The journey from Nájera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada was short but nice-ish. Covering around 21 kilometers, it took us through rolling hills, vineyards and more historic villages.
We started the day earlier than yesterday, thinking of reaching the destination early. The morning promised rain for today but we were lucky enough to only pass through wind and cold 😅
The first few kilometers (small but steady uphill) brought us through fields and vineyards, again, the heart of La Rioja’s famous winemaking region.
The beautiful vineyard road led us to Azofra, a small town with a long pilgrimage history, where we paused to warm up a little and go to the bathroom. From there, the trail began to climb towards Cirueña, a village with a mix of old traditions and modern golf courses – a surprising contrast on the Camino. The walk became a bit challenging here due to the short but steep hill but the scenery made every step worth it!
Finally, reaching Santo Domingo de la Calzada, a town deeply tied to the Camino’s history. The Cathedral of Santo Domingo, famous for its legend of the rooster and the hen, stood proudly in the main square.
We settled in at Albergue Cisterciense. Run by Cistercian nuns, it offers a peaceful atmosphere, simple accommodations, and the chance to participate in religious services. Nonetheless, keep in mind that there is no heating.
We had lunch at a place where they had only a vegan hamburger with chips (12 euros), because the two places we had favorited were closed, although being opened on google maps. Nothing impressive here, not the best hamburger of my life, but neither the worst.
After lunch we went to do the laundry at EcoLaundry. A place where you can use their mobile app to program everything, very convenient, but it only allows a minimum payment of 10 euros. So using the cheapest laundry of 5 euros and cheapest drying programs of 3 euros, leaves you with 2 spare euros 🤨 so we had to use a longer drying cycle to use them.
- Distance: 21.64 km.
- Moving time: 4:04
- Elapsed time: 5:17
- Avg moving speed: 5.3 km/h
- Total ascent: 420 m
- Total descent: 377 m
- Min elevation: 491 m
- Max elevation: 739 m
- With: Lucia
- Track: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/18833400794
