Camino de Santiago: Camino Frances

Map key

Map of the Spanish Caminos

Overview map and profile

Route summary table

General introduction

What makes the Camino Francés special?

History of the Camino de Santiago

Do I have to be religious to walk the Camino?

Planning your walk

Where to begin?

Where to end?

When to walk?

Where to stay?

What to eat?

How many days should I allow for the walk?

How do I plan my daily stages?

Should I make reservations ahead?

How much money should I budget?

How do I get to and from the Camino?

How do I secure my credencial and compostela?

Tips for making the most of your walk

Topography of the Camino

Preparing for the climates of northern Spain

Understanding local cultures

Training for your walk

What and how to pack

Baggage and storage services

Walking sticks and trekking poles

Health and well-being

Pilgrim etiquette

How to use this guide

App, GPX tracks and accommodation download

Section 1: Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Pamplona

Stage 1 Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Roncesvalles

Stage 2 Roncesvalles to Zubiri

Stage 3 Zubiri to Pamplona

Section 2: Pamplona to Burgos

Stage 4 Pamplona to Puente la Reina

Stage 5 Puente la Reina to Estella

Stage 6 Estella to Los Arcos

Stage 7 Los Arcos to Logroño

Stage 8 Logroño to Nájera

Stage 9 Nájera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada

Stage 10 Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Belorado

Stage 11 Belorado to San Juan de Ortega

Stage 12 San Juan de Ortega to Burgos

Section 3: Burgos to León

Stage 13 Burgos to Hontanas

Stage 14 Hontanas to Boadilla del Camino

Stage 15 Boadilla del Camino to Carrión de los Condes

Stage 16 Carrión de los Condes to Terradillos de los Templarios

Stage 17A Terradillos de los Templarios to Bercianos del Real Camino

Stage 17B Terradillos de los Templarios to Calzadilla de los Hermanillos

Stage 18A Bercianos del Real Camino to Mansilla de las Mulas

Stage 18B Calzadilla de los Hermanillos to Mansilla de las Mulas

Stage 19 Mansilla de las Mulas to León

Section 4: León to Sarria

Stage 20 León to Hospital de Órbigo

Stage 21 Hospital de Órbigo to Astorga

Stage 22 Astorga to Foncebadón

Stage 23 Foncebadón to Ponferrada

Stage 24 Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo

Stage 25 Villafranca del Bierzo to La Faba

Stage 26 La Faba to Triacastela

Stage 27 Triacastela to Sarria

Section 5: Sarria to Santiago de Compostela

Stage 28 Sarria to Portomarín

Stage 29 Portomarín to Palas de Rei

Stage 30 Palas de Rei to Arzúa

Stage 31 Arzúa to O Pedrouzo

Stage 32 O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela

Section 6: Camino Finisterre/Muxía

Stage 33 Santiago de Compostela to Negreira

Stage 34 Negreira to Olveiroa

Stage 35A Olveiroa to Finisterre

Stage 35B Olveiroa to Muxía

Stage 36 Finisterre to Muxía

Appendix A Stage planning tables

Appendix B Major local festivals

Appendix C Useful contacts, links and apps

Appendix D Bibliography and further reading

October 2023

Accommodation listing 2023/4

Whether a pilgrim, a trekker, a traveler or a little of each, those embarking Europe’s epic pilgrimage trail are investing heavily for a profound, even life-changing experience. Just like sturdy shoes, you’ll need the right guidebook. Sandy Brown mixes a love of travel, a passion for detail, and the pilgrims’ thirst for meaning expertly in his guidebook. Well designed and uncanny in its ability to know what you need to know to succeed on this adventure, Sandy’s guidebook will be your trusted companion. It’ll be a constant resource to guide you through every challenge of the Camino: eating, sleeping, navigating, avoiding pitfalls, and getting the most out of the positive serendipity that carbonates the experience of the pilgrim who is equipped with good information and uses it. –

Rick Steves, travel writer, activist and television personality.

An exquisitely written and beautifully illustrated guide to The Camino.

Cicerone’s The Camino de Santiago: Camino Francés is an exquisitely written and beautifully illustrated guide to The Camino. For the pilgrim, it provides an easy to follow step-by-step path to the trek across northern Spain full of maps, illustrations, beautiful photos of the countryside, and detailed descriptions of the historical sites. For those who are for now just dreaming of walking the Camino one day, this book will provide many enjoyable hours of learning, daydreaming, and planning for the trip to come. Author Sandy Brown is intimately familiar with the route, the history, the countryside, the cathedrals, and people of the Camino. He writes beautifully and knows his subject inside and out. His obvious love for the Camino is a clarion call to adventure and romance in the old world.

Bradley, by email