The same great content and more in your pocket, the most up-to-date guidebook to the Camino Francés available.
Wise Pilgrim APPThe Alto de San Antón (around 640 m) is a gentle pass between the Navarrete area and the descent into the Najerilla valley. The climb from either direction is easy — this is wine and cereal country, not mountain terrain.
Near the top, the ruins of a former monastery and pilgrim hospital dedicated to San Antón sit beside the path. Little remains beyond foundation walls and scattered stones, but the site gives a sense of how thoroughly the Camino was once served by religious institutions.
The views from here are the reward. To the west, the valley of the Najerilla opens up, with Nájera visible below and the red sandstone cliffs that back the town clearly outlined. On a clear day the Sierra de la Demanda rises beyond. No services at the pass — carry what you need.
The monastery of San Antón served pilgrims through the medieval period, offering shelter on this exposed stretch between the Navarrete area and Nájera. Like many Camino hospitals, it fell into disuse as pilgrim numbers declined after the Reformation and was eventually abandoned. The ruins are modest, but the location — at the highest point of the day's walk — made it a logical place to build.
The descent from the pass toward Nájera is steady and straightforward — about 8.5 km through open farmland, with the town gradually coming into focus below. The path is exposed with little shade. You enter Nájera through its eastern industrial suburbs, which are unremarkable, but the old town on the far side of the Río Najerilla rewards your patience.
