Camino de Santiago (Route of St. James)

The Camino de Santiago is the network of pilgrim routes that lead across Europe to the tomb of Saint James in Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia, and the Navarre section is among the most atmospheric. The best-known route is the French Way, or Camino Francés, which crosses the Pyrenees, runs through Pamplona and Puente la Reina and continues west across northern Spain. UNESCO listed the Spanish part of the French Way as a World Heritage Site in 1993. Pilgrims walk, cycle or ride, carry a credential stamped along the way and wear or carry a scallop shell, the traditional symbol. Those who cover at least the last hundred kilometres on foot can receive the Compostela certificate at the end.

Artajona is a small town in the Middle Zone of Navarre, between Puente la Reina and Tafalla, and it is linked to the pilgrim tradition of the region. Local information indicates that waymarks lead walkers through the district, but which of the many branches of the Camino passes the town is something to confirm with the local pilgrim association before planning a stage, because the French Way itself runs a little to the west.

What makes Artajona worth a stop is its medieval centre, known as El Cerco. The old town is enclosed by a fortified wall with towers on a hilltop, and inside it narrow lanes climb between stone houses, some with coats of arms over the doors. Within the enclosure stands the Church of San Saturnino, a fortified church dedicated to Saint Saturninus, the saint also known in France as Saint Sernin, and the building reflects how religious and military needs overlapped in the Middle Ages. Nearby, the Castillo de Artajona, a fortified site, and the countryside around the town add to the sense of a place that has been defended for centuries.

Artajona has modest facilities such as a few places to stay and eat, and the atmosphere is quiet. The region is agricultural, with cereal fields, vineyards and olive groves, and the landscape of low hills and wide skies is typical of southern Navarre. The Museo de la Vida Rural gives context on traditional farming.

The Camino rewards slow travel. Many people walk only a section for a few days, and the stretch through Navarre has plenty of villages with pilgrim hostels, fountains and churches. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, because summer heat on the open plains can be severe.