Camino de Santiago (Camino Frances)

Walk Overview

The network of ancient pilgrim routes leading to Santiago de Compostela, a city with a population of approximately 100,000 located in north-west Spain, have been around for over 1000 years. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, the number of people undertaking one of these routes or “caminos” averaged around 10,000. In the last couple of years, that number has been above 300,000.

How is it that these routes have come to be “discovered” in the 21st century and experienced this exponential surge in popularity? The spate of book, films and documentaries are obviously part of the explanation. As is UNESCO’s 1993 conferral of World Heritage Site status. But these don’t feel like complete answers. It’s almost as if a segment of the world was looking for something and then, when the pilgrim routes to Santiago achieved some mainstream publicity, they were embraced as tangible pathways towards the attainment of personal quests.

There are a number of caminos to Santiago de Compostela that have been followed by pilgrims over the centuries. The paths are still followed by those seeking spiritual peace and enlightenment. But today the paths are also walked by those drawn by the beauty, history and culture of the region, as well as the company of like-minded walkers.

The caminos to Santiago de Compostela include:

• Camino Frances. This is the most popular of the caminos to Santiago. It covers about 790 kilometres from St Jean Pied de Port in south-west France to Santiago in far north-west Spain. In 2018, 59% of walkers to Santiago followed this route.

• Camino Portugues. This route runs from Lisbon north to Santiago. From Lisbon, the distance is 620 kilometres. A popular shorter version involves starting at Porto. This reduces the distance to about 220 kilometres. In 2018, 21% of walkers to Santiago took one of these routes.

• Camino del Norte. At 800 kilometres, this is the longest of Spain’s caminos. It starts in San Sebastian at the western end of the Pyrenees and follows the northern coast of Spain westwards before dropping down to Santiago. Few undertake its full length but some of the most spectacular coastal segments are very appealing. In 2018, 6% of walkers to Santiago followed this route.

For many, a goal of their expedition to Santiago will be the Compostela certificate of completion issued by the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela. The minimum distance that you need to cover to qualify is 100 kilometres. Consequently, a popular portion of the Camino Frances is its last 100 kilometres from Sarria in Galicia.

In the itinerary below, we give some more information on Camino Frances, dividing it up into five stages. For those undertaking the Camono Frances in stages, these are stages commonly followed as they start and finish in in towns with good transport connections.

Assistance and further information:

• For assistance in walking all or part of the Camino Frances, Camino Portugues or the Camino del Norte, click the button below.

• For more information on walking in northern Spain, click the button below.

• For a Walk Travel Advisory Blog description of undertaking the last stage of the Camino Frances, click the button below.

• An itinerary covering the five stages of the Camino Frances is shown below.

Camino Frances Itinerary

The Camino Frances takes about 4 - 6 weeks to complete. A description of the five stages that the entire walk is often divided into is shown below.

STAGE 1

St Jean Pied de Port to Logrono

Distance: 154 km

Walking days: seven

Features:

• Stunning Pyrenees mountain scenery

• Beech and oak woodlands

• Isolated monasteries and churches

• Beautiful city of Pamplona

• Rolling farmlands and vineyards

• Gastronomic delights of Logrono

STAGE 2

Logrono to Burgos

Distance: 119 km

Walking days: five

Features:

• The taperias of Logrono

• Vineyards and wines of Rioja

• Gentle undulating farmland

• Historic town of Santa Domingo

• The Montes de Orca

• The medieval city of Burgos

STAGE 3

Burgos to Leon

Distance: 176 km

Walking days: nine

Features:

• The reflective mid-section of the Camino

• Crossing the high tablelands of the Meseta

• Extensive farmlands and open landscapes

• Historic, pilgrimage-serving villages

• Heritage of Carrion de los Condes

• Lively tapas bars and monuments of Leon

Walk Options

Guided

We are not aware of any walk tour operators who offer the entire 790 kilometre walk as a guided trip on a regular basis. The length of the walk doesn’t lend itself to that sort of package. However, there are many operators offering guided tours over one or two stages or tours that ‘cherry-pick’ a number of sections of the whole walk (generally marketed as a ‘best of’ or ‘highlights’ tour).

Typically, the package offered by these operators includes:

• 5 - 15 Day tour with professional guides (actual walking days being one or two less than tour length)

• Accommodation at a range of places along the route

• All meals

• Transfers between the path and the accommodation (where necessary)

Assisted self-guided

Many tour operators offer self-guided trips on the Camino de Santiago. These trips include the entire 790 kilometre walk, as well as trips covering one or two stages. Typically, the full length requires about 40 days.

Typically, the service includes:

• Trail notes, maps and information pack

• Accommodation, usually with ensuites (the range and quantity of accommodation available in some villages is limited; also, the basic package offered by some tour operators might not always extend to ensuites)

• Luggage transport between accommodation (and sometimes, where necessary, vehicle transfers between track and accommodation)

• Breakfasts and optional packed lunches

• 24/7 Support

The duration of the self-guided options varies depending upon how far you wish to walk each day. Accommodation options range from comfortable through to luxury, again depending upon the size of the village or town and the purchased package.

Independent

It’s quite feasible to book accommodation along the route yourself and, if you require luggage transfers, to arrange that independently. The most basic accommodation along the Camino are the refugios. Refugios are intended for those undertaking the Camino and, generally, may only be utilised by those holding a credencial (pilgrim passport). Refugios are run by organisations such as churches, religious orders or local authorities, as well as private individuals. They are usually operated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.

For those considering undertaking the walk independently, it’s worth noting that the self-guided tour operators often have preferred rates with accommodation providers and luggage transfer companies. They also often have reserved allocations at the best-located/most suitable accommodation, so sometimes when accommodation shows no availability to an independent inquiry there’s still availability through a self-guided operator.

Essential Information

Access

The starting point for the Camino Frances is either St Jean Pied de Port (on the French side of the France/Spain border) or Roncesvalles (on the Spanish side of the France/Spain border). Most people start in St Jean because it’s easier to access by public transport.

The Camino Frances (and the other Caminos de Santiago) finish in Santiago de Compostela. 

St Jean Pied de Port and Santiago de Compostela are both readily accessible by public transport:

•  For St Jean Pied de Port, there are regular French train services to Bayonne and then a local train service from Bayonne to St Jean (three or four times daily).

• From Santiago de Compostela, there are train, bus and air services to many major cities.

Best time

The best months to do the walk are April, May, June, September and October. 

The months of July and August are hot and the Camino can be very busy. The heat can make the walk difficult as there are long stretches of the Camino that are without shade. If you do walk in these periods, early morning starts are essential. It’s also advisable to book accommodation well ahead.

Difficulty

This walk is rated at a difficulty level of moderate to hard. Except for the first day or so from St Jean Pied de Port, there are few prolonged steep climbs. However, the sheer length of the Camino Frances obviously makes it a highly challenging endeavour.

The walk is well waymarked and is generally well-defined and maintained.

Accommodation

The growth in popularity of the Camino Frances over the last two decades has led to significant increases in the quantity and range of accommodation. It’s now possible to access a wide range of accommodation throughout most stages of the Camino. Many people choose to vary their accommodation along the way. They might stay in casa rurales (country B&B’s) and refugios on some occasions, then splurge on a luxury paradores (state-run historic accommodation) on another. For those who have seen Martin Sheen tackle the Camino in The Way, you might remember the stunning paradore that he and his companions stayed in one night.

Most of the accommodation providers are attuned to walkers’ needs or offer amenities suited to walkers. 

We can assist walkers in choosing the accommodation options which best suit their needs.

Dining

We can assist you in choosing special dining options along the route and at the end of the walk.

Other activities

Northern Spain offers many attractions in addition to the Camino de Santiago.

Many walkers choose to add extra days to their trip so that they can explore these other attractions. Some will do that through rest days along the path; others prefer ‘add-ons’ at the end of the walk. Some do both!

We can assist walkers to explore the many attractions of northern Spain.

Assistance

We can assist walkers with various aspects of their walking holidays.