NAVARRA (Spain)

Write a review or view peoples experiences in Navarra.	Hotels	Flights	Car Hire/Rental

Want to contribute to the writings of this travel guide? If so, Click here

Navarra, the landlocked northern Spanish province that shares a wild stretch of the western Pyrenees with neighbouring France, is one of the most rewarding places in Spain for wine aficionados in search of good up-and-coming wines, exceptional regional cuisine and off-the-beaten-track travel experiences. Given the advances of the past few years, Navarra promises to be Spain's next great wine discovery and is set to become a major producer of top-quality wines from across a spectrum that includes world-class whites, exceptional rosés, native and foreign varietal reds and surprising dessert wines.

The province boasts some of the most varied topography in Spain: in the cooler uplands one finds snowy peaks soaring above pine- and beech-covered slopes, pristine green valleys, wild, awesome canyons, and terraced vineyards framing picturesque villages; warmer climes boast sun-drenched southern hills overlooking valleys filled with old-vine garnacha vineyards and lush vegetable gardens irrigated by the Ebro River. Also gracing this strikingly beautiful, ancient kingdom are a number of historically important, dramatically situated villages, medieval castles and major shrines along the Camino de Santiago, the Pilgrim's route to Santiago de Compostela.

The region's capital, Pamplona , a quiet and pleasant city, is world-famous for the Running of Bulls which form part of its most famous festival, Sanfermines, in July. Another very peculiar folkloristic attraction are the Navarrese Carnivals with their typical Zanpantzarrak .

Navarra is divided in three sectors: the mountain range of the Pyrenees in the north, with exceptional landscapes as the exemplaric Baztan valley; La Riviera in the south, a plain land with small lagoons and the fertile valley of Ebro river, and, inbetween, la Zona Media , with impressive landscapes and canyons as Hoces de Lumbier and Arbayun .

Navarra has no fewer than 50 natural preseves, most outstanding are Reserva Integral de Lizardoia and Parque Natural de Señorio de Bértiz . It offers great possibilities for hiking, climbing, fishing and is an ideal place if you want to spend green holidays in Spain.