Hotels in Pamplona

Pamplona: Capital of Navarre and the Running of the Bulls

Pamplona sits in northern Spain at the foot of the Pyrenees, roughly 400 km north of Madrid. Founded as the Roman city of Pompaelo around 74 BC, it has served as the capital of Navarre for over a millennium. The medieval Old Town (Casco Antiguo) is compact and walkable, anchored by the Plaza del Castillo — the city's main square — and the 16th-century Ciudadela, a star-shaped fortress now used as a public park.

Who Visits and Why

Pamplona draws two distinct visitor types. The first arrives during the Fiesta de San Fermín (6–14 July), when the 848-metre Encierro — the bull run along Calle Estafeta — fills the city with roughly one million visitors over nine days. Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises cemented its international profile. The second visitor type comes year-round via the Camino de Santiago Francés, which passes directly through the city after descending the Puerto de Ibañeta pass from France.

Practical Tips

• Getting there: Pamplona Airport (PNA) handles limited routes; Bilbao Airport (BIO), 155 km west, offers more connections.
• San Fermín booking: Hotels fill months in advance for early July; rates rise sharply after April.
• Climate: Summers average 25 °C; winters are mild but wet — pack layers for shoulder seasons.
• Currency: Euro (EUR); most restaurants in the Casco Antiguo accept cards.