Full Camino Frances: St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago

Today you arrive in the pretty town of St Jean Pied de Port, at the foot of the Pyrenees, in the French Basque Country, the starting point of the famous Camino Frances. Overnight in Saint Jean Pied de Port.

This is one of the most challenging but beautiful parts of the route, especially if you take the ‘Napoleon Route’ over the Roncesvalles Pass. The ‘Napoleon Route’ starts with a steep climb past country houses before reaching mountain meadows, the cross and some spectacular mountain views. The views of the Pyrenees are worth the effort! An alternative route is available along the valley for those who prefer a more gentle option.

Walking for the day: 25km, 7h

From Roncesvalles, the Camino route continues through beech and oak woods before entering Espinal. You will also cross two mountain passes, Alto de Mezquiriz and Alto de Erro. You will then descend towards the village of Zubiri and its medieval bridge ‘Puente de la Rabia’ over the river Arga.

Walking for the day: 21km, 5-6h

You continue downhill, over gentle hills and leave the mountain path behind. On today’s stage, you pass through an important medieval town that has grown under the guise of the Larrasoaña pilgrim pass. You cross the Arga River several times over numerous bridges until you reach Pamplona, worth visiting also for its important monumental complex, which is dominated by churches and medieval walls.

Walking for the day: 21km, 5-6h

From Pamplona, the Camino takes pilgrims towards the ‘Alto del Perdón’ (Hill of Forgiveness) pass. Get your picture taken with the photogenic pilgrim sculpture at the ‘alto’ and enjoy fantastic 360-degree panoramic views of Pamplona and the valley. The descent is a bit more rugged, quite rocky and therefore a bit slippery. Your stop for the day is Puente la Reina (Queen’s Bridge), with its quaint medieval alleys and impressive 11th-century bridge with five arches over the River Arga. Among its landmarks are also the 14th-century Church of San Pedro and the Comendadoras de Sancti Spiritus monastery.

From Puente de la Reina, the Camino de Santiago route continues along peaceful tracks for most of the day to Estella. You walk along rolling farmland, passing small towns and villages nestled among olive groves, cereal crops and vineyards. Estella is your finish point for today, a nice historic town with plenty to do and see.

Walking for the day: 22km, 5h

From Estella, your Camino journey continues to the town of Los Arcos. 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! Today, most of your walk is along nice tracks, among vineyards, olive trees, and cereal fields. From Villamayor de Monjardín to Los Arcos, you cover approximately 12 km without passing a single village with hardly any shade, so make sure you have plenty of water and a few snacks. In the summer, it is better to start the day early to avoid the heat.

Walking for the day: 21km, 5h

This stage has a comfortable start on dirt roads across rolling countryside, which makes the first route very pleasant. The olive groves and almond trees, but above all the vineyards, accompany you at the entrance to the world-famous winemaking La Rioja region. The middle part of the stage is much more abrupt and may cause some difficulties. Before you reach the end of the stage, you pass the ruins of Clavijo Castle. The last stretch is easy to walk on pedestrian paths. In Logroño, you should not miss the opportunity to take a stroll along Calle Laurel to taste some good local wines and specialities.

Walking for the day: 28km, 7-8h

From Logroño, you can expect a long day, but it is not too challenging. Leave Logroño by the old pilgrims’ gate ‘Puerta del Camino’. The first part of the day takes you out of the city, but you eventually get back to the vineyards of La Rioja. Your first stop is Navarrete, a 12th-century town built by the ‘Knights of the Holy Sepulchre’. You finish the day in Nájera, another medieval town with a history with a strong link to the Camino, with great panoramic views of the whole region.

Walking for the day: 29km, 7-8h

After your night in Nájera, your Camino takes you along some quiet country roads with the La Demanda Mountain to the South. You pass the small village of Azofra, dedicated to the La Rioja patron: La Virgen de Valvanera. Azofra is also the starting point for the ‘Monasteries route’, off the Camino de Santiago route, but it is worth visiting if you have additional days, particularly the Yuso and Suso monasteries of San Millán de la Cogolla, considered the birthplace of the Spanish language. The vineyards from the previous stages gradually give place to grain fields. You finally arrive in Santo Domingo de la Calzada, a town with a beautiful Medieval centre.

From Santo Domingo de la Calzada, you walk on uneven terrain through woodland and then crop fields. Part of today’s trail runs parallel to busy main roads. As you get closer to Belorado, you catch a glimpse of the Oca Mountains, the last mountain range before the Meseta (the central Spanish Plateau). Your stop for the night is Belorado, a small and pleasant village in the Burgos province. Visit the Santa María Church, where you will find images of St James.

Walking for the day: 22km, 5h

The first part of this stage is along earthen tracks and peaceful trails. On your way to Montes de Oca, the Camino weaves its way through gorgeous woodlands of fragrant oak and pines.

Walking for the day: 12km, 3h

The Sierra de Atapuerca offers good views of the area and a very pleasant and quite comfortable route. You come across some forests and areas planted with wheat. Shortly before reaching Atapuerca, you pass through the hamlet of San Juan de Ortega, a Spanish Gothic jewel, where you can visit its famous mausoleum before continuing to Atapuerca, famous for its UNESCO World Heritage prehistoric caves where fossils and stone tools of the earliest known hominins in Western Europe have been found.

Walking for the day: 18km, 5h

After your night in Atapuerca, you follow your Camino trail to the town of Burgos. We recommend that you enter the city via the river path instead of crossing the industrial zone. Take some time to explore Burgos: admire the beauty of its historic centre, enjoy a stroll along the magnificent promenade by the river and taste delicious local tapas in the old town. Burgos has been referred to as the Gothic capital of Spain, and the city’s cathedral is probably one of the most impressive in the country.

Walking for the day: 20km, 5h

After your night in Burgos, your Camino continues along earthen tracks, among the immense crop fields of the region. On your way to Hornillos del Camino, you cross small woods of holm oak and conifers, but in general, there is little shade along this stretch of the Camino de Santiago, so make sure you take enough water with you, as well as hat and sun cream. Hornillos del Camino, with only 70 inhabitants, is a classic Camino village of medieval origin.

Walking for the day: 21km, 5h

From Hornillos del Camino, you continue walking in the peaceful vastness of the Meseta, with only nature and huge crop fields around you. After leaving Hornillos, the Camino de Santiago gradually climbs up a plateau before descending to the valley of the River Bol and the pretty town of Castrojeriz. In Castrojeriz, you can visit the 9th-century hilltop castle, recently reopened to visitors and the Santa María del Manzano Collegiate Church with its interesting museum of sacred art.

Walking for the day: 20km, 5h

After Castrojeriz, the Camino leaves the plains of the Burgos region and reaches the highest point of the Meseta: Alto Mosterales – the biggest challenge of this stage, but offering great views of the entire plateau. After crossing the Pisuerga River, you enter the Palencia province and the vast plains of ‘Tierra de Campos’, the Land of Fields. Stop to visit the 14th-century church ‘La Asunción’ in Boadilla, famous for its Gothic architecture and the gorgeous carved baptismal font. Approaching Frómista, you walk along a stretch of the Canal de Castilla, an 18th-century canal.

Walking for the day: 25km, 6h

Visit the beautiful 11th-century Church of St Martin in Frómista. After your night in the town, your Camino trail takes you along a track parallel to the road, but you can take an alternative, more scenic route at Población de Campos, via Villovieco, along the peaceful banks of the Ucieza River. You rejoin the Camino at Villalcázar de Sirga, where you should visit the monument of Mesonero, which has regained the tradition of the Way of St. James and Jacobean gastronomy, as well as the church of Santa María La Blanca. The day’s end is at Carrión de Los Condes.

Walking for the day: 19km, 5h

After your night in Carrion de Los Condes, visit the impressive San Zoilo Monastery. Then, for 13 km, your Camino follows natural tracks along the old Roman road called ‘Via Aquitania’ and along a stretch of the original paved road. The ‘Via Aquitania’ was used to link Bordeaux and Astorga and was frequently used by French pilgrims on their way to Santiago.

Walking for the day: 17km, 4h

After you leave Calzadilla de la Cueza, there is a short climb of about 2km. The Camino today is full of ‘cuezas’ or little valleys, so parts of the walk may be slightly tougher than the previous days. The Camino route moves away from the road and continues along nice peaceful oak woods before emerging to cereal fields. You cross the river Valderaduey into the León province and head to Sahagún, where the churches of San Lorenzo and San Tirso are worth a visit.

Walking for the day: 22km, 5-6h

From Sahagún, the Camino continues across cereal and grain crops, taking pilgrims to the plateau of León. You pass the pretty village of Reliegos on your way to El Burgo Ranero. Also, on this section of the Camino, you have the opportunity to take the ‘Vía Traiana’, another trail to Santiago, starting in Bordeaux.

Walking for the day: 18 km, 4h

A very flat stage that runs practically straight and an easy walk awaits you today on comfortable dirt roads and through a forest area that offers a pleasant shade, especially in the summer months. Your path continues through the village of Reliegos before descending slowly into the town of Mansilla de las Mulas, where you can relax on the banks of the Esla river.

Walking for the day: 19km, 4-5h

The route today runs near roads with more traffic than in the previous stages. You walk past crop fields before spotting the first signs of industrial activity further on as you approach the city of León. From Portillo Hill onwards, you can spot the beautiful city of León ahead. Once in León, a visit to the cathedral, Gaudí’s Casa Botines and the Hospital de San Marcos are a must. A walk through the old town and a stop in the Barrio l Humedo are also highly recommended

Walking for the day: 19km, 4-5h

You leave the city of León along a practically flat section of the Camino de Santiago, which runs through the towns of San Miguel or Fresno, once again among cereal fields, characteristic of the area.

Walking for the day: 11km, 3h

You walk through a landscape of cultivated fields through which you continue walking across the Castilian plateau. This Camino stage is very flat but can become a bit tiring, because of the difficulty of the orography – with so much plain you can get the sensation that you are not moving forward.

Walking for the day: 24km, 6h

At this stage, you begin to recover the unevenness in the terrain, which increases as you get closer to Galicia. Once you leave Hospital de Órbigo, you come across slightly mountainous terrain. The aim for the day is the small city of Astorga, full of remains from Roman times, where the French Way and the Vía de la Plata come together and which is also the capital of the Maragatería region.

Walking for the day: 17km, 4h

From the lovely city of Astorga, you gradually make your way up towards the stunning León Mountains and the lush Bierzo region, taking paths surrounded by broom, heather and oak trees.

Walking for the day: 26km, 6h

At this stage, you leave the Maragatería region behind to enter El Bierzo. This also means that you experience the unevenness typical of mountainous areas again. The first of the ascents takes you to a special place on the Camino de Santiago, the Cruz de Ferro (Iron Cross) on Mount Irago, the highest point of the French Way, at 1,500m, where you can place a memento and visit the St James chapel.

Walking for the day: 17km, 4h

You are in the heart of the Bierzo Region, well known for its rich gastronomy, with typical dishes such as botillo and, above all, for its wines, with their own denomination of origin. The Camino de Santiago takes you to the city of Ponferrada, the capital of the region and a place of enormous Jacobean tradition, where you can visit the Castle of the Templars.

Walking for the day: 16km, 4h

After your night in Ponferrada, the Camino takes you across the heart of the lush region of El Bierzo, nestled in the mountains. Take the opportunity to taste the delicious local cherries if you are travelling in summer, exquisite cured meats and other regional delicacies. The route follows comfortable hiking trails amid fields and vineyards. In Villafranca, known as ‘the little Compostela’, visit the garden of the Iglesia de Santiago, St James Church. The church has a ‘Forgiveness Gate’, Puerta del Perdón, that only opens during Holy Years.

Walking for the day: 16km, 4h

It’s a pretty flat stage, which you can use to start the next day in a good mood and relaxed. The route follows the old N-VI and runs down the Valcarce river for a final stretch of almost 2km.

Walking for the day: 16km, 4h

At this stage, you face the mythical climb to O Cebreiro, the gateway to the French route to Galicia and the biggest climb in Spain. Many say that it is the most beautiful stage on the way, possibly the most exciting. The difference in altitude is almost 700m along the dreaded La Faba hill, but the arrival in the beautiful village of O Cebreiro of immense Jacobean tradition and great anthropological interest and the entry into the magical Ancares is worth it.

Walking for the day: 12km, 3h

From the village of O Cebreiro, you walk the ‘Serra de Ranadoiro’ (Ranadoiro Mountains) and reach Alto do Poio (1337m), where you encounter the pilgrim statue and enjoy fantastic panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. From the Alto, you start descending into the village of Triacastela.

Walking for the day: 21km, 5h

You start this short stage towards San Xil. In a quiet area, you have a pleasant walk through the beautiful landscapes and along narrow forest tracks and paved pathways through native Galician oak woods. You cross the San Xil Valley, one of the most beautiful in Galicia, to get to our next destination: Sarria.

Walking for the day: 18km, 4h

Setting off for Portomarin, you pass Sarria Castle, walking mainly along small country roads and a few pathways. Most of the roads are tree-lined and provide good shade in the sun. There are hamlets every kilometre or so. The stage is relatively flat. Visit the beautiful Romanesque church in the village of Barbadelo. The old town of Portomarin lies under the water of the Belesar reservoir.

Walking for the day: 22km, 5-6h

Walk downhill along Portomarin’s main street; leaving Palas de Rei, the Camino crosses the Minho river and steadily climbs upwards before passing through Gonzar and Castromaior, where the tiny Romanesque Church of Santa Maria is situated. Continue along country roads edged by bright yellow gorse, pine and oak trees to reach the high point of today’s walk at Sierra de Ligonde (750m), then descend to the old hamlet of Ligonde, once a popular resting point along the Camino.

Walking for the day: 25km, 5-6h

The route is in the direction of Campo dos Romeiros, an important meeting point for pilgrims, then on to Leboreiro, a pleasant hike through lush forests to finally cross a medieval bridge to reach the Melide river. Melide is where the Camino Primitivo merges with the Camino Frances.

Walking for the day: 15km, 3-4h

Much of the day is shaded and shortly after Melide, you walk through oak and eucalyptus forests. The Camino crosses several streams and follows a forest track bringing you to the village of Boente and the church of Santiago. Next is the pretty medieval hamlet of Ribadiso and finally, the town of Arzúa, famous for its local cheese, where you should visit the churches of Santa María and A Magdalena.

Walking for the day: 14km, 3h

Upon leaving Arzua, perhaps pick up some delicious cheese for lunch, then continue through the old quarter of the town as the walk leads past sturdy oak trees, which give way to lush meadows. Visit the medieval shrine at Santa Irene and the Baroque fountain of healing waters. While not as spectacular as on the previous day, today’s walk will enable you to make many new friends among the pilgrims going to Santiago.

Walking for the day: 19 km, 4-5h (22km if you overnight in Amenal)

Your final stage! You walk mostly through rural settings and eucalyptus groves. At Monte del Gozo, pilgrims historically make one last stop at the spring in Lavacolla to wash their face and feet before presenting themselves before the Saint. Enter the ancient city of Santiago de Compostela and relish the end of your journey at the Cathedral.

Walking for the day: 19km, 5h (16 km if overnight in Amenal)

Arrange extra nights in Santiago or enjoy breakfast and then make your way to Santiago Airport. If you have time, explore the old city of Santiago de Compostela before you leave.