The Navarre of the Hemingway ‘Festival’

The best thing to do is get a copy of the travelogue, available at any tourist office in the three regions covered by this literary-travel route. The document includes drawings and quotes from the writer, maps and other curiosities for finding the best routes, restaurants, accommodation, landscapes, etc.Navarre and the Fiestas of San Fermín play a leading role in Hemingway's Travelogues. This Nobel prize-winning North American author became such a huge fan of the bull running tradition that, from his very first trip to Pamplona in 1923, he attended this popular celebration, which each year receives thousands of travellers from all over the world, on at least nine occasions. This route proposes visits to various references to the writer and journalist found around the city. The most well-known of these include the life size bronze sculpture in the themed corner dedicated to the writer in the elegant Café Iruña; the 8,000 kilo granite monument that pays homage to Hemingway, in front of the Plaza de Toros; and room 217 of the Gran Hotel La Perla where he used to stay in order to see the bull runs from its balcony on Calle Estafeta. Trips to nearby towns such as Burguete, Aribe, Lekunberri and Yesa are other places of reference.

And to fully immerse yourself in the exciting tale of Hemingway, you need to explore the eateries where the Pulitzer prize winner also cultivated his palate. To make this task easier, the publication “Eat with Hemingway” features more than 100 recipes and 44 restaurants in the Basque Country, Navarre, Aragon and La Rioja visited by the writer. Fishing in the Bidasoa river, contemplating the views on the Basque coast, swimming in the bay of La Concha or relaxing in Donostia-San Sebastián were just some of Hemingway's favourite pastimes.Cycling was also one of his favourite sports, and in particular the Basque Country cycling race that covered the three provinces of Bizkaia, Álava and Guipuzkoa, led him to discover many other places such as Zumaia, Zarautz and Bermeo. His footprint in the region extends so far that there are guided routes such as the one in Kanala, with visits to the Mundaka estuary and the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, and themed rural house projects on this distinguished writer in early 20th century contemporary literature.