Nájera

Nájera is a municipality in La Rioja, situated on the Najerilla river at the foot of dramatic red sandstone cliffs. The town was the capital of the Kingdom of Navarra in the tenth and eleventh centuries, and the Monastery of Santa María la Real, founded by King García Sánchez III in 1052, served as the royal pantheon for Navarrese and Castilian monarchs.

The monastery is built partly into the cliff face, with the natural rock forming part of the chapel interior. The royal pantheon holds the tombs of numerous Navarrese and Castilian kings and queens, and the Gothic cloister known as the Claustro de los Caballeros is one of the finest in La Rioja. The red sandstone cliffs above the monastery give Nájera a dramatic visual character unlike any other city on the Camino Frances.

For pilgrims, Nájera is a major stop with full services and the exceptional monastery complex, historically one of the most important religious sites on the entire route.