Spanish region ranked among the world’s most welcoming in 2026

Spain has quietly secured another global travel accolade. One of Spain’s northern regions has been ranked among the most welcoming regions in the world by Booking.com.

At a time when travellers are leaning towards more personal, character-rich stays, the Traveller Review Awards spotlight destinations where hospitality feels genuinely warm rather than transactional. 

Why Navarra is one of the world’s most welcoming regions

Navarra didn’t land among the world’s most welcoming regions by chance. To receive a Traveller Review Award, properties need an average guest score of 8.0 or higher, and a strong share of Navarra’s accommodation providers met that mark. 

As Booking.com’s Chief Business Officer, James Waters, put it, the awards recognise “welcoming hosts who go above and beyond” and the small personal touches that make a stay memorable. In Navarra, that often translates into hands-on owners, thoughtful local recommendations and a sense that you’re being received rather than processed.

A pilgrimage culture of hosting

The Camino de Santiago crosses Navarra via Roncesvalles, Pamplona, Puente la Reina and Estella-Lizarra. For centuries, locals have hosted pilgrims in inns, guesthouses and modest hostels, creating a tradition of practical, unfussy hospitality. 

That mindset still lingers in today’s rural hotels and casas rurales, where guests often deal directly with the owner.

Character-rich accommodation

Navarra isn’t defined by large-scale resorts. Instead, you’ll find renovated farmhouses in the Pyrenean foothills, compact hotels in Pamplona’s old town and wine estate lodgings around Olite. 

This aligns with the wider shift towards apartments and holiday homes that feel rooted in their surroundings rather than standardised.

A strong local identity

As a former kingdom, Navarra has a distinct identity, with cultural links to the neighbouring Basque Country in its northern areas. Spanish is spoken throughout, and Basque is present in some communities. 

Add a food culture built on Ribera vegetables, mountain dishes and DO Navarra wines, and you get a region that feels grounded and self-assured rather than performative.

Where is Navarra, and what is it like to visit?

Navarra sits in northern Spain, tucked between France and the Basque Country. The landscape shifts dramatically across a relatively small area: lush Pyrenean valleys in the north, oak and beech forests filled with deer and birds of prey, vineyard-covered hills in the centre.

Best things to do in Navarra

• Walk a stretch of the Camino de Santiago

  Follow the route between Pamplona and Puente la Reina, where medieval bridges and small villages still cater to pilgrims on foot.

• Explore the Bardenas Reales Natural Park

  This semi-arid landscape of eroded clay formations and wide, empty horizons feels almost cinematic. 

• Visit the Royal Palace of Olite

  A restored medieval castle-palace with towers and courtyards that give a real sense of Navarra’s past as its own kingdom.

• Eat your way around Pamplona’s old town

  Spend an evening moving between bars for pintxos and local DO Navarra wines. 

• Check out the infamous bull run festival

  San Fermín Festival is one of the most atmospheric times to plan a trip to Pamplona, when the city fills with tradition, music and bull events.