Only 20 km out of Estella, I was still pleased to get to Los Arcos before the height of the sun. The hotel is on a side square, off the main plaza in front of the remarkable renaissance and baroque church of Santa Maria. Between the post office and a café, it is a working hotel for Spaniards visiting the town for business, more than it is tourist or pilgrim accommodation.

Reception is on the second floor as is the restaurant. I had eaten there in 2002, but the restaurant now appears only to be open for breakfast. The receptionist spoke careful but good English and efficiently did the paperwork and gave me a room for 50€. The room was modern, with all conveniences, and was clean with an adequate and better-than-average (for rural Spain) bathroom. As there are only about 5-6 rooms per story in a 5-6 floor building, it was as well that it had an efficient and quiet elevator. A brandy and coffee in the plaza afterward sealed a good day and a pleasant evening in this most agreeable little town.

As well as the functional and cheerful café next door, which provided a plain and tasty lunch, the square in front of the church now features a restaurant and a café-- I ate in the cellar rooms of the Gargantua, and the menu de dia gave us a hearty dinner for 15€, wine included.

Breakfast the next day was a bit pricy but a fairly good spread of the usual continental stuff, but with cold meat and hard-boiled eggs, to give the hiker and pilgrim a good protein start for the day.