The same great content and more in your pocket, the most up-to-date guidebook to the CAMINO FRANCES available.
Wise Pilgrim APPThere are a pair of churches in town that are worthy of a peek. They are the Iglesia del Crucifijo (with a rather distinct crucifix) and the Iglesia de Santiago (with its black Santiago). The best view of the old bridge is from the new bridge.
Puenta la Reina celebrates Santiago as their patron, from July 24th to July 30th. They also have a few harvest festivals in September, including one which celebrates the red peppers that are grown in the hills between here and Eunate.
The name of this town is rather romantically attributed to the benefactor of the bridge over the río Arga. It is a nice sentiment, but not an altogether accurate one. In fact, historians quibble over which 11th century Queen had it built. One thing is for certain, banditry continued to present a problem to the growing town, and in the 13th century a wall was built to protect it.
It was rectilinear in shape and was not much bigger than the current town, and little remains:
1. Calle Cerco, ‘cerco’ being the word for wall. Of the 26 original towers most have become part of private homes, the best visible example is the stonework inside Hotel Cerco.
2. The city gate which opens to the bridge. Of the original 4 doors, it is the only one that remains.
The camino leaves Puente la Reina by passing over its namesake bridge. From there it turns left, crosses the main road, and follows a footpath. Shortly, it begins a short but steep ascent on slippery-when-wet terrain. It is not uncommon to find cyclists pushing their gear upwards.
