St Jean Pied de Port – Santiago de Compostela

Check in at your hotel in the late afternoon in the beautiful town of Saint Jean Pied de Port. Take a stroll to see the Bishops’ Prison from the 13th century, now a museum, the town gate “Porte d’Espagne”, and the impressive citadel.

Overnight stay with breakfast. You can leave your car in the square in front of the hotel (unguarded parking).

A challenging start to the hike as we climb up to Col de Roncesvalles (or Ibañeta), the symbolic border crossing between France and Spain. The day ends in Roncesvalles, known for its impressive church and monastery.

26 km, 7 hours

This part of the trail passes through forest terrain, and along the way we walk through several picturesque Basque villages.

22 km, 6 hours

This stage takes us through the Esteribar Valley and finally to Pamplona, the first major city along the Camino Francés. Pamplona is the capital of Navarra and a popular destination for both past and present pilgrims. The bull run, cathedral, and old quarters are all well worth a visit.

21 km, 5.5 hours

Today we cross the Sierra del Perdón, offering a wonderful panoramic view. The day’s destination, Puente La Reina, is a medieval town known for its Romanesque bridge dating back to the 12th century.

22 km, 6 hours

Today’s walk takes you to Estella, a fairly small town also known as “Estella the Beautiful.” It is a picturesque place with old houses, a palace, and several churches — all contributing to the town’s well-deserved nickname.

21 km, 5 hours

Today you walk from Estella to Los Arcos, a medieval town not to be missed on the Camino Francés. There is plenty to see here, including the Santa Maria Church, a majestic building constructed in several architectural styles.

21 km, 5 hours

As you approach Logroño, you leave Navarre behind and enter La Rioja. Logroño, the capital of Rioja, is a spectacular city. The beautiful cathedral of Santa María de la Redonda and the old parts of the city are well worth a visit.

28 km, 8 h

From Logroño to Nájera, we pass through vineyards and grain fields in La Rioja. Nájera is the former capital of Navarre, and worth visiting is the Franciscan monastery of Santa María de Real.

28 km, 7 h

Today’s walk takes you to Santo Domingo de la Calzada. The day offers a preview of the next stage of the trail, which crosses the wide Spanish plateau, the Meseta Central, where grain is grown. The oak forests of Cirueña provide refreshing shade along the way, and once in Santo Domingo de la Calzada, a visit to the cathedral is recommended. There, a hen and a rooster live in memory of the legend of the young pilgrim who was saved from hanging by the Apostle James.

22 km, 5 h

We continue walking out of La Rioja and into the region of Castilla y León. The original pilgrimage route runs along the main road, so we recommend taking a small detour on quieter trails instead. Today’s destination, Belorado, is a beautiful Castilian village with a rich history.

26 km, 6.5 h

Today’s stage passes through small, simple villages before turning into a slightly more adventurous walk as we cross the Montes de Oca. The climb is rewarded with the impressive town of San Juan, one of the highlights of the pilgrimage – not only because of its high, beautiful location but also for its magnificent monastery.

(From here, you will be transferred to your hotel in Atapuerca.)

23 km, 6 h

Today we make our way through open landscapes from Atapuerca to central Burgos. Once there, be sure to visit the beautiful Gothic cathedral.

20 km, 5 h

To shorten this 40 km stage, we arrange transport from Burgos. The walk instead begins in Tardajos and ends in Castrojeriz, a beautiful village of Romanesque origin, picturesquely situated on a hill.

27 km, 6 h 45 min

From Castrojeriz to Frómista, you walk through vast wheat fields. Once in Frómista, you can relax and enjoy the magnificent setting of the Church of San Martín.

24 km, 6 h

Today’s walk takes you to Carrión de los Condes, a large village located along the trail. The village has preserved its original charm, with many well-kept historic houses, churches, and not least the monastery of San Zoilo.

22 km, 5.5 h

From Carrión de los Condes, we cross the heart of the Meseta — a straight and flat walk leading to Terradillos de los Templarios. As the name suggests, this small town was once an important center for the Knights Templar, a 13th-century order whose mission was to protect pilgrims from ongoing wars and conflicts.

26 km, 6.5 h

You pass through Sahagún, a town that bears witness to a magnificent past with many well-preserved and grand historic buildings. The walk ends in the village of El Burgo, known for its houses built from earth and clay.

30 km, 8 h

Through the village of Reliegos, you continue walking across the open plains to Mansilla de las Mulas, a picturesque old village where parts of the 12th-century city walls are still intact. From here, a short transfer takes you to your accommodation in Villacelama.

21 km, 5 h

After a short transfer back to Mansilla, the walk concludes in the city of León, which boasts, among other sights, la Casa de los Botines – a work by the Catalan architect Gaudí – a magnificent cathedral, and the Church of San Isidoro.

19 km, 5 h

Today you make your way to Hospital de Órbigo and its famous Romanesque bridge. Here, you can also begin to spot the silhouette of the Picos de Europa peaks on the horizon.

(If you wish to shorten this stage, transport can be arranged.)

35 km, 9 h

Today’s walk takes you to Astorga, a fantastic small town. We highly recommend taking a stroll to admire the town’s architecture, including the beautiful cathedral and the bishop’s palace designed by Gaudí.

17 km, 4 h

Today we pass through the region of La Maragatería and cross the Monts de León before arriving in Rabanal del Camino, a charming small village dominated by stone houses.

20 km, 5 h

First, we pass the famous Cruz de Ferro, the Iron Cross, a simple yet renowned pilgrim symbol located at 1,505 m above sea level. As a pilgrim, you are expected to follow the tradition and throw a stone onto the pile as you pass. Afterwards, we descend and head straight west through Manjarín, El Acebo, and then Molinaseca before reaching the day’s final destination: Ponferrada.

32 km, 7.5 h

Today’s walk takes us straight through the El Bierzo valley, along fruit trees, vineyards, and tobacco plants, to Villafranca del Bierzo. This beautiful small town is known as a stopover for sick pilgrims who could not continue on to Santiago.

25 km, 6 h

Today we walk uphill and cross the border into Galicia to O Cebreiro, a charming and distinctive village with its stone houses topped with thatched roofs, known as “Pallozas.”

27 km, 8 h

The walk begins beautifully at the crest of a ridge. We follow the path down through green Galicia, along pines and eucalyptus trees. Finally, we reach Triacastela, where a taxi takes you to Samos for an overnight stay.

23 km, 6 h

After breakfast, a taxi takes you back to Triacastela, where we have two possible routes to today’s destination, Sarria. The southern route takes us via Samos, a historic walk where you can, among other things, visit Spain’s oldest Benedictine monastery. The northern route passes through the picturesque villages of Montán and Pintín.

18 km, 5 h

This stage takes you through the heart of Galicia, where green is the dominant color. We pass typical hórreos, granaries built on the same principles as our timber houses, and the landscape is breathtakingly beautiful. Portomarín is today’s destination, a village affected by a flood in 1962, but where you can still see remains of the old Romanesque bridge.

23 km, 6 h

Today is a gently undulating walk through forests and fields, passing eucalyptus plantations, ending in Palas de Rei.

25 km, 6.5 h

A rolling day of walking through lush Galicia, entering A Coruña, the province to which Santiago de Compostela belongs. Arzúa is the last town before Santiago, and the route there passes through forests, farmland, and waterways.

29 km, 8 h

The penultimate stage before reaching Santiago de Compostela. We pass, among other places, Lavacolla, where pilgrims in the past had the ritual of washing their feet in the river to be clean upon arriving in Santiago.

29 km, 7.5 h

Final day! We make our way up to Monte de Gozo, where we have a view over all of Santiago de Compostela, a UNESCO World Heritage site. We approach the destination and along the way pass, among other sights, the monastery and the archbishop’s palace, before finally arriving in Santiago and the legendary cathedral.

12 km, 2.75 h

Breakfast and check-out, after which your journey with us comes to an end.