Complete Camino Frances from Roncesvalles

Make your way to Roncesvalles, in the Navarrese Pyrenees. Explore the medieval streets that are now the traditional starting point of the modern Camino Frances in Spain. The architecture, the interesting monuments, including the Collegiate Church of Santa María from the 13th century, the house of the beneficiaries or the old hospital of Itzandegia are very worth seeing.

The first day of the French Way from Roncesvalles follows a typical mountain route, but it does not pose any major difficulties. Almost the entire stage descends, although you have to climb two climbs: the high Mezkiriz and the Alto de Erro.

Continue downhill, over gentle hills and leave the mountain path behind you. On today's stage you will pass through an important medieval town that has grown under the guise of the Larrasoaña pilgrim pass. You will also cross the Arga River several times over numerous bridges. Once in Pamplona, it is inevitable to mention the famous Saint Fermín festivities. But in every season this city is worth seeing with its important monumental complex, which is dominated by churches and medieval walls.

The most important landmark of this stage is the Alto del Perdón, with a climb of 260 meters. The descent is a bit more rugged, quite rocky and therefore a bit slippery. Once at the top, you have to take a short break to enjoy the view. It is quite a windy area, so on the summit you find not only the pilgrimage monument, but also many windmills.

In Puente La Reina the large medieval bridge with its five arches, the 14th-century Church of San Pedro and the Comendadoras de Sancti Spiritus monastery are worth visiting.

You will start the stage with a gentle descent of almost 5 kilometers in order to face the ascent to Mañeru, which is not very long but has quite a difference in altitude. Then you walk through the town of Cirauqui, where the medieval Gothic church and the Roman road stand out, of which some original sections are still preserved. The last section of the stage, which leads you to Estella, goes down again.

Immediately after leaving Estella, you find the famous "wine fountain". Yes, a fountain with free wine! Drink responsibly, and you can buy wine for taking away with you. The last 12 kilometers from Villamayor de Monjardín to Los Arcos, although easy to walk, can be a bit difficult between farmland and side streets, with hardly any shade, which is why you should start early, especially in the summer months, to avoid the greatest heat.

This stage has a comfortable start on dirt roads, which make the first route very pleasant. The olive groves and almond trees accompany you at the entrance to the land of wine par excellence, La Rioja. The middle part of the stage is much more abrupt and will cause you some difficulties. Before you reach the end of the stage, 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 accompanied by delicious tapas.

In today's stage you’ll find two important climbs, the Alto de la Grajera and the Alto de San Antón. The good news is that both rise fairly evenly, and therefore are not very difficult.

You will hike between rural and paved trails, which in turn will be a fairly comfortable stage. The vineyards that have accompanied you in the past few days will gradually give way to grain fields. The end of the day will be in Santo Domingo de la Calzada, one of the cities with the longest tradition and the Jacobean footprint, whose historical center is made up of medieval streets.

In this stage you leave La Rioja and go to Castilla León. Despite two stops, La Grajera and San Antón, it will be another pleasant day on the Way of St. James, as the ascent is very even. Once in Belorado, you see the last mountains before entering the large Castilian plateau.

This will be a stage with a very calm first part, which runs along natural paths and tracks. When you reach the Montes de Oca, you will find yourselves going for a climb of about 200 meters. Some find this climb easier as they have been walking for ten days, while some find it harder precisely because they have been walking ten days already!

The Sierra de Atapuerca offers you good views of the area and a very pleasant and quite comfortable route. Come across some forests and areas planted with wheat. Shortly before reaching Atapuerca, you will pass through San Juan de Ortega, a Spanish Gothic jewel and next to one of the most important archaeological sites in the world.

The Sierra de Atapuerca offers a good view of the surroundings and a very pleasant and quite comfortable route. You will pass one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. Access to the city of Burgos via the river path is recommended, much more pleasant than the possibility of walking through the industrial area. Once in the city, a visit to the Gothic cathedral is essential.

Despite the fact that you have already entered the Castilian plateau and the sections that await are flat and apparently comfortable, climate can make this a tough stage, as the temperatures in summer are usually very high and there are only a few shady spots. The weather conditions are rewarded by medieval towns that you find along the way.

The profile of this stage is similar to the previous one, in which you must take into account the challenges of walking past the Castilla fields with high temperatures in the summer months, an limited options for shade. The last kilometers of the section are on a road. Once in Castrojeriz you can visit the Santa María del Manzano Collegiate Church and its interesting museum of sacred art.

When leaving Castrojeriz, you will find the Mostelares, where you will gain 145 meters of elevation in less than two kilometers. This will be the biggest challenge of this stage, but it offers you a wonderful view of the entire plateau. The end of the stage will be in one of the capitals of the Jacobean tradition and the capital of the Romanesque Palencia, the city of Frómista.

This is a very flat stage that crosses the plateau and poses no difficulties. You will drive through the town of Villalcázar de Sirga, where you must 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. In Carrión de los Condes, a visit to the San Zoilo monastery is essential.

Today you will hike on Via Aquitaine, the Roman road XXXIV or the Asturica Burdigalam (Astorga-Bordeaux), before arriving in Calzadilla de la Cueza.

When you leave Calzadilla de la Cueza, you find a short climb of about two kilometers. You will also hike through small valleys and cross the Valderaduey river once you are in the province of León. End the trip in the city of Sahagun in Mudéjar, one of the most unique on the Camino de Santiago, where the churches of San Tirso and San Lorenzo stand out.

Leave Sahagún and cross the river Cea towards Bercianos del Camino to finally arrive in El Burgo Ranero. It is a comfortable journey between grain fields.

This flat stage runs practically straight, while you walk on comfortable dirt roads and through a forest area that offers you a pleasant shade, especially in the summer months. You will hardly find any people between the two points, except other pilgrims. In Mansilla de las Mulas you can relax on the banks of the Esla river.

This stage ends in one of the capitals of the Way of St. James. It runs near roads with more traffic than the previous ones. The Portillo hill with its wonderful view will anticipate your arrival into León. 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, in order to fortify yourself with delicious tapas after the hike.

Today is a short day, allowing you to explore León a bit more in the morning. 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 between cereal fields, characteristic of the area.

Walk through a landscape filled with cultivated fields while you continue touring the Castilian plateau. This flat stage of the Camino de Santiago can become a bit tiring as you get the sensation that you are not moving forward. But you do.

At this stage you will begin to feel the unevenness of the terrain, which will be greater as you get closer to Galicia. Once you leave Hospital de Órbigo you come across slightly mountainous terrain. Your goal will be the small city of Astorga, full of remains from Roman times, and where the French Way and the Vía de la Plata come together and which is also the capital of the Maragatería region.

You are now penetrating ever deeper into the Montes de León. In this phase you will find ever larger hills before you arrive in Rabanal del Camino.

At this stage, you leave the Maragatería region behind to enter El Bierzo. This also means that you return to the mountainous areas. The first of the ascents will take you to a mythical place on the Camino de Santiago, the Cruz de Ferro on Mount Irago, the highest point of the French Way, at 1,500 meters.

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 will take you at this stage to the city of Ponferrada, capital of the region and a place of enormous Jacobean tradition where you can visit the Castle of the Templars.

In the middle of the Bierzo region, this stage leads over quite comfortable hiking trails. Again you encounter landscapes with fields and vineyards. In Villafranca del Bierzo you can visit the Church of Santiago, known for the Puerta del Perdón, which opened only in the Jacobean years, as well as the Holy Door of the Cathedral of Santiago.

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

In this stage you will 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 too. The difference in altitude is almost 700 meters 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 were worth it.

Characteristic of its ups and downs. Start towards the top of San Roque, where there is a statue of the pilgrim, which will give you encouragement for the difficult climb to O Alto do Poio. Although it is not a long stage with many kilometers, due to this ascent it is one of the most complicated. Then you descend towards Triacastela.

Start this short stage towards San Xil. In a quiet area you take a pleasant walk through the beautiful landscapes. Cross the San Xil Valley, one of the most beautiful in Galicia, to get to your next destination: Sarria.

Sarria is the starting point for many pilgrims because it is very close to the mythical and last 100 km. This is the minimum distance that must be covered to get the Compostela. This first stage is flat, without many climbs. Enter deepest Galicia and let yourself be enchanted by the beauty of its chestnuts, oaks, rivers, meadows ... as well as charming cities such as Barbadelos or Ferreiros. The old town of Portomarin lies under the water of the Belesar reservoir. The Miño river indicates that you are arriving.

Start the route towards Serra de Ligonde with a low level of difficulty, where you climb up to 725 meters. On this day, the green landscapes are mixed with some paved areas and start to see the famous "Cruzeiros". The villages of Castromaior, Ventas de Narón and Ligonde deserve special mention.

Hike in the direction of: Campo dos Romeiros, an important meeting point for pilgrims, in the direction of Leboreiro, a pleasant hike in the middle of lush forests to finally cross a medieval bridge to reach the Melide river.

Leave the province of Lugo and enter the province of A Coruña. The few kilometers ahead allow you to enjoy some of the enchanting towns along the way like Boente and Castañeda until you reach Arzua, famous for the cheese made there.

Short and quiet stage to process everything that was experienced during the trip before you arrive in Santiago the next day.

Excitement and strange mixed sensations. It is the last stage. It is recommended that you start hiking early to take part in the pilgrimage, which is celebrated at 12:00 p.m. First you reach Lavacolla and continue climbing Monte do Gozo, where you can catch a glimpse of the long-awaited cathedral from a distance. Finally the Plaza del Obradoiro and the well-deserved personal satisfaction of having reached this point.

Check out, you have completed your Camino!