Casa Maralotx – Albergue Cirauqui Casa Maralotx

Some history of Casa Maralotx

Casa Maralotx — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 10:43:12 +0000

When history walks up right into you.

Last September 5th we had a surprising and very pleasant visit in Casa Maralotx: Fernando Gimeno came to visit and stay with us. Fernando is a life-long pilgrim, with dozens of Caminos on his legs, who also received a surprise himself…

Fernando is doing the Camino from Paris – the only of the four Caminos through France he had still not walked. When Fernando reached Cirauqui, he got a big surprise – a visit from his wife, daughter and granddaughter, whom he hadn’t seen since he left for Paris to start his Camino weeks ago.

All together they walked the path into Cirauqui and reached Casa Maralotx, where Fernando was hoping to stay, with no previous reservation. He was lucky and got one of our last beds that day.

The surprise for Fernando and his family was that the albergue where he was hoping to get a bed for the night was located in the very same house they remembered as “Jesusa’s house”. Fernando and his wife, Ana, had walked through Cirauqui in 1982 and 1993, and both times they met Jesusa, the previous owner of the house where Casa Maralotx now is.

Fernando and Ana told us that the first time, in 1982, Jesusa insisted on walking with them, with the assistance of her walking cane, from the village to the Roman Bridge – as in those days the Camino was not as well marked as it is now, and many pilgrims got lost trying to find their way out of the village. They then walked her back to her home, in appreciation. And then in 1993 once again Jesusa walked them to the Roman Bridge and again, they walked back with her to her home.

Here are two photos of those two visits of Fernando and Ana to Jesusa at her home’s doorstep, which Fernando has very kindly sent us, scanned from the original negative film:

If you want to find out a little more about Casa Maralotx and it’s history, you can click on “Casa Maralotx” at the top of the page, or just click here.

Here is the conmemorative photo of Fernando in Jesusa’s house, now Casa Maralotx, with Juanma as hospitalero:

Fernando, Ana and familia, we were thrilled to meet you, and very thankful for having brought us this little bit of the history of Casa Maralotx history. We hope to see you again in the future here in Cirauqui. Until then, a big hug from Juanma and Paloma.

Super full moon rising over Cirauqui in its local Fiestas

Casa Maralotx — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 12:01:06 +0000

This doesn’t happen every day.

With this image we would like to congratulate Cirauqui in its local fiestas. Ths year the village’s celebrations have seen the full moon (a super moon!) of September. A true show you don’t get to see every day and that we were able to photograph. we hope you like this image, captured by our hospitalero Juanma.

As a bonus, that same night we enjoyed a partial lunar eclipse:

Spring 2024 in the Camino de Santiago and in Albergue Cirauqui Casa Maralotx

Casa Maralotx — Fri, 31 May 2024 17:10:54 +0000

This is a small sketch of Spring 2024 in Casa Maralotx and on the Camino.

It’s impossible to mention everyone here, but we want to try and summarize some of the friends that have visited us, along with some images of the Camino through Cirauqui, Tierra Estella and Navarra. It’s been a cool and somewhat rainy Spring, and the landscape has reflected that beautifully with amazing colors and the early blooming of flowers. We hope you will enjoy the photos taken by our hospitalero Juanma.

As we mentioned, the landscape this year was jaw-dropping, not just for pilgrims but also for those of us who live in the area.

A few images more…:

But let’s go with the real protagonists here, the pilgrims; these are some of the friends that have visited us over the past few weeks:

Michael, from USA / Ireland. A very especial pilgrim to us because we realized as we chatted that he had already stayed with us when we were running another albergue on the Camino Primitivo, several years ago. It was a very especial and funny moment. Michael makes these amazing, unique music instruments, and we were lucky enough that he gave us one of the few he had brought for this Camino. You can find out more about his instruments in his website.

This is Lara, an Italian pilgrim who lives in Canada, and who we established a very especial bond with:

We also had Becky again, who had already stayed with us in her post-Covid Camino on 2021, and who was walking a few stages prior to her volunteering in an albergue in Pamplona for 15 days, with her friend Francine:

Another repeating pilgrim was Lindsay, who has stayed with us already three times over the last three years; this time he also sang some songs after the communal dinner and we all enjoyed it so much. Do you know that he builds his own guitars?:

(By the way, a few days later we also hosted his wife and a friend, Anne and Linda)

That same day we also hosted Dennis Cockrell, who is literally in love with our albergue, as he says in his youtube video:

But let’s continue: in Casa Maralotx we are members of the Camino de Santiago Forum, and this year we have already hosted a few other members. One of the ones that we enjoyed the most was getting to know Rachael, from New Zealand (you can check the post of her stage into Cirauqui and the lovely words she wrote about us in her blog), who happens to be an amazing paint artist, as you may well agree:

If you liked Rachael’s art, don’t miss out on Fernando’s, who came in just a few days later! He did this painting of the church across the square from our albergue in just a short while, from our terrace:

But let’s go on with the forum’s members who have visited us this year: we have also hosted Terri, one of the moderators (the picture is in a cafe in Logroño, but that’s a different story to be told in a different moment…):

A funny coincidence did that, just the day after Terri stayed with us, another lovely couple from the forum, and who we love dearly, also stayed with us: Anne and Patrick, from Australia, and who have stayed in Casa Maralotx countless times by now:

Talk about coincidences… one day Juanma was taking some pictures in Villatuerta when Ariel, Sesselja and Maxime, who had stayed with us the night before, happened to walk by; but furthermore, the next day Juanma was again taking some pictures shortly before Los Arcos and Ariel and Sesselja walked past by again (third photo):

The same day we had these three, we also hosted family He, from China, on the day when Rong turned 60 years old: she invited all pilgrims to a cake:

To continue with pilgrims that stay with us and then Juanma finds elsewhere along the Camino as he takes pictures, this is Dennis and Stephanie as they walked through Estella:

We would also like to send a big hug to Kevin and Yvonne (they know why):

And how to forget these friends, in their challenge to get from SJPP to Santiago pushing a wheel chair. They are Kimberly, Shari, Shelley, Andrew, John and Aaron, and you can find them in their Facebook page:

To end this post we want to share two very especial images that Juanma captured this Spring: Cirauqui under the rising full moon light, and the castle of Villamayor de Monjardín in an amazing, pastel color sunset with clouds from a different world:

What is new in Casa Maralotx for 2024

Casa Maralotx — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 15:11:08 +0000

2024 season is already here, and these are the improvements that we bring you.

Every year we like to improve something in our albergue, your house for a night, and this year wasn’t an exception.

One of the most significative changes is that we have changed all doors of the house: the previous ones, although very colorful and nice, were quite noisy and did not give the warmth look we wanted.

We have chosen some nice, solid walnut tree wood doors with black hardware which we believe are quite elegant and have a nice acoustic and temperature isolation, as well as having a more silent shutting mechanism.

Since we were having new doors, we have added propper signs to the bathrooms and showers; the previous showers icons, although we really loved them, were not correctly understood by some pilgrims, which every now and then led to… incidents when entering the correct showers.

And since we are talking about the bathrooms and showers, another improvement this year is the new shelves in all showers and, as an added bonus, we now supply 2 in 1 shower gel and shampoo for all pilgrims to use. For the private rooms we have changed the gel and shampoo we had been using until now for new, more sustainable and environmental ones.

In the dormitories we have improved privacy and comfort: in the one for 12 persons there are now two single beds and five bunks (photos and all the information here), and the one that used to be for six persons is now for five, with a single bed and two bunks (you can check it out here). Additionally, we have included privacy screens between bunks, as well as a little shelf, reading light and USB charging slot in every bed.

There are some additional little things, as the improved breakfast, the new paint in the dormitories for better stepping comfort and luminosity, and a few more things…

But we won’t tell you every single thing, right? That way you have a perfect excuse to come and discover it all by yourself.

If you have any suggestion for us, please send it to us via email. Thank you very much.

Museum Gustavo de Maeztu of Estella

Casa Maralotx — Sun, 29 Oct 2023 08:44:47 +0000

Museum Gustavo de Maeztu in the Palace of the Kings of Navarra, Estella

In the heart of Estella’s old town is the Palace of the Kings of Navarra of Estella, home to the Museum Gustavo de Maeztu. You will find it just opposite the big stairs that go up to the San Pedro church.

Also known as the Palace of the Dukes of Granada of river Ega, it is the best piece of Navarran civil romanesque architecture (along with the Hórreo de Iracheta). Located at the Plaza de San Martín and opposite the church of San Pedro de la Rúa, at the very Camino in its path through Estella.

In one of its columns you can see a representation of the fight between Roldán and the giant Ferragut:

The museum is mostly devoted to the art work of Gustavo de Maeztu, a painter born in the neighbouring region of Alava who spent his last years – and died – in Estella. The visit is totally free and we strongly recommend it. You can check opening hours in their website, as well as information about the different temporary exhibitions and other events they hold.

When we visited it some months ago we especially liked this sketch of the work of Gustavo de Maeztu known as “Cacería en tiempos del Rey Sancho el Fuerte” (“Hunting in times of king Sancho el Fuerte”), where you can see at the top right corner the Ermita de Eunate, which is a must for any pilgrim of the Camino Francés, although it requires a little extra time and effort for those coming from Roncesvalles and Pamplona, while it’s on their way for those coming from Jaca. You can see the finished picture in this link of one of the museum’s social network profiles.

From the upper floor of the museum there is a good perspective of the passing pilgrims as they enter the Plaza de San Martín.

Estella is a really interesting town for pilgrims and deserves a good visit: you can stay in one of its many albergues, hostals and hotels and spend the evening visiting the city or, if you are just going through, you can all the same spend one to two hours to walk its old town, have a coffee, breakfast, lunch… and of course visit some of its monuments such as the church of San Pedro de la Rua and its cloister, to which we will give another blog entry soon.

Horreo of Iracheta

Casa Maralotx — Mon, 13 Mar 2023 20:33:54 +0000

Did you know that one of the oldest ´horreos´ of Spain is in Navarra?

As a pilgrim, with more or less walking experience, you surely know the “horreos” of Galicia and Asturias: those old constructions in stone and wood that can be seen along the Camino and in general all over the geography of Galicia and Asturias.

But, did you know that, although far less common than in Northwestern Spain, in Navarra we also have ´horreos´, and one of the oldest ones in Spain is here, merely 25km from Pamplona?

It’s the ´Hórreo de Iracheta´, in the village of the same name, in the Valdorba region, and along with the Palace of the Kings of Navarra (in Estella), it’s one of the best samples of Romanesque civil architecture in Navarra.

It has a rectangular shape and is about 70 sqm. It’s held over 10 semicircular arches and it’s made of stone, which accounts for its having lasted to the present day, as opposed to others that were made in wood or adobe and which have obviously not standed the pass of time.

Some authors date it on the IX or X century under a clear preromanesque influence from Asturias, while others delay its origin to the XI, XII or even early XIII century. It’s clear anyhow that its function would be that of all ´horreos´: to store and protect food and grain from the gound humidity as well as from mice or other plagues.

But, which may be the origin of this ´horreo´? Iracheta belonged to the Navarran monarchy, which would have donated it to the Monastery of Irache in the XII century. In the late XII century it would have become property of the Order of the ´Caballeros Hospitalarios de San Juan de Jerusalen´, which had a pilgrims hospital in the place, dependant on Leache. These institutions probably kept here their taxes, paid in grain, from the territory they ruled over.

The Valdorba region is also rich in other romanesque constructions, especially religious ones, such as the Ermita de San Pedro Echano or the Ermita del Cristo de Katalain, where it’s known that a pilgrims hospital also existed.

The village of Iracheta is beautiful anyway: really well preserved and kept, and well worth a visit, including a stroll down to its romanesque bridge.

Latest entries

Horreo of Iracheta

13/03/2023

Plaza Grande, 4 31.131, Cirauqui (Navarra)

Monasteries of Yuso and Suso in San Millan de la Cogolla

Casa Maralotx — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 15:33:49 +0000

A “stone throw” away from the Camino Frances we find San Millan de la Cogolla. For pilgrims with an interest in culture it’s definitely worth the 15km detour.

In this cold month of January we finally drove to San Millan de la Cogolla and the Monasteries of Yuso and Suso, a day trip we had long been planning and which- for one reason or another, we could never get to do.

Believe it or not, San Millán de la Cogolla is linked to the history of Cirauqui. As can be seen in this link (Becerro Galicano Digital [doc. 4*] (www.ehu.eus/galicano/id4x – acceso 23/01/2023)), the village was given to the Monastery of San Millan de la Cogolla in the XIIth century:

[…]

Estas son las heredades que tiene en Cirauqui: primero, una pieça en Masclata, de robada e media, que afruenta con el camino de la Rueda; e de la otra parte, de Martin de Urbe. Otra pieça en Corraga, de una robada, que afruenta con el Camino Mayor; e de la otra parte, Nicolao Mannero. Otra pieça en He[ucegutia], de tres quartales, afruenta con pieça de Johan de Riarte. Otra pieça de dos robadas en Çabale[a’n] camino de Ron[…]e, afruenta con pieça de Sancho Gallante; e de la otra parte Anso Gomence. Otra pieça en Galbarreturria, de media robada, Camino Frances, e de Johan de Malbarrio. Otra pieça de tres quartales en monesterio, junto con el camino, afruenta con pieça de Johan de Riarte; e de la otra parte, con pieça de Garchuriarte. Otra pieça en calon d’Oravidea, de tres quartales, afruenta con pieça de la abadia; e de la otra parte, con pieça de Johan Not. Otra pieça de un robo entre las pieças del Monesterio de Irache.

[…]

The visit is of great interest to any pilgrim with a love for history, religious art and/or linguistics. This is the origin of the Glosas Emilianenses, a facsimile of which can be seen during the visit to the Monastery of Yuso (the original ones are kept at the Library of the Royal Academy of History, in Madrid).

It was also here that the first written words in “vascuence” language – origin to the current Basque language – were found.

Another treasure that you will be able to see in Yuso is their magnificent “Cantorales“: these are some huge (up to 60kg) books in which the monks wrote their Gregorian Songs.

If you would like to visit the monasteries while on your Camino Frances, you can do one of two things: first option is to walk the extra 15km, taking the detour in Azofra and road-side walking to Alesanco, Cañas, Berceo and San Millan, then taking the road again back in the direction of Villar de Torre and Cirueña, where you will find again the yellow arrows and shells. In this link of the Gronze guide you’ll find detailed in formation.

The second option is to take a full day on your walk for this visit, taking a bus or taxi to take you to the monasteries and then back the same way to your starting point, which may be Nájera or Santo Domingo de la Calzada.

It is necessary to purchase a guided tour ticket at the Monastery of Yuso. You can take just the visit to either one of the monasteries, or to both. We definitely recommend doing both: Yuso (approx. 60min.) because of its amazing and because of all the history and linguistic treasures it contains; and Suso (approx. 35min.) because it will just awe you.

Latest posts

Monasteries of Yuso and Suso in San Millan de la Cogolla

25/01/2023

Plaza Grande, 4 31.131, Cirauqui (Navarra)

How was 2022 at Casa Maralotx?

Casa Maralotx — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 15:32:19 +0000

What was 2022 like in Casa Maralotx? Here’s a little summary.

Where to start…? 2022 has been different, unexpected, but – as nearly always at the Camino – wonderful. We end this season feeling excited, tired, thankful and so many more things that we just can’t describe with words.

They say the Camino has beaten every record in this year 2022. From Cirauqui we believe that must have been in its last bit, the last 100km, because at least here in Navarra it was not the case.

The year started quite nice: Correos, the Spanish mail service, had chosen a photo with Cirauqui in it for one of the images in their yearly Camino calendar. We totally get it because, as we always say, Cirauqui is really picturesque: the view as pilgrims approach from Mañeru is beautiful, especially in Spring.

On our side we started the year with renovation works: after more than 15 years, Casa Maralotx needed a little update. So we rolled up our sleeves and got to work: a new, energy-efficient, warm water and heating system, a water decalcifier, brand new bathrooms, paint in different rooms and common areas, new floor in two of the dormitories, privacy blinds between bunks, relocation of the coffee machine and a new little fridge for the pilgrims, renovation of some of the kitchen machines, different decoration new touches, taking off one full bunk in one dorm for more space and privacy, etc…

Finally the start of the season came and it did so with snow at the end of March and early April, which provided really nice views in Cirauqui and shocked some pilgrims:

In 2022 we’ve been lucky enough to get to meet some wonderful pilgrims. One of these was Beebe Bahrami, author of the Moon guide to the Camino de Santiago, who we had been keeping email contact with for ages but had never personally met. If you don’t know it, the Moon Guide is definitely our favourite book guide in English: it’s not a standard guide, but goes the extra mile, giving information you won’t find in any other guides. The day Beebe stayed with us we had also Carmen, Paloma’s sister, spending a few days with us, and the three of them plus another group of three American pilgrims had a really fun evening and dinner:

Another pilgrim who we finally managed to meet in person this year after years of email exchange was Rocky Brown Nieblas from Pilgrim Paths, an American travel agency especializing in the Camino de Santiago.

In June we had Ashley and her mother Terry staying with us: Ashley is a vital, energetic and fun pilgrim, a beautiful soul. You can follow her in he instagram profile or in he web site (we’ve allowed ourselves to take this photo she published in her social network profiles, looking out the window of her room in Casa Maralotx, which we loved):

We also received the visit of Jen Nilsson and her friend Lizz. These were another two really inspiring pilgrims, and really fun to be around. In Jen’s case also the magic happenned – or “this place’s love spell” as Jen says – as she met who today is her couple and love, Katalin. Jen’s story inspires and expells love for life; we encourage you to visit her web site and to follow her in her social media.

It would be impossible to mention every pilgrim here, even just those who we built a more especial relationship to: Jihee and peak-bracelet from Corea, Ciril Vrab from Poland, Rick from Florida, Andrea Pope and her beautiful, colourful cards that she gave around in her Camino, etc, etc… We also remember a couple of brothers that fell off their nest just in front of Casa Maralotx and were picked up by one of our pilgrims so we called the Wildlife Protection Service, which we did and we are happy to inform that they survived and were set back free when they grew older!

Although not every thing was so positive and nice in this 2022: in July the Camino had to be closed to pilgrims for several days in Navarra due to the wild fires in different areas of the region due to the high temperatures, dry, electric storms and some other – mainly human-originated – reasons. Some villages of the Camino Frances in Navarra saw the fire really close, such as Muruzabal, Uterga, Obanos, Puente la Reina and Los Arcos. In Cirauqui we were lucky enough to see it from a certain distance, though from the albergue we could see the smoke columns, that had us quite anxious for at least a couple of days.

But we don’t want to finish this post with the sadness of fire, so here is a short video that Anthony Haden-West from Delacroix Productions, a pilgrim, friend of ours and artist improvised during his day with us and sent us. The talented musician you will see and hear in the video is Elijah. Once again thank you for this beautiful video Anthony, and we hope to see you again in 2023!

Latest posts

How was 2022 at Casa Maralotx?

25/10/2022

Where to start…? 2022 has

Plaza Grande, 4 31.131, Cirauqui (Navarra)

Cirauqui’s Wine Festival 2022

Casa Maralotx — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 14:46:58 +0000

Cirauqui’s Wine Festival 2022.

This year Cirauqui has celebrated the 6th edition of its Wine Festival, a celebratioin day that is becoming a great tradition and attracts more and more public every year. Here are some pics of this especial day.

Latest entries

Cirauqui’s Wine Festival 2022

15/09/2022

Plaza Grande, 4 31.131, Cirauqui (Navarra)