Navarre is famous for one week a year, when Pamplona hosts San Fermín. The rest of the time it is a quiet, prosperous region with an orderly capital, the beech forest of Irati and the moon-like Bardenas Reales.
Like the Basque Country, it collects its own taxes and has high living standards.
Climate
Varies from wet and green in the Pyrenean north to dry in the south along the Ebro.
Best time: May to October (July in Pamplona if you want the fiesta).
Food and drink
Piquillo peppers, white asparagus, artichokes from Tudela, chistorra sausage and rosé wines.
What it’s like
Pamplona is green, walkable and calm outside July. The Camino de Santiago enters Spain here at Roncesvalles.
Living here
High wages and good services; housing is moderate to high.
Getting around
Trains to Madrid take about 3 hours. San Sebastián is about an hour by car.
Towns and cities in Navarre
Navarre
Pamplona
Home of San Fermín, and for the other 51 weeks a calm, green, very liveable city with medieval walls and great pintxos.
€€€€ 1 to 2 days
Fiestas in Navarre
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to visit Navarre?
May to October (July in Pamplona if you want the fiesta).
What is the weather like in Navarre?
Varies from wet and green in the Pyrenean north to dry in the south along the Ebro.
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