Moving To Pamplona
This week’s Go Expat contribution from Matthew Hirtes is all about moving to Pamplona – enjoy!
Bull run or no bull run, Navarre’s capital merits a stampede
Ups
You won’t have to travel far to participate in/watch July’s famous San Fermín festival, so memorably depicted in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Always Rises. Pamplona’s also a gateway into the famous Camino de Santiago. For a change of scene, and indeed language, the French border is a mere 45 minutes away.
Downs
The weather. There’s no dry season, even in summer, which explains why, looking on the bright side, there’s 11,000,000 square metres of greenery in the city centre. Here you’ll get temperatures nudging 30 degrees, but between November and March the thermometer struggles to reach double figures.
In and out
There are no direct flights between Pamplona airport (PNA) and the UK. However, there are regular daily connections with Barcelona and Madrid. By car/taxi, it will take you around 15 minutes to reach Pamplona city-centre from the airport’s Nóain location. Double that if you catch a bus.
Education
Approved by the British Chamber and the Spanish Ministry of Education, you’ll find the British School of Navarra in Avenida Juan Pablo II, the heart of the new Lezkairu area. A member of the British Schools Foundation, it’s Pamplona’s one and only international school. Your children will follow the English National Curriculum and will be taught by British-educated staff.
Shop until you drop…
Pamplona, like many a Spanish city, prides itself on its municipal markets. Its oldest is the central Mercado de Santo Domingo which dates back to 1876. This subterranean trove of culinary treasures offers home delivery.
Property types
Pamplona offers a good selection of all property types. However, expect to pay above the national Spanish average for properties. It will come as no surprise to discover that the historic centre’s home to mainly apartments and flats whilst the more modern suburbs house townhouses and villas.
Market watch
One-three bedroom apartments, €50,000-€250,000. Detached Villas, €250,000-€2,000,000. Country fincas €100,000-€300,000.
In Praise Of
“Pamplona’s about so much more than bulls and Hemingway, but both are unmistakably prominent around the city. Navarran wines are relatively unknown but exceptional, and the pintxos (NOT tapas!) are amazing. The city’s close to some incredible countryside in northern Spain and Pyrenees ski resorts are easily accessible in the winter. Basically, it’s a great city to live in, but you’re trading the weather of the costas for a slightly different Spanish experience.” Russ Pearce (TravelBlog blogger)
• Are you an expat in Pamplona? What do you like/dislike about it? Let us know below.
Matthew Hirtes, our resident broadsheet journalist, moved to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria back in 2004. He’s travelled extensively through Spain, covering it for such publications as Telegraph Travel, Metro, and The Independent. The author of Going Local in Gran Canaria: How To Turn a Holiday Destination into a Home, Matthew truly is a resident expert.
Matthew writes for two sections of Spain Buddy: Moving to Spain and Spanish Football as well as providing Reviews
