Pilgrims on the road and friends along the way send me changes every day, and they go out the same day. The Camino de Invierno app carries all of it offline, and it's still being built — new features arrive routinely.
Get the appSaint Jean Pied de Port — Donibane Garazi in Basque — is where the majority of Camino Francés pilgrims begin. Several European routes converge here, funneling walkers from Paris, Vézelay, Le Puy, and beyond into a single starting point at the foot of the Pyrenees.
The town runs along the Nive river, its cobbled Rue de la Citadelle descending from the old fortress to the Porte d'Espagne, the medieval gate through which pilgrims have passed for centuries. It's a beautiful small town, made even more so by the anxious energy of all those about to set off.
The Pilgrim Office (39 Rue de la Citadelle) issues credenciales, stamps, and weather reports for the mountain crossing. It gets busy — arrive early or expect a queue. They'll also give you the latest on route conditions over the pass, which you should take seriously.
Accommodation fills up fast in summer. There are several albergues including the municipal Accueil des Pèlerins and the private Gîte de l'Esprit du Chemin, plus a range of hotels and gîtes d'étape along the Rue de la Citadelle and Rue d'Espagne. Book ahead if arriving on a weekend.
The town has everything you need: supermarkets, pharmacies, outdoor gear shops, ATMs, and plenty of restaurants. For your last French meal, the restaurants along the main street do hearty Basque fare — try the trout or the gâteau basque. Monday is market day, and coincidentally one of the quieter pilgrim days.
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.
Market day is Monday, which is also one of the quieter days for pilgrims. The town celebrates the Fête de la Saint-Jean around June 24 with Basque music, dancing, and pelota matches.
Saint Jean Pied de Port — literally "Saint John at the Foot of the Pass" — has been a gathering point for pilgrims since the medieval period. It sits in Lower Navarre, historically part of the Kingdom of Navarre rather than France, and the Basque identity runs deep.
The Citadel above town was rebuilt by Vauban in the 17th century on older fortifications. The town's defensive walls, the Porte d'Espagne, and the Porte Saint-Jacques (a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1998) survive largely intact. For centuries this was the last provisioning stop before the dangerous mountain crossing into Spain, and the concentration of pilgrim infrastructure — hospitals, churches, hostels — reflects that critical function.
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.
14. September 2026 - 9:41
The owners were very welcoming and helpful. Lovely stay
26. August 2026 - 14:05
Wonderful start to the Camino. The dinner and breakfast were amazing. Lovedthe icebreaker as it meant that we all left the next day with people we knew and the spirit of the Camino!
19. April 2026 - 11:49
Away from the Camino and buzz… it is quite beautiful and charming. Cathy is a great host… reminded me of my own mother. Food was great too. Basque traditional and and freshly prepared by her. My room was two beds of which I was alone. Awesome. Quiet and serene to begin my Camino. Cathy even drove me right to the start of the route and also picked up another pilgrim from town while I was there. She was very nice and loved to hear her family stories. If you want privacy, this is it
11. April 2026 - 17:20
Central Portugal
2. April 2026 - 0:57
I selected miles, however I am continuing to se km everywhere...please let me know how to fix this
7. July 2025 - 23:32
Why isn’t Hotel Central listed as an optional accommodation?
27. May 2025 - 15:08
Not mentioned here- an amazing place with a fantastic view and fabulous hosts! They thought of our every need and d great recommendations!
A fantastic place to kick off our Camino!
26. April 2025 - 13:24
I didn’t realise on top of the accommodation price there is a 6.5 city tax.
Just an FYI for those who are budgeting to be aware.
9. September 2024 - 13:39
The Albergue is well maintained. Very nice stay. Barhrooms are clean and tidy. Great kitchen ammenities. Microwave, stove, big refrigerator. Friendly owners. Close to Lidl supermarket and the start of the Camino. Had a great time.
8. September 2024 - 21:41
Had a wonderful experience here with kind people, comfortable beds, lots of comfy public spaces and delicious food. But best part was the morning’s pilgrim circle to send us on our way. So very lovely.
11. April 2023 - 16:53
Unless you are very fit consider climbng up from St Jean and staying at Orrison or La Borda Albergue
Otherwise take a taxi to Cruciero 2 km. on from Orrison and walk to Roncevalle. The so called Scree slope is not so bad except in wet conditions.
17. October 2022 - 20:01
Getting here from Pamplona— there is no bus directly to St Jean (at least not anymore and/or not past a certain point in October). But there’s a bus, Artrieda, that goes to Roncavalles, and from there , there’s a list of taxis that you can call to drive you to San Jean. I suggest going to the Ultreia (office for pilgrims) in Pamplona for the latest info. It was a pleasant bus ride to Roncavalles but the taxi to St Jean was a van full of tourists and the road was so windy that the driver passed out barf bags. One elderly lady puked repeatedly. I normally don’t get sick but was definitely woozy. I recommend Dramamine (so?) before you take the taxi. Also, you should call ahead to order the taxi, but if you don’t call ahead, you can simply wait in Roncavalles about an hr or so for one of the few taxi drivers available to come back for you. You’ll share a van with whomever else needs a taxi there. It’s a beautiful road but easy to get sick. And better to plan ahead with a phone call.
23. April 2019 - 18:12
Consider staying in Val Carlos that Route is so much more beautiful than it gets credit for and Val Carlos is a great way to break up the hike.
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.
