Ventosa
Camino Frances
Ventosa has been sidelined by a rerouting of the camino that shaved 800 m off the distance but left the village off the main path. Despite this, most pilgrims still detour through — the two bars, an albergue, and a generally welcoming atmosphere make it worth the small extra distance.
The village sits on a small rise with views over the Riojan vineyards in every direction. The Iglesia de San Saturnino, a 16th-century church with a 17th-century brick tower, stands at the highest point. The main retablo inside, carved by Antonio de Zárraga, is dedicated to San Saturnino — the 3rd-century bishop of Toulouse who is one of the patron saints of the Camino.
This is a practical breakfast stop if you left Logroño or Navarrete early. Don't expect much beyond a bar meal and a place to sit — that's usually enough.
Ventosa first appears in records in 1020, when Sancho III granted the municipality to the Monasterio de San Millán de la Cogolla. The village has been tied to the Camino since at least the Charter of Logroño in 1095, which established this stretch of the route. Like many small Riojan villages, its fortunes have risen and fallen with the pilgrim traffic — and the recent rerouting hasn't helped.
From Ventosa, the path rejoins the main camino and continues to climb gently toward the Alto de San Antón. The terrain is open, with scrubland and vineyards. The pass itself, at around 640 m, offers the first views down into the valley of the Najerilla and the red cliffs behind Nájera. From the summit, it's a straightforward descent of about 8.5 km to Nájera through farmland and the occasional grove.
Accommodation in Ventosa.
| Albergue San Saturnino 14€ 40 Booking.com |
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