Navarre/Aragon Region Recommendations

So how many nights do you have in Aragon and Navarra? Zaragoza alone needs a full day to see the minimum of its sites.

My cancelled 2020 trip was supposed to be La Rioja and Aragón and it was for 25 days. There is a lot to see in that area. Below are the places we planned on visiting for the part of the Spain you plan on visiting broken down by where we had intended on lodging. As a gauge, I put the number of nights we planned to spend in each place, in parenthesis.

Zaragoza (2) - basilica, palace of the Aljaferia, plaza del Pilar, Torre del Pilar
Agreda - Convento de la concepcion, blue Nun. Mary of Jesus of Agreda. Body is in the convent. Daroca- walled city, towers, fountain of 20 spouts
Pinares de Rodeno - cave paintings
Castillo de Monte, Aragon in Molina de Aragon

Sos del Rey Catolico (3)
Foz de Lumbier
Monasterio de San Salvador de Leyre - 14 miles north of Sos del Rey Catolico
Castillo de Javier, Navarra - 10 miles north of Sos del Rey Catolico
Castillo de Sádaba, Calle Apóstol Santiago, Sádaba, Spain - 18 miles south of Sos del Rey Catolico Castillo Loarre - northwest of Huesca - 55 miles from Sos del Rey
San Juan de la Pena royal monastery - north of Loarre
Ermita de Santiago (Agüero)

Olite (2) -castle old town

Calahorra (1)
Puente de Reina - Roman bridge 15 miles from Olite
Bodegas Irache - 25mi from Calahorra. wine fountainr
Iglesia de santa Maria de Unate - Romanesque church. Near Muruzabal.

Santo domingo de la Calzada (2)
Ojacastro - hermitage
Ezcaray - cute old center
Najera - Monasterio de Santa Maria la Real
Briones - old town, overlook, supposedly a cute village.
San Vincente de la Sonsierra
Laguardia - wineries, view, old town
Cenicero - Marquez de Caceres winery
Castillo de Davaslillo - on an essentially dirt road off the N232
Closer to Burgos
Santo Domingo de Silos, Covarrubia

Once off the autopistas/interstates, the roads are rural. They will be two lanes mostly without shoulders. Any 4-digit numbered roads will likely be narrower and without a centerline marking. There will be little traffic.

Carlos and Jaime,

Not sure how many days yet,,still trying to figure out the logistics and travel times etc. We’ll most likely add a day for Zaragoza. I certainly won’t have 25 days…perhaps only 3 or 4 in that particular area. I’m so sorry your 2020 trip was cancelled…what an amazing itinerary! Goodness, I had no idea! I will definitely look at all of your well thought out plans and see if I can at least see a small portion. Also appreciate the road tips. Thank you!

Hi Sherry,

Carlos and Jaime have given you some good suggestions. One important thing they didn't mention was that in Huesca in February it will be cold, and you may encounter snow. (Being from Minnesota this might not be a problem for you.)

I've never heard of Aguero, but looking at the map, it may be a bit of a detour, espcially if the weather is bad. The A132 enters in some windy canyons. You could go from Zaragoza to Loarre, back to Huesca and autovia to Jaca, and then to San Juan de la Peña. Back out to the autovia and west to Sos for the night. Loarre castle is worth the visit, and Jaca is an attractive town. (Just to get an idea of the possible weather conditions, Jaca has tried to be selected as a winter olympics candidate) Also the road to SjdlP is much shorter coming in from the north.

From Sos you could head north and see Javier Castle, then to Sanguesa, visit the church of Santa Maria la Real, and up to the Monastery of Leyre. From Leyre you've got a good freeway to Pamplona, and then to Olite to spend the night.

After Olite you could go west, to Artajona. They have restored the Cerco, and it is very nice. Very close is St. Maria Eunate, and then Puente la Riena. Then out to Estella for the night. If the weather is good I would suggest going to the Monastery of Iranzu. It is in a small, hidden valley north of Estella. If the weather isn't very good for driving, go to the Monastary of Irache, just past Estella on the freeway, where they have a fountain that pours wine not water (it is generally for the pilgrims on the Camino).

From Estella, start with Viana, and don't forget to step on Caesare Borgia who is buried at the entrance to the church. If your plan is to stay in Laguardia, you could stop in Logroño. After some sight seeing and lunch, Laguardia is just 14km to the west.

In addition to jaimeelsabio's and dlindstrom's excellent list, I'll also add:

Tarazona - I'd describe as a "mini Toledo", as this small town has a long history during which Muslims, Christians and Jews all lived in harmony. The town's unique architectural eye candy reflects this synergy between the three cultures. Tarazona’s medieval Jewish Quarter is the best preserved in the region.

Trasmoz - a cursed village of witches and dark magic, Trasmoz is the only town in the world to be excommunicated by the Pope. Tucked in the foothills of the haunted Moncayo mountain range, and overlooked by an abandoned castle, Trasmoz has centuries of witchcraft history that few foreigners ever experience.

Thank you all for the replies! Given all the grand recommendations, We’ll most likely add more days to this region. Much appreciated!

Thank you all for the replies! Given all the grand recommendations, We’ll most likely add more days to this region. Much appreciated!

Good idea lol!! Aragon is probably one of the most underrated corners of Spain, although being one of the largest regions in the country. I'll just add one more location in Aragon, although may be a slight detour:

Matarraña region - Imagine the "Tuscany of Spain" right on the border of Aragon and Catalonia, that's Matarraña. Rolling green hills, lazy rivers, medieval castles, and ancient groves of olives, almonds, and vineyards. There are many old hill towns in the region with Alcañiz being the largest one. The best part... totally undiscovered by foreign tourists. I only mention it because you seem genuinely interested in more off the beaten path places.

Here's a list of 5 villages in the Matarraña region (only in Spanish) - https://www.escapadarural.com/blog/5-pueblos-imprescindibles-de-matarrana/