What you can see on the Irache webcam
The camera looks down on the fountain from above, at an angle. The stone wall of the winery fills the right of the picture, with its carved pilgrim, the coats of arms and the metal plaque that holds the two taps; iron gates open from the little courtyard onto the path of the Camino, which runs right past it on the left. In the morning there is a constant coming and going of walkers stopping for a cup. The image is renewed every few seconds, with the date and time printed in the corner, and at night it switches to black and white.
Irache wine fountain webcam: pilgrims at the tap, live
The camera hangs above the little stone courtyard of the fountain and looks down at an angle. On the right is the winery wall: a carved pilgrim with his staff under a tiled hood, two coats of arms, and below them the metal plaque with the two taps, wine on one side and water on the other. A black sign on the left of the wall carries the famous invitation to pilgrims: if you want to reach Santiago with strength and vitality, take a drink of this great wine and toast to happiness.
To the left, iron gates open onto the gravel path of the Camino de Santiago, which runs right past the courtyard, with a lamp post, a waymark and a scrubby bank beyond. On a weekday morning in October the scene changes every minute: walkers with poles and backpacks stream past, groups stop to fill a cup or a shell, take photos of each other at the tap and move on. The picture is renewed every few seconds, with the date and time in the top corner, and at night it switches to black and white.
A fountain for pilgrims
Bodegas Irache, founded in 1891, put in the fountain in 1991 for the pilgrims walking the French Way, which passes right in front of it on the stage from Estella to Los Arcos. The sign above the taps sets the rule in rhyme: drink without abusing it and you are welcome, but wine to take away has to be bought. The fountain is open during the day, and a set amount of wine is released each day, so on busy mornings in spring and summer the wine tap can run dry before the water one does.
The monastery of Irache
Next to the winery stands Santa María la Real de Irache, a Benedictine monastery with origins in the early Middle Ages and one of the first pilgrim hospitals on the Camino in Navarre. Its Romanesque church, Renaissance cloister and later buildings, which for centuries housed a university, sit at the foot of Montejurra, the mountain that rises behind Estella.
When to watch the Irache webcam
Navarre is one hour ahead of the UK and Ireland. Most pilgrims leave Estella early, so the busiest time at the fountain is from about 8am to the middle of the morning, and the Camino is at its fullest in spring, summer and early autumn. If you know when your walker set off from Estella, the fountain is a short walk out of town, so you can time a look at the camera.
Getting to Irache
Irache is in the village of Ayegui, about a mile and a half (2–3 km) from the centre of Estella. Pamplona is about 28 miles (45 km) away, and Bilbao airport, with flights from the UK and Ireland, about two hours by road.
