Pamplona in the Spanish region of Navarre is known for the bullfighting in the Plaza de Toros and the running of the bulls there. These nine days when the bulls run through the street to the stadium are world famous and certainly for the seven and a half minutes that it lasts. The rest of the week is a great festival where bullfighting is indeed part of it as well. The stadium is empty the rest of the year and is not open to the public. If you don’t like bullfighting that much, there is also much more to do. There is music, there is socializing in the city. You know the drill. Of course, we’ve been there before once in 2022, when in collaboration with Etxeondo.
Text and photos: Meindert Klem
At a tourist pace through the city
The city is beautiful to just take a leisurely tour through it. On the electric city bikes that are parked at every corner, as so many Spanish cities do these days, in the Spanish sunshine where I’m lucky enough to have 27 degrees Celsius and that in April. The tour around the beautiful Ciudadela de Pamplona, through the parks, leads to a bar for a Pintxos (Basque for Tapas). You just can’t say no to that. No matter how beautiful it is, I’m constantly being watched by the hills surrounding the city as I make my way around them. They simply ask you to climb up on the bike.
Basque Country = green land
The hills are wonderfully green, and there are routes at all levels. From following a river on an old railway path where there is now gravel, to an intense MTB tour through the dense forest. Our hike starts with a stretch along the river, after which we quickly head up the hills. Partly to see how hard you can still descend in the cold. The change in temperature is not to be missed: from Sunday’s 27 degrees to a refreshing 6 degrees on Monday with rain and wind. A wonderful weather to go for a nice, hard descent and get wet.
The route is allowed to be there (although it’s a bit chilly and the sports complex with a hot shower makes it complete.. For the downhill MTB rider with children, the solution is Irri Sarri Land (https://www.irrisarriland.com/) with bike rental, entertainment for children, houses with horses in the garden, great food, a swimming pool, and zip lines, but above all, a downhill track with a lift.
On to the Bardenas
The next day, we prepare for a flat route. Destination: after Groningen, perhaps the windiest place in the world: the Bardenas Reales. This desert area can be cycled from Pamplona on a gravel bike. You’ll find a truly beautiful stretch of desert landscape there. During the trip, you’ll come across a sign that says ‘Do not cycle, the army is in training.’ My advice: take it seriously. During our ride, we see a fighter jet fly over almost every two minutes. As it turns out, they have live ammunition on board. Always be careful.
Powerful beautiful desert
The military base in the desert is therefore in use, but that does not make the journey itself any less beautiful. It is not too technical when it is dry, but it is probably challenging with a lot of rain. There are roads running through the entire area. This gives you beautiful views and makes the descent to the next viewpoint easy. On the wide roads, as a gravel rider, you can really stretch your legs to the fullest. We end our route at the Castildetierra, where the Bardenas is so famous. The road to get there is also easy to do. A gravel paradise, right in the middle of Navarre province.
Routes are following quickly!
Questions & tips
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