Having a landscape photographer at home is a huge advantage when it comes to active tourism, discovering new routes and finding magical places. He always knows where to find the best views and, facing the 2026 solar eclipse, he has put all his knowledge to the table: he spent weeks studying the official maps and this is the town in Navarra that he has chosen: the town of Valtierra on the shores of the Bardenas Reales.
What to do in Valtierra, Navarra: “it is a beautiful town, but what matters to me is its location”
Valtierra is a town on the Ribera de Navarra that still maintains its brick and adobe houses, with an old town rich in historical monuments and ideal for taking quiet walks escaping the extreme heat of the capital. Not in vain, its sites date back to the Iberians, Romans and Muslims.
Among its most notable treasures is the Hermitage of Hope, a beautiful 17th century baroque church with five enormous altarpieces inside. And it is not the only wonder of a religious nature that Valtierra hides: its church of Santa María, in the center of the town, dates back to the 16th century and has an imposing sober Renaissance façade, with its bell tower and a main altarpiece declared an Asset of Cultural Interest.
In addition to its religious jewels, Valtierra has a Roman watchtower called La Torraza. It was for funerary use, which became defensive in the Middle Ages. This town does not even lack its own palace: the Gómara Palace preserves its 18th century baroque façade and two towers.
“It has many spots to photograph. But the key is its location”
But none of these places is what he is looking for, although he recognizes that they add up: “the town is very pretty and has many spots to photograph. But the key to the eclipse is its location.” And Valtierra is the gateway to the Bardenas Reales, that unique lunar landscape in Spain that we can also access through Arguedas, another charming town. In fact, the town itself has a radial layout that corresponds to the ravines and river paths of this steep terrain.
The targeted places to eat in Valtierra, Navarra: “we look for delicious and cheap places”
In life you have to be enjoyable and, even if you travel to work and have unique landscape content in our recent history, “no one can take a little stop to eat delicious food and enjoy the local gastronomy. I have read on TripAdvisor that the Bornax Cider House has a spectacular steak, and a stone-burned curd that I have to try.”
“I want to get the photo of the eclipse with this landscape in the background”: where to see the Black Sun 2026
Valtierra has been chosen for a simple reason: it is one of the accesses to the Bardenas Reales, the natural park of ravines and sculptural cliffs corroded by water and wind, which almost looks like a space landscape and is within the strip of totality of the eclipse. What better place to see the Black Sun?
“I want to get the perfect photo of the solar eclipse with that landscape in the background, because its sky is protected and there will be perfect visibility. With a tripod, long exposure, aperture of 2.8 and an ISO of 1600-3200, even the surrounding stars will be visible. It could be one of the most special photos of my life.”
The reality is that this spot It is very popular and is going to be very crowded for this special sunset. For this reason, “we took accommodation, a car and everything many months ago, we could see the hype and now everything is much more expensive and crowded.” The occasion deserves it.
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