Day nine on the Camino took Ryan and me about 18 km from Los Arcos to Viana, and it turned into one of my favorite days so far. I started the morning frazzled and crabby, and I ended it pain free in a town that a total stranger called the cutest city yet. Somewhere in between, I solved all of life's problems with our friend Leslie from Denver (results not yet published).
This guide covers the full route through Sansol and Torres del Río, the hilly stretch into Viana, the municipal albergue where we slept, and why we think you should stop in Viana instead of pushing on to Logroño. Our camera backup failed this week and ate almost all of our Viana footage, so I filled in the history with research. I also tagged every tip we never tried ourselves, so you always know which advice came from our legs and which came from the internet.
The Day 9 Route at a Glance
Most guidebooks treat Los Arcos to Logroño as one long 28 km stage, but we split it and stopped in Viana at about 18.8 km. Published stage notes describe the first half as gentle farm tracks and the second half as a tiring roller coaster of short climbs and drops. At a typical pilgrim pace of about 4 km an hour, plan on four to five hours of walking, plus time for coffee and church stops.
- km 0Los Arcos. Leave through the Portal de Castilla and cross the Odrón River.
- km 7.0Sansol, a small hilltop village with an albergue, a bar, and a pharmacy.
- km 7.8Torres del Río and its eight-sided Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
- after TorresThe Virgen del Poyo chapel, then the steep Cornava ravine.
- km 18.8Viana, the last stop in Navarre and our bed for the night.
The first 3 km out of Los Arcos follow a straight gravel farm track beside the main road. After Torres del Río, the path crosses the old N-111 road several times, and the surface switches between dirt, gravel, stone slabs, and asphalt. Your own watch may disagree with these marks by a few hundred meters.
Fill every bottle in Torres del Río. The next 11 km offer hills, more hills, and a seasonal snack stand you should not bet your lunch on.
Trail Highlights Along the Way
The highlights below follow the trail in order, from a rough start in Los Arcos to a very happy finish in Viana. The morning brought the drama, and the afternoon brought the hills.
Surviving a Surprise Checkout
Our host in Los Arcos kicked off the day by telling us at 7:30 that checkout was at 7:30. I looked like a crazy person on camera that morning, and I felt like one too. A coffee and some breakfast fixed most of it, and Ryan and I agreed that nobody likes a crabby Abby.
Solving Life's Problems With a Friend
We met back up with Leslie and Brian, a lovely couple from Denver who we first met on our very first day of the Camino. Ryan and Brian pulled ahead pretty quickly, and they left Leslie and me behind to chat. We talked all day long and solved every single one of life's problems, so the kilometers flew by. Walking with a good conversation partner beats any podcast, and it costs nothing.
Stopping at Torres del Río's Octagonal Church
Right after Sansol, the trail drops into Torres del Río, a tiny village with a big claim to fame. Its Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Iglesia del Santo Sepulcro) dates to the 12th century, and its eight-sided shape copies the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The Spain tourism site says ribs cross inside the dome in a pattern that recalls Islamic architecture, and a small eight-sided lantern sits on top.
People love to connect the church to the Knights Templar, but nobody has ever found proof. Some historians lean toward the Order of the Holy Sepulchre instead, so the mystery remains part of the fun.
Published stage notes list morning and late afternoon visiting hours with a small entry fee. Hours in small villages change often, so plan your stop around the morning window if you leave Los Arcos early.
Climbing the Little Hills Without Pain
After Torres, the trail turns into a long string of short climbs and steep drops. Halfway up one climb, the plain stone chapel of the Virgen del Poyo makes a good break spot, and builders put it up in the 16th century. The biggest descent comes at the Cornava ravine, which falls more than 125 m past pine trees, vineyards, and olive groves.
Now for the best news of the whole week. The day had lots of little hills, and my leg did not hurt once. After days of hobbling around with a cane, I officially declared myself healed, and I celebrated by walking downhill without whimpering.
Look both ways twice at every road crossing after Torres. The cars on that road drive like they have somewhere much better to be.
Why You Should Stop in Viana
The official stage keeps going another 9.6 km to Logroño, but we stopped short in Viana, and we are so glad we did. I highly recommend you do the same if your schedule allows it. Viana sits about 10 km from the city, so you can easily tack that distance onto the next morning.
Viana feels much smaller than its big neighbor, and it is really, really beautiful. We were about to film when a woman walking behind us said it was the cutest city so far, and honestly, almost everybody says that about this place. It also marks your last stop in Navarre, since the Camino crosses into La Rioja shortly after town.
Seeing a Cathedral-Sized Church
The Church of Santa María feels like a cathedral that wandered into a small hilltop town by mistake. The Camino guide from Pamplona's city site says builders worked on its Gothic core from 1250 to 1312 and kept adding pieces through the 18th century. Its Renaissance doorway ranks among the most monumental in Spain, and the church even served as part of the local defenses until the 19th century.
Finding Cesare Borgia's Grave
Viana also holds the grave of Cesare Borgia, a cardinal, warrior, and politician who lived a wildly dramatic life. He was the son of Pope Alexander VI and the brother of Lucrezia Borgia. He died nearby in 1507, and since his original tomb no longer exists, his remains now lie under a marble slab at Santa María.
Watching the Sunset From the San Pedro Ruins
A few streets over, the ruins of the Church of San Pedro make the best hangout spot around. According to the town's website, San Pedro went up in the 13th century as Viana's first church, and its main walls collapsed in 1844 after rough 18th-century expansions. The Baroque doorway from the 1740s still stands, along with part of the tower and one side aisle.
The old church cemetery now serves as a park called the Jardines de Serrat, which locals named for the Catalan singer Joan Manuel Serrat in 2014. The lawn looks west over the Ebro valley toward the mountains and the city lights, so it makes a perfect sunset spot. The next morning, the sunrise turned the mountains pink, and it looked really, really stunning.
Where We Stayed in Viana
We checked into the municipal pilgrim hostel right in the middle of town. After a full day of hills, we wanted a bed, a shower, and nothing fancy.
We slept at the Albergue de Peregrinos Andrés Muñoz, the public hostel run by the local council. It sits right beside the San Pedro ruins in the old town.
That location makes the sunset park basically your front yard. The hostel takes its name from Andrés Muñoz, one of the pioneers who carried a bucket of yellow paint around in the 1980s and painted the first arrows. Every yellow arrow we followed that day owes a little something to people like him.
After we settled in, we headed out for drinks with some people we met along the way, and then we turned in early. A current listing adds these details, and they can change, so check before you go:
- beds46 bunks spread across five dorm rooms.
- bookingNo reservations, and you need a pilgrim passport to check in.
- beddingBring a sleeping bag (it made our packing list for a reason), or buy disposable sheets at the desk.
- hoursDoors open from noon to 10 p.m., and the albergue runs continuously from mid-March to the end of October.
- extrasA kitchen, lockers, a washer and dryer, and a coffee machine.
A Huge Thank You to Our Camino Family
Our camera backup malfunctioned this week, and we lost almost all of our footage of Viana and Logroño. I wanted to cry harder than I did on that steep bridge out of Estella on Day 8. Thankfully, our Camino family saved the day and let us borrow their iPhone footage, so a huge thank you goes to Daniela, Leslie, Brian, and Debbie.
What Day 9 Cost
Our spending overlay survived the footage disaster, so I can share our real Day 9 numbers. These totals cover both of us, in US dollars:
- albergue$21.14 for two bunks at the Andrés Muñoz municipal albergue.
- food$21.58 for the day.
- day total$42.72.
Prices change, so I also pulled current listings for this stretch. Use these to budget your own day:
- albergue€9.50 per bunk at the Andrés Muñoz municipal albergue.
- sheets€1 for a disposable set.
- laundry€3 per wash, plus €1 for every 30 minutes in the dryer.
- churchAbout €1 to step inside the Holy Sepulchre in Torres del Río.
Planning the Next Day to Logroño
The walk from Viana covers about 9.6 km of easy farm tracks, pine groves, and park paths. You cross from Navarre into La Rioja near a paper mill, and then you enter the Rioja capital over the stone bridge on the Ebro River. We kept that day short on purpose, because a couple of work days waited for us in Logroño.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Los Arcos to Viana on the Camino?
Los Arcos to Viana on the Camino Francés covers about 18.8 km in published stage notes, and we called it about 18 km on the day. Most walkers finish in four to five hours. The hilliest part comes after Torres del Río, so save some energy for the second half of the stage.
Is there a bus from Los Arcos to Viana?
A bus does run from Los Arcos to Viana on the Pamplona to Logroño line operated by La Estellesa. A Tierra Estella timetable lists stops at Torres del Río, Sansol, and Bargota along the way. Buses leave only a few times a day, so check the current schedule before you count on one.
How far is Viana from Logroño?
The two towns sit about 9.6 km apart on the Camino Francés. The walk follows easy farm tracks and crosses into La Rioja before it reaches the Ebro River. That short distance makes it easy to add onto your next morning.
Where is Cesare Borgia buried?
Cesare Borgia lies buried in the Navarrese town of Viana, near the spot where he died in 1507. His original tomb no longer exists, and his remains now rest under a marble slab at the Church of Santa María. You can see it as you walk through the old town on the Camino.
Catching up on our journey? Read our Day 8 guide, go back to our Day 6 guide, see our Pamplona rest days, or check the Camino prep guide.
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