Camino Francés
10.7 km, 303 m up and 150 m down, through 1 place, 1 of which has 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.
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.
The path splits here and rejoins before Valcarlos. 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 — 190 recorded points across this span, the same track the app carries. The town-to-town figures in my data put it at 11.4 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.