Pamplona (not during San Fermín):Underrated Cities in Spain

Pamplona (not during San Fermín)
When I was living in Logroño, I spent a lot of time visiting Pamplona. Less than an hour away, it has a beautiful old center with a lot of cute shops and things to do; it made for the perfect day trip. Because it’s next to the Basque Country, Euskera is also spoken there and there is a lot of Basque influence, especially in the food and wine. Pamplona is a beautiful city, and as much as I love San Fermin and the running of the bulls in July, it taints the city, both with its reputation and filth; literally it’s disgusting during the running of the bulls, but super fun as long as you’re drinking. The rest of the year, it’s completely underrated and overlooked by tourists.

Getting there: There are many buses from Madrid and around the rest of Spain to Pamplona, and the bus station there is pretty sweet, brand spanking new.
When to go: My favorite season is the fall, when the leaves start to change in the parks and the days get cooler. It’s also harvest time so there are lots of delicious wines and dishes to try around town.
If you only do one thing: Go out for pinchos in the old quarter for lunch or dinner and hang out in one of the city’s beautiful parks for a mid-afternoon siesta.