Sports activities, guided tours, events and a gastronomic week, aimed at everyone, both local and international visitors, to promote Pamplona as the capital of “pelota”.
With this tourism initiative, Pamplona City Council aims to highlight the importance of pelota not only as a sport, but also as a cultural symbol of this region, whilst bringing the tradition of Basque pelota closer to local residents and visitors to the city.
Guided tours
The city offers four different guided tours: ‘Pamplona and Basque pelota’, aimed at tourists staying in Pamplona’s hotels; an experiential tour, ‘A journey through the history of Basque pelota in Pamplona’, which includes the chance to step onto the court and chat with pelotaris; the tour “Jorge Oteiza and Basque pelota”, which explores some of the brilliant artist’s sculptures and contemporary art in the city; and an evening tour of the cathedral.
The tours, which will begin in May, will run until December and are aimed at both visitors to Pamplona and local residents at various times throughout the year.
Sports Competitions
The range of tourist attractions centred on pelota would be incomplete without mentioning the various competitions and sporting events held throughout the year in the city, where the Labrit pelota court and the Navarra Arena are the two main venues for the sport.
Cuisine
Cuisine is another of the event’s highlights. That is why the programme includes the activity: “With your hands and a spoon, from the court to the kitchen”. During the second week of November (from the 6th to the 15th), sport and cuisine will come together.
Meetings, film screenings and an international Basque pelota congress
As part of this initiative to highlight Pamplona’s role as the World Capital of Pelota, the city will host the ‘Pilotaldia’ event from 26 to 28 August, bringing together 16 Basque pelota schools from different regions of France and Spain. The programme includes a ‘Women and Pelota’ film screening, the ‘Church and Pelota’ meetings and the International Basque Pelota Congress.
Full details of the dates, times and venues for all these events can be found via this link, in the programme leaflets available from visitor information centres: the tourist office, Espacio Sanfermin! Espazioa and Centro Ultreia and Facebook, Instagram and X.
Source: PAMPLONA CITY COUNCIL