Camino Frances – Highlights

Arrive at this delightful mountain town at the foothills of the Pyrenees after your journey from Pamplona or Bayonne.

The old town of St Jean Pied de Port winds down the hill with narrow cobbled streets that are a delight to explore.

Take in the views from the Citadel which looks across the wooded valleys as you meet pilgrims from all over the world ready to embark on their Camino.

Before you start make sure you light a candle at the church for good luck and get your first stamp in your pilgrims’ passport.

Set off in the predawn darkness through the old streets and under the statue of St James, follow in the footsteps of millions of others who have preceded you over the centuries. The streets are full of pilgrims walking towards the hills, it is a magical feeling as you cross the old bridge and head out of town.

Today will be the first time you follow the famous yellow arrows which mark the 800km journey all the way to Santiago; you will get very practiced at looking out for the markings and for other pilgrims along the route. 

The first section today is steep as you follow country lanes and pass farmland up out of the Valley of St Jean.

We are only doing a small leg today as we only have one option to get food and that is at Orrison – it’s a tough day so I am breaking it up as the scenery over the Pyrenees needs time to be enjoyed.

We head into open country above the tree line, where sheep, cattle and pony’s graze. The inconspicuous border crossing from France to Spain lies within a patch of forest marked by an old stone sign stating the distance to Santiago and a small drinking fountain.

Continue onwards to the highest point at the Col De Lepoeder (1450m) and take some time to enjoy the extensive views over the Pyrenees.

After this, you start your descent through woodlands to the monastery at Roncesvalles which beckons enticingly between the trees on your downhill climb. Arrive at Roncesvalles and enjoy a well-earned drink at the Posada before checking into your accommodation. Roncesvalles or ‘the valley of thorns’ is a beautiful spot still cloaked in a medieval atmosphere.

Make sure you visit the beautiful 12th century church, cloisters and museum before dinner, where you will share tales with fellow pilgrims from every corner of the world, all relieved to have finished today’s section and some would say the hardest day of all the Camino!

After yesterday’s efforts, today’s walk is mostly undulating downhill as you head down through valleys and enjoy delightful woodland walking.

Meander on country paths, following the River Arga and climb two small hills with plenty of shade and drinking fountains en route. It is very pleasant , largely shaded walking and not as strenuous as the day before.  

We leave the peace of the countryside and approach the famous city of Pamplona. You will walk through many bridges over the Arga River along this stage. This river is the most famous in Navarre and its abundant tributaries will guide you up to Pamplona.

There are some beautiful old bridges along today’s route and as we climb a small hill, the city comes into view. The excitement builds as you walk through the outskirts of the city, over the river and through the old city walls.

Once inside the city, you are immediately immersed in the narrow-cobbled streets which burst with colour and life. The Camino passes through famous streets for the running of the bulls.

The route from Pamplona is a mixture of countryside and busy roads, and one of the best views that you are ever likely to have. Leaving Pamplona the route is well marked out of the city and takes you across some local parks before heading into a small valley.

The first and easiest climb of today brings you to Cizur Menor a small village and suburb of Pamplona. The climb up the Alto del Perdon leaves the Atlantic Basin behind and the scenery changes after the decent to mostly crop fields.  At the top there are various statues of pilgrims from the past.

You will change from the Arga to the Sadar River and the oaks for beach trees and cereal lands. Wind will be with you on your way and is the reason why the first wind farm of the community was installed here.

After crossing the Sierra del Perdón Mountain pass you will get to the same place as the pilgrims that come from the Camino Aragones Way, to Obanos, after this village you will walk with them to Puente la Reina.

Firstly, climbing steeply to 450m after leaving Puente la Reina drops back to 400m then climbs again to 500m this time, and finally drops to about 430m entering Estella. 

This day is much quieter than the last two now that we are away from Pamplona, most of today is along tracks through farmland and sometimes on the special pilgrims’ footpaths that is constructed from compacted earth.

This stage will be a little bit difficult because now the cereal fields will disappear, but you will be accompanied by lots of colourful olive trees and vineyards. There are a lot of rivers and bridges that hide of secrets and medieval legends. Estella will welcome you with poppy and wheat fields.

Just outside Estella you will find Bodegas Irache, the Wine Museum and its free wine fountain, stop for a rest and sip of the local Rioja!

Most of your walk today will be along nice tracks, among vineyards, olive trees and cereal fields.

From Villamayor de Monjardín to Los Arcos, you will cover approximately 12kms without passing a single village so make sure you have plenty of water and a few snacks.

Most of today and tomorrow’s route is on natural paths and dirt tracks and is very enjoyable walking with some steep sections as you cross a set of hills prior to crossing the river valleys of the Rio Linares and Valdearas.

At Torres del Río you’ll pass another architectural wonder of the Camino, the 12th century, 8-sided Holy Sepulchral Church, associated with the Knights Templar. Further on you reach Viana, a well-preserved historical town whose centre has changed little over the centuries.

We are splitting this stage over two days so we have time to enjoy Viana and Logroño’s  famous pintxo’s.

Our goal is Logroño – the capital of the La Rioja region and home of some of Spain’s most celebrated red wines. Logroño has one of the most distinguished culinary traditions in Spain and there are over 50 taperías  located within a four-block area close to the town centre.

The traditional tapas restaurants often serve only one tapa (such as mushroom), served as pincho (pintxo in Basque) and meaning one serving.

A nice shorter walk today. Soon after leaving Logroño you will come across the restored ruins of the Hospital de Peregrinos which was founded in 1185 to administer to the Peregrinos (pilgrims) undertaking the Camino.

Navarette is another town where efforts have been made to preserve the original period homes. The 16th century Church of Assumption takes a commanding position at the top square.

On the main road on the other side of town, there is another busy square with a number of cafes and restaurants, and we will stop here for the day.

Historically important, Najera was used by Navarran kings during medieval times after King Garcia Sanchez chose it as his base. The town is built on the banks of the river Najerilla and along its banks, you will find the Monasterio and Iglesia de Santa María La Real built in 1032.

You enter this town via the modern eastern quarter and the old town sandwiched between the river Najerila and the towering rock face that acts as a spectacular backdrop with its ancient Castillo.

Today we walk along wonderful wide country tracks passing through remote gently rolling farmland. The first 5km is leisurely and brings you to the town of Azofra –  a tiny village with an approximate population of 500 which relies on the Camino for its survival.

In medieval times Azofra was the site of many pilgrim hospitals and a hostel has been here since 1168 when it was founded by Isabel la Católica. From Azofra you pass over the river Rio Tuerto and continue on a pleasant winding track to the village of Ciruena.

From here you start an enjoyable descent into Santo Domingo de la Calzada which owes its inspiration to Saint Dominic of the Road who dedicated his life to improving the physical route for the pilgrims and built a pilgrim’s hospital (now the Parador) and a church which has now evolved into the Cathedral. Both buildings are located in the historic town square Plaza del Santo is where you will find a good variety of places to eat and shop.

Once in Burgos make sure you stop at the cathedral as the 13th century Catedral de Santa Maria is one of Spain’s largest and most beautiful and combines many different architectural styles but is predominantly Gothic. Rest in Burgos for the evening and have tomorrow to explore and recuperate.

Spend your rest day exploring all that Burgos has to offer including the beauty of the city’s many buildings. Burgos is sometimes known as the Gothic capital of Spain and has a growing population of around 200,000. The week either side of the 29 June is the city’s main festival of San Pedro y Pablo. Caution is recommended in Burgos with common stories of theft and overcharging, so it’s best to keep your wits about you.

Today we leave our 30 Day Camino encompassed group as we begin our last 150km into Santiago.

Sarria is a busy, modern town with plenty of shops, hotels, restaurants and bars, but its origins are Celtic and it was an important and major medieval centre for pilgrims. Remnants of its ancient past can still be seen in the old quarter along Rua Major. The church of Igrexia de Santa Maria has an ancient pilgrim’s mural. If you follow the Camino route to the top end of town you will see the ancient convent Monasterio da Madalena, the ruins of the Castle and the medieval bridge Ponte Aspera that crosses the River Celerio.

Nowadays the town is bustling with peregrinos, from those that started their Camino 100’s of kilometre’s back, to the large number that walk the final 100 kilometres to Santiago de Compostela to qualify for their Compostela.

The majority of this walk is on sheltered woodland pathways or quiet country roads and passes through many hamlets and small villages. The scenery along the way is wonderfully green and lush and very rural. The trail climbs and falls repeatedly as it passes tiny hamlets full of history.

In the final section is the high point of the day (660m) Pat Pina dos Corvos which has wonderful views over the reservoir and surrounding countryside.

The Portomarín in which you will stay tonight is not the Portomarín that pilgrims in the Middle Ages knew; the old village lies below the waters of the reservoir in the valley below the present-day village, built in 1960.The impressive fortified church of St. Nicholas, built by the monk-knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in the 12th century, was disassembled stone by stone and moved up the hill to its present location, together with the balcony of the village’s town hall and the Romanesque façade of the Church of St. Peter. Shortly before reaching Portomarín today you will pass the final 100-kilometre mark on the Camino.

Today’s walk is uphill for 15km however the gradient is never too steep, and you gradually climb to a height of 720m at Sierra Ligonde.

The walk is now downhill to Ligonde and Eirexe and onto A Calzada. There is a detour here of 4km to the National Monument, Vilar de Donas where the Knights of Santiago are buried and is worthy of a visit if we have time.

A gentle climb now takes you through several small hamlets to Alto Rosario and there are good vantage points on a clear day and then down into Palas de Rei. 

We catch a early morning bus to bring this down to a manageable 22km.
it is mostly on paths through quiet woodland, crossing over the main road to Arzua several times and guiding you through six river valleys to reach a high point of 515m at Coto. On route you will pass Melide, famous for Pulpo Gallego, octopus cooked Galician style and reputed to be the best in Spain.

Much of the path after Melide winds through woodlands of oak, pine and eucalypt, passing over several valleys though Boente, Castañeda and then Ribadiso from where you can see the Hospital San Anton, one of the oldest pilgrim hospitals in existence.

From Ribadiso follow the country road on a steep uphill climb and through the outer suburbs before entering Arzua. With a population of around 7000 is the last large town before you reach Santiago. 

The majority of today’s walk is through wonderful pine and eucalyptus scented woodland – it smells like home!

 The path is mostly level, passing through three shallow river valleys with a gradual climb up to Alto de Santa Irene at 404m.

The final section climbs steeply to a main road, into eucalyptus woodland. O Pedrouzo is a small but busy town with plenty of shops, restaurants and bars and the staging point for the last section of the Camino before entering Santiago de Compostela. 

Today’s route will be a busy as pilgrims begin the last stage of their walk into Santiago. Lavacolla village is where pilgrims traditionally washed to purify themselves before entering Santiago and Lavacolla literally means to wash your tail.

At Monte Gozo, Mount of Joy, you will first sight the stunning Catedral de Santiago spires. This is where you can leave another pilgrims stone if you wish.

The walk into Santiago is emotional as you come to terms that you have walked over 500km from France to Spain – you are amazing !!

Before you depart try and go to the Pilgrim’s Mass in the cathedral at noon. Before Mass, if you wish to do so, head over to the Pilgrim’s Office to receive your Compostela

“Don’t cry because it is over, smile because it happened”

Dr Seuss