central pillar to avoid rabies. According to legend, the supernatural power of the bridge was capable of preventing that disease in animals.

During the Middle Ages, the town enjoyed a Benedictine monastery dependent on that of Leyre, whose neighbors had to pay annual tributes to the king and to the collegiate church of Roncesvalles.

Our journey began where we left off yesterday, as I have already explained, in Roncesvalles. A stage with medium difficulty with moderate slopes like the ascent to the Mezkiritz and Erro passes, which personally cost me a lot.

Thorsten has no problem with the climbs; in fact, he usually leaves me behind when there are any, but I struggle a lot, don’t ask me why. As a trade-off, when we go down to walk the flat, I take the lead because those parts of the path are super easy for me. We end up together because we catch up with each other... One more example, I think, of how well we complement each other 🥰😀.

                                                                                                                                                                   The path took us through Aurtiz, the former residence of writer Ernest Hemingway, Aurizberri, Bizcarreta, and Lintzoain, all little villages surrounded by lush forests and with services for pilgrims.

We stopped once during the route, which is usually halfway, and we didn’t snack on anything despite the delights you find at each stop because doing so and continuing the journey with a full stomach is not in our plans. Instead, we ordered a sparkling mineral water, ate a banana, and continued on our way with regret, but with the motivating image of what we will snack on as soon as we reach our destination, stamp the pilgrim's passport, and fold up the trekking poles 💃.

These are things of the Camino; everyone decides how to do it 😉.

We, following the plan, arrived exhausted at our destination and enjoyed a slice of tortilla with a cold beer before heading to Thorqui to move her to Pamplona, where we are going to spend the night, in the Los Trinitarios Camper Area.

The idea was to take a stroll around the city center, which neither of us knows, but 🫩… the body did not agree with the idea, and in the end, we stayed home like two old folks, with me blogging and T making friends in the camper area, which, by the way, is great 🥰. Ten euros with electricity and surveillance cameras, which gives us a lot of peace of mind considering that Thorqui is left alone for many hours, and she was already broken into in Valencia when we went to one of my son's graduation 😣. We made a charcuterie board for dinner and not much more because you end up so exhausted that you even lose your appetite.

The fact is that we have completed another stage, and yesterday we wouldn't have given a dime for us as we were 😏.

Good night… I’ll keep telling you 😘