Camino Francés
26.7 km, 1351 m up and 624 m down, through 9 places, 4 of which have somewhere to sleep. Where you stop is up to you.
Every place on the path in order, with the distance from Saint Jean Pied de Port. Most are too small to sleep in — a fountain, a chapel, a bar that may or may not be open — but they are what the day is actually made of.
Two routes cross the Pyrenees to Roncesvalles: the Napoleon Route over the high pass (the traditional and more popular option), and the Valcarlos Route through the valley (lower, longer, and the bad-weather alternative). Both are approximately 25-27 km to Roncesvalles.
From the Porte d'Espagne, the Napoleon Route climbs steeply on road through Honto and past Orisson before gaining the ridgeline. The Valcarlos Route drops to Arnéguy and follows the valley road through Valcarlos before climbing steeply from Gañecoleta to the Puerto de Ibañeta.
The Napoleon Route is closed to walkers from November 1 to March 31 (and sometimes longer depending on conditions). During this period you must take the Valcarlos Route. Even outside the closure period, the Napoleon Route should only be attempted in clear weather.
The mountain crossing to Roncesvalles is dangerous in bad weather. Snow, ice, fog, and high winds can all occur, even outside winter. Check the weather forecast at the Pilgrim Office before departing. These mountains have claimed lives — take the warnings seriously. If conditions are poor, take the Valcarlos route or wait a day.
Beyond Honto the road continues to climb steadily on asphalt. After about 1 km the camino leaves the road for the first time, winding uphill through a series of switchbacks. The Kayola albergue, operated by the Orisson team, sits just off the route with beds and a small terrace. From here it's roughly 2 km more to Orisson.
Orisson is a popular stopping point for pilgrims splitting the mountain crossing into two days. The Refuge Orisson is a purpose-built gîte with bunks, a restaurant, and a terrace with sweeping views back toward Saint Jea…
If you arrive here late in the day, stop and ask about conditions ahead. Don't push on into deteriorating weather. Make sure someone at the refuge knows your plan if you continue — in bad conditions, people do get lost on the mountain above. Mobile phone reception is unreliable beyond this point.
Borda is a small cluster of buildings on the Napoleon Route between Orisson and the Pic d'Orisson. No services. The climb continues steadily from here as you leave the tree line behind and enter open mountain pasture.
A statue of the Virgin stands at the Pic d'Orisson (1,060 m), marking the point where the route leaves the last of the trees behind and enters fully exposed terrain. From here to the descent into Roncesvalles there's no …
The Collado de Bentartea (1,340 m) is the high point of the ridgeline walk, sometimes called Napoleon's Pass. A food truck often parks here selling drinks, snacks, and bocadillos — welcome relief after the long exposed c…
Navarra is the first of Spain's autonomous communities along the Camino Francés. You'll cross it from the Pyrenees to just beyond Viana, where La Rioja begins — roughly 140 km of walking. It's a region of sharp contrast…
The Collado de Lepoeder (1,430 m) is the highest point on the Napoleon Route and the border ridge between France and Spain. From here the route begins its long descent through beech forest toward Roncesvalles, dropping n…
The camino starts on a path to the west of the main road, heading into beech forest before returning to the road as you approach Burguete. It's a gentle, flat walk of about 3 km — a merciful start after the mountain.
A stone pilgrim cross on the roadside between Roncesvalles and Burguete, set among the beech trees. A traditional spot to pause, though there's nothing here beyond the cross itself and the quiet forest.
Watch carefully through town — the camino takes a sharp right turn about halfway through. There are plenty of arrows marking it, but distracted walkers still miss it. The route continues on flat terrain toward Espinal.
The path splits here and rejoins before Burguete. Both ways are below, because the question is which to take, and that is not a question two separate pages can answer.
Beyond Honto the road continues to climb steadily on asphalt. After about 1 km the camino leaves the road for the first time, winding uphill through a series of switchbacks. The Kayola albergue, operated by the Orisson team, sits just off the route with beds and a small terrace. From here it's roughly 2 km more to Orisson.
Cross the main road (D933/N-135) and the bridge into Spain. The route follows a country road lower in the valley, bringing you into Valcarlos from below. The walking is flat and easy along the river.
Leave town along the main road, eventually branching left onto a smaller road. Gañecoleta is less than 1 km from this junction. From there the serious climbing begins.
Distance, climb and descent are measured along the GPS track for this camino — 442 recorded points across this span, the same track the app carries. The town-to-town figures in my data put it at 26.9 km.
Esta entidad ha sido beneficiaria de una ayuda del Programa de incentivos a la movilidad eficiente y sostenible (MOVES III), gestionado por la Xunta de Galicia a través del Instituto Enerxético de Galicia (INEGA) en el marco del Real Decreto 266/2021, y cofinanciada por la Unión Europea — NextGenerationEU, dentro del Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia.