Rest day recommendations near Estella

[MARSKA]

Hola Dear Pilgrims! I think I will need a rest day in or near Estella. Any suggestions as to where to stay?
Gracias!

 

[David]

I was ill in Estella a few years ago and stayed in Pension Buen Camino - delightful friendly couple/family - I was given a bottle of cold water on arrival. So friendly, clean, comfortable, lovely breakfast and chat. Is on the left on Calle San Nicolas, 27 (Estella).

Pensión Buen Camino - HotelMania.net

La Pensión Buen Camino se encuentra en Estella y ofrece WiFi gratuita en todas las instalaciones. El hostal cuenta con habitaciones familiares.

hotelmania.net

 

[mspath]

Check this earlier post to see a fine private albergue west of Estella in
Villamayor de Monjardin where I stayed 10 years ago. They still offer both dorms and one private room according to Gronze

 

[thejoker]

I always stay at the Hodpederia Chapitel when I take two days in Estella. Central and comfortable with aircon, but nothing special.

https://hospederia-chapitel.es/

By the way, If it's a real 'rest day', Estella may not be the best choice as it's an amazing place with a huge amount to see and some walking up a hill to the Basilica. On the other hand, it merits a full day to explore.

 

[naplesdon]

I am not current on the recent status of the owners of Casa Magica. It was always a great place for a rest day.

 

[DTCamino]

Plenty of places to stay and well worth taking a day there. It was one of the first places on the Camino that made me consider actually moving there. I didn’t think the smaller towns offered enough and Estella changed my mind. Buen Camino!

 

[MARSKA]

Has anyone stayed at Casa Magica recently?

 

[Jodean]

We just stayed at Hospederia Curtidores in Estella & loved it. Single beds, fab view, our own shower & wc in a 4 woman dorm. Restful common rooms too.

 

[Stephan the Painter]

I really liked Estella. As @Derek Taylor commented, I thought that I could really live in this town.

I stayed in a private room at the Alda Estella Hotel, which was nice if unexciting. Perfectly normal tidy hotel with no drama. They also have dormitories.

 

[Derick Nichols]

I was ill in Estella a few years ago and stayed in Pension Buen Camino - delightful friendly couple/family - I was given a bottle of cold water on arrival. So friendly, clean, comfortable, lovely breakfast and chat. Is on the left on Calle San Nicolas, 27 (Estella).

Pensión Buen Camino - HotelMania.net

La Pensión Buen Camino se encuentra en Estella y ofrece WiFi gratuita en todas las instalaciones. El hostal cuenta con habitaciones familiares.

hotelmania.net

Pension Buen Camino is a very friendly and comfortable stop over

 

[Anthony Rocco]

Hola Dear Pilgrims! I think I will need a rest day in or near Estella. Any suggestions as to where to stay?
Gracias!

You might consider Hotel/Hostel Alda. The Amigos del Camino de Navarra is hosting 27 of us from the American Pilgrims on the Camino (APOC) starting in mid-May for a ten day tour of the province. We will be staying every day at this hotel/hostel. Wonderful places to eat and drink in Estella, one of the jewels of the Camino Frances.

 

[naplesdon]

I really liked Estella. As @Derek Taylor commented, I thought that I could really live in this town.

I stayed in a private room at the Alda Estella Hotel, which was nice if unexciting. Perfectly normal tidy hotel with no drama. They also have dormitories.

Hola, Steve and how has your Camino gone since I saw you in Lisbon?
I think market day in Estella is on Thursday, but I don't trust my memory because it could be Tuesday: anyway on the market day the restaurants around the square feature roast suckling pig with white table cloth service. These restaurants are on the second floors of the cafes and don't usually open until menu del dia time around 2+/-. In my mind it requires an overnight stay in Estella.
I wish I could remember the name of the woman who bought Casa Magica a few years ago, she had some setbacks due to Covid and may have had to sell it. Malvina was her name but I have lost her email address.

 

[Stephan the Painter]

Hola, Steve and how has your Camino gone since I saw you in Lisbon?
I think market day in Estella is on Thursday, but I don't trust my memory because it could be Tuesday: anyway on the market day the restaurants around the square feature roast suckling pig with white table cloth service. These restaurants are on the second floors of the cafes and don't usually open until menu del dia time around 2+/-. In my mind it requires an overnight stay in Estella.
I wish I could remember the name of the woman who bought Casa Magica a few years ago, she had some setbacks due to Covid and may have had to sell it. Malvina was her name but I have lost her email address.

Don! I didn’t do any walking, but I spent a few weeks in the Algarve, and about six weeks in Sevilla. I had a wonderful time and got a terrific suntan! I had a terrific time in Lisbon and meeting all of you there was a highlight of my trip.

I’m definitely going to remember your restaurant and suckling pig suggestions for Estella the next time I’m there!

 

[trecile]

I’m definitely going remember your restaurant and suckling pig suggestions for Estella the next time I’m there!

I think that we all need to know where these places are!

 

[Stephan the Painter]

I think that we all need to know where these places are!

I did an Internet search and it’s a Thursday market on the Square Plaza de los Fueros. So restaurants on second floors around that square? We need a recent report! @estorildon

 

[naplesdon]

I have been there 3 times over the years, last time was maybe 2017.

 

[MARSKA]

This is wonderful! Thank you!

 

[naplesdon]

Don! I didn’t do any walking, but I spent a few weeks in the Algarve, and about six weeks in Sevilla. I had a wonderful time and got a terrific suntan! I had a terrific time in Lisbon and meeting all of you there was a highlight of my trip.

I’m definitely going remember your restaurant and suckling pig suggestions for Estella the next time I’m there!

PM me about the Algarve. I want to move there next year and plan to go visit Tavira soon. What place would you pick to live: Tavira, Lagos or Faro? You can save me a lot of time searching around.

 

[Anthony Rocco]

I did an Internet search and it’s a Thursday market on the Square Plaza de los Fueros. So restaurants on second floors around that square? We need a recent report! @estorildon

If no one responds on the suckling pig eateries on market day, I will check it out when I'm in Estella for ten days starting in mid-May. Our favorite restaurant in Estella from previous times there is Katxetas, Estudios de Gramatica Kalea 2. Packed with locals and excellent local cuisine, it was a very enjoyable break after a long day walking.

 

[Former member 92300]

You are asking a lot of questions which tells me you are totally overthinking everything. Not saying that as a criticism - but saying it as someone who also tends to over plan and over think - especially before doing something like the Camino for first time. I get it! I did the same thing.

I totally over planned and over thought my first Camino. Did way too much research. Watched too many youtube videos. Asked too many questions. Had my first Camino all planned - and then COVID hit and I had to postpone, replan, postpone, replan, postpone - then finally I was able to go and did so LAST MINUTE and had no reservations, and did not have time to gather my lists of where I wanted to stay or what I wanted to do. I arrived in Madrid and found my train and bought tickets. On the train to Pamplona I made my reservation in Pamplona for the night. In the morning I found my way to the bus station and managed to get to Roncesvalles, where I had to figure out a way to get to SJPDP (bus wasn't crossing the border due to COVID). And on the way to SJPDP I made those reservations. And so on. And you know what? It all worked out even better than I could have imagined. I was able to meet new friends and we helped each other along the way and we often planned where we were going to spend the next night or our rest days TOGETHER.

Anyhow - good to gather information on where you think you might want to stay - but be careful not to make your plans top rigid. You might find you want a rest day earlier, or you might not want a rest day where you thought you would, or you might not want a rest day at all. I did make some advanced reservations on both my Caminos (usually the night before or morning of arrival) and on several occasions I ended up cancelling for one reason or another. I also found I preferred a combination of longer and shorter walking days - and the rest days I did take felt way too long and I wished I had kept walking after visiting a few sites. I also found I didn't like some of the cities that most people like to take rest days in.

Another down side of too much research - I felt that I had "seen" all of the cool sites too many times before walking the Frances. It was hard to be excited in places where I thought I would be excited to arrive. I didn't do that for the Norte/Primitivo and everything was much more exciting because I hadn't seen it in everyone's photos/videos already.

Just food for thought - ENJOY! I am guessing you will love your Camino experience.

 

[Anthony Rocco]

You are asking a lot of questions which tells me you are totally overthinking everything. Not saying that as a criticism - but saying it as someone who also tends to over plan and over think - especially before doing something like the Camino for first time. I get it! I did the same thing.

I totally over planned and over thought my first Camino. Did way too much research. Watched too many youtube videos. Asked too many questions. Had my first Camino all planned - and then COVID hit and I had to postpone, replan, postpone, replan, postpone - then finally I was able to go and did so LAST MINUTE and had no reservations, and did not have time to gather my lists of where I wanted to stay or what I wanted to do. I arrived in Madrid and found my train and bought tickets. On the train to Pamplona I made my reservation in Pamplona for the night. In the morning I found my way to the bus station and managed to get to Roncesvalles, where I had to figure out a way to get to SJPDP (bus wasn't crossing the border due to COVID). And on the way to SJPDP I made those reservations. And so on. And you know what? It all worked out even better than I could have imagined. I was able to meet new friends and we helped each other along the way and we often planned where we were going to spend the next night or our rest days TOGETHER.

Anyhow - good to gather information on where you think you might want to stay - but be careful not to make your plans top rigid. You might find you want a rest day earlier, or you might not want a rest day where you thought you would, or you might not want a rest day at all. I did make some advanced reservations on both my Caminos (usually the night before or morning of arrival) and on several occasions I ended up cancelling for one reason or another. I also found I preferred a combination of longer and shorter walking days - and the rest days I did take felt way too long and I wished I had kept walking after visiting a few sites. I also found I didn't like some of the cities that most people like to take rest days in.

Another down side of too much research - I felt that I had "seen" all of the cool sites too many times before walking the Frances. It was hard to be excited in places where I thought I would be excited to arrive. I didn't do that for the Norte/Primitivo and everything was much more exciting because I hadn't seen it in everyone's photos/videos already.

Just food for thought - ENJOY! I am guessing you will love your Camino experience.

I am like you: I overplan and overthink every camino. But I can't help myself and I find it great fun. If I didn't overthink and overplan, I would likely go into withdrawal, stress and anxiety. It must be embedded in my DNA from thousands of years of my ancestors fleeing here or there.

That said, in our 8 camino walks, never have we stuck to our detailed itinerary. Never. Why? Because we truly believe the camino guides us. We often stumble into a village fiesta. Can't resist. If there is a site on a hill above that promises great vistas, up we go. And if a town seems to have far more going for it than we anticipated, like Jaca as an example, we stay an extra day. Keeping this in mind, we always add 2-3 days in our itinerary. To me, that's not overthinking; that wisdom based on our experience.

 

[peregrina2000]

PM me about the Algarve. I want to move there next year and plan to go visit Tavira soon. What place would you pick to live: Tavira, Lagos or Faro? You can save me a lot of time searching around.

I’m not Stephen, but I will butt in. Tavira is IMHO, hands down the prettiest place on the Algarve. Close to Spain, close to a ferry out to a spit with endless beaches, very good restaurants, but manageably small. The lower town is pretty much all tourists, most of the “real” population lives up above, but it’s all very close.

Lagos and Faro have TONS of tourists, but I really like old town Faro (very few tourists bother to go there after they land in Faro and head to the beach), more than old town Lagos (though you can go to the original slave market in Lagos, which has a nice little museum, and there is a fort). If you want to actually live in a town rather than on a beach I would choose Tavira. It has all the amenities and services you need, but Faro has the airport which is a plus.

Ok, back to Estella. If 15 kms before Estella is close enough, I would highly recommend the Albergue Maralotx. It’s in the tiny village of Cirauqui up on a hill, very picturesque and well-preserved.

 

[Former member 92300]

I am like you: I overplan and overthink every camino. But I can't help myself and I find it great fun. If I didn't overthink and overplan, I would likely go into withdrawal, stress and anxiety. It must be embedded in my DNA from thousands of years of my ancestors fleeing here or there.

That said, in our 8 camino walks, never have we stuck to our detailed itinerary. Never. Why? Because we truly believe the camino guides us. We often stumble into a village fiesta. Can't resist. If there is a site on a hill above that promises great vistas, up we go. And if a town seems to have far more going for it than we anticipated, like Jaca as an example, we stay an extra day. Keeping this in mind, we always add 2-3 days in our itinerary. To me, that's not overthinking; that wisdom based on our experience.

Yes- I still do it, but I do so with the idea that I will throw all of my plans out the window if I find I want/need to make changes. It was especially hard this year because I am doing the first half of the Via Francigena - and I realized I needed to make all my reservations in advance since the VF is such a different beast and affordable accommodations are much harder to find. I am nervous that I don't have the flexibility - but will still adapt if I need to. For the Camino - I am much better at not over planning though - but yes - it is probably in my DNA!

 

[David Tallan]

I am like you: I overplan and overthink every camino. But I can't help myself and I find it great fun. If I didn't overthink and overplan, I would likely go into withdrawal, stress and anxiety. It must be embedded in my DNA from thousands of years of my ancestors fleeing here or there.

That said, in our 8 camino walks, never have we stuck to our detailed itinerary. Never. Why? Because we truly believe the camino guides us. We often stumble into a village fiesta. Can't resist. If there is a site on a hill above that promises great vistas, up we go. And if a town seems to have far more going for it than we anticipated, like Jaca as an example, we stay an extra day. Keeping this in mind, we always add 2-3 days in our itinerary. To me, that's not overthinking; that wisdom based on our experience.

I'm the same. I love to plan and research. (I don't say overplan and overthink because I don't think you can overdo this.) But as much as possible I make sure that a plan is not a commitment. No matter how much planning and researching I do, I will always have more information over there, in the moment, and best to leave the decisions to then when I have the pre-planning information plus the on-the-ground in-the-moment information.

 

[naplesdon]

I’m not Stephen, but I will butt in. Tavira is IMHO, hands down the prettiest place on the Algarve. Close to Spain, close to a ferry out to a spit with endless beaches, very good restaurants, but manageably small. The lower town is pretty much all tourists, most of the “real” population lives up above, but it’s all very close.

Lagos and Faro have TONS of tourists, but I really like old town Faro (very few tourists bother to go there after they land in Faro and head to the beach), more than old town Lagos (though you can go to the original slave market in Lagos, which has a nice little museum, and there is a fort). If you want to actually live in a town rather than on a beach I would choose Tavira. It has all the amenities and services you need, but Faro has the airport which is a plus.

Ok, back to Estella. If 15 kms before Estella is close enough, I would highly recommend the Albergue Maralotx. It’s in the tiny village of Cirauqui up on a hill, very picturesque and well-preserved.

Thanks Laurie,
I plan to do a short explore down to Tavira at the end of the month. I have no immediate plans to move, maybe early next year. I let you know what I find.

 

[SirRon]

I did an Internet search and it’s a Thursday market on the Square Plaza de los Fueros. So restaurants on second floors around that square? We need a recent report! @estorildon

My current "schedule" has me spending the night in Estella on a Wednesday. I might have to hang out an extra day to try this out!

 

[Pafayac]

If you stay in or near Estella, I suggest a visit to the blacksmith of Irache:
Ayegui blacksmith
I saw a nice iron-made scallop shell from there.