Drinking

Pamplona is a town with quite a large number of bars. In Sanfermin there seems to be even more, especially around the old part of town, where there seems to be a bar available at every twenty steps. A few of them are quite large and spacious, but in general the typical city bar is small and crowded ( In Sanfermin they seem even smaller thanks to the crowds). One reason why there seems so many is the fact that some establishements that serve as butcher's, baker's or whatever, throughout the rest of the year, turn themselves into bars for the duration of the fiestas. You would be surprised.
In general, the bars are well-manned by barmen or barmaids, but there are times when a little patience is requiered when it comes to ordering your round. And during the fiestas don't get upset if someone steps on you, douses you with drink, bumps into you or when the barman serves you up the drink in a cheap plastic glass. That is all par for the course in the old part of town. Should you wish for something more neat and chic, then you'd better head out to some of the suburban districts like San Juan or Iturrama.

If your scene does not fit in with hackneyed bubble gum music, plastic glasses and raucous drinkers, there are other alternatives. In San Juan district you can find some very classy joints that go under the name of "pubs". Although in Sanfermin the distinction between a bar and a pub tends to get a bit blurred at times.

In general, these pubs are more spacious, with better quality music and amenities. However, they tend to be a bit more expensive, unfortunately. You might even come across some people in these places who are not dressed in the classic sanfermin gear during fiestas. That all depends on who is using the place at the time.

There are not many discoteques in Pamplona. In fact, there are only four. And all of these are to be found between the districts of San Juan and Iturrama. The biggest, Marengo, is to be found on Avenida Bayona, the main thoroughfare of San Juan, a ten minute walk from the old part of town. At the far end of this same avenue there is another, Vaivén. Nearby is another, Reverendos. And the fourth lies in another part of town, in Abejeras street, and is really two different scenes, depending on whether you use the By By upper disco or the basement area which goes under the name of The Eleventh Room. In all of these places there is quite a different ambiance than what you find in the old part of town during fiestas, even though everyone is doing their own thing both here and there. Check out the scene before you go in. In any case, it is not very normal to use the discos during Sanfermin as the normal bars are open all night and so, there is no need to look for any special late-night spot during the fiestas if you are looking for a drink.