One of the absolute most necessary and rewarding things you could do for yourself in Pamplona is to get a bike.

Pamplona is full of river-side pathways, bridges, ancient walls, ruined forts, mountains and vistas that you have to get out to see.  Even if the outside is not your thing, with a bike you will suddenly realize how quickly you can get around, and how much more there is to see.

For just getting around, walking is enjoyable enough but does take some time.  The public transportation here (with the buses or villavesas) is good but not great.  With a bike, you can get from any point of the city to the other in about 10 minutes.  And from the city to the mountains in 30.

The city itself caters to bike riders.  Bike lanes have been paved in many of the parks and alongside many roads.  The city has its own rentable street bikes that you can pick up and drop off (more on nbici later).  The government of Navarra releases a guide to the best trails in the area.  And a 5 time winner of the Tour de France and one of the greatest bicyclists ever, Miguel Indurain, is Pamplona’s favorite son (see his biography, he is like a Basque Superman).

Picking up a bike here is not difficult. There are various shops located throughout the city where you can buy new or used bikes.   Or you can head to the big stores (Carrefour and Corte Ingles both carry bikes, but Decathlon might have the best selection).  A simple, new bike can start at about 100 euros.  After your time in Pamplona is done, you can sell it to one of the bike stores and make some of your money back.

Make sure that you get a lock for your bike.  Pamplona is a very safe city but when it comes to stealing bikes this city is no exception.

Later on we will also talk about some of our favorite trails and places to explore.  In the meantime, we suggest getting your bike and getting lost.