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Day 7 | 1 August 2025 | Walking the Camino Francés
From Puente la Reina to Villatuerta | 18 km 11.2 miles
We set out from Puente la Reina early, our shadows stretching long down the quiet street in the rising sun. The air was already still, promising another hot day with temperatures hovering around 28°C and little shade to shelter us along the way. Soon we crossed the 11th-century Romanesque bridge spanning the river Arga which had swelled since we last saw it in Zubiri.
Morning coffee waited in Mañeru, a picturesque village once tied to the Knights Templar and the Order of St. John. Sitting outside the cafe we watched as Swallows darted overhead, swooping as they snatched insects to feed their chicks in nests tucked under overhead beams.
The stage was gentle and enjoyable, and for the first time we walked past vineyards on our approach to Cirauqui – a medieval hilltop village. Leaving its narrow streets passing through an arch, we followed an ancient Roman road toward Lorca, crossing a beautifully preserved Roman bridge.
We also made an important decision: from now on, we would start walking much earlier at between 06:00-06:30 to avoid the punishing late-afternoon heat. We had also heard rumours from fellow pilgrims that a prolonged intensive heat wave with temperatures of 34-38°C was imminent.
