In this post, we discuss some of the most incredible towns and cities on the Camino de Santiago the French Way. These are all great stops for rest days during your Camino Francés pilgrimage through northern Spain. The Camino de Santiago is a network of pilgrimage routes that start in different places across Europe and finish at the tomb of the Apostle St.James in Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
This is not just a long hike, it is a pilgrimage followed by millions since the Middle Ages. The Camino will challenge you on a breathtaking journey, filling your pilgrim passport with stamps while slowly making your way to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The Camino de Santiago routes each offer a unique cultural and spiritual experience and you can start walking to Santiago from anywhere in Europe. There are seven main routes of the Camino de Santiago; Camino Frances, Camino Portuguese, Camino del Norte, Camino Primitivo, Via de la Plata, Camino Ingles, and Camino Finisterre. These Camino routes have great infrastructure for pilgrims and are well-marked, making it easy to follow the Way of St James.
Also, see Our Favorite Towns on the Portuguese Camino de Santiago.
The Camino Francés
The Camino Francés starts in the small French town of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, near the Spanish border. This is the most popular of all the Camino de Santiago routes. Also referred to as the Original Way of Saint James, this Camino de Santiago route from Saint Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela is a walk of 790 km/490 mi. This wonderful pilgrimage route passes through tiny villages, small towns, and unreal historical cities. Along the way discover museums, cathedrals, important landmarks, and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The French Route is walked by thousands of pilgrims every year crossing several regions in Northern Spain; Navarre, La Rioja, Castille and Leon, and Galicia. The most popular of the Camino routes takes around 30 days to walk the almost 800 km distance of the complete route. Most people who walk the Camino Frances do not complete the entire route but only walk the last 100 km from Sarria to Santiago. Here are some of our favorite villages, towns, and cities on the French Route of the Camino de Santiago.
Saint Jean Pied de Port (SJPDP)
St Jean Pied de Port is a small town on the French side of the Pyrenees where many start their pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago. Thousands of people arrive every year at this small village in the French Basque region to start their journey on the Camino de Santiago. The first day on the Camino for most is known as one of the toughest on the whole Camino. The climb starts right from St.Jean and finishes 21 km/13 mi later, the last 4 km/2,4 mi is a steep descent to Roncesvalles. Although called the French Camino, this pretty southern French town with its narrow whitewashed houses and steep cobbled streets is the only town in France where the majority of pilgrims spend a night, before walking the rest of the way in Spain. This iconic town is nestled at the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains along the scenic River Nive. This winding river running through the town is crossed by several footbridges. A beautiful town with medieval charm where everything is about the Camino.
France is noticeably more expensive than Spain don’t worry if everything costs more than you expected, it should get better! Prices in St Jean Pied de Port are mostly higher than prices on the rest of the Camino going through Spain. SJPDP is a very small town, and there are no direct transportation options from large cities in France or Spain. See our detailed guide on how to get to Saint Jean de Pied de Port.
Things to do in St Jean Pied de Port
See the Gate of St. James (Porte St Jacques) at the top of the hilltop village that welcomes pilgrims who started their pilgrimage before SJPDP
Don’t miss the views of the old houses with balconies overlooking the Nive from rue de la Citadelle crosses the river over a bridge.
Go to pilgrim mass at the beautiful Notre Dame Gothic Church.
Visit the 17th-century citadel overlooking the town.
Visit the the Saint Jean Pied de Port Pilgrim Office. They can answer any questions you have on the Camino, register here, and pick up an updated Albergue list for the complete route.
Tours in St Jean Pied de Port
Accommodation in St.Jean Pied de Port
There are many places to stay in St.Jean including one municipal albergue that gets full quickly in the season if you arrive after lunchtime your chances of getting a bed there are quite small.
Pamplona
Pamplona with its Gothic-style churches is one of the most beautiful cities on the Camino Frances. This is the first city along the Camino coming from St Jean Pied de Port and is one of the popular starting points on the Camino de Santiago due to its ease of access. The city is a fantastic place to walk from bar to bar and eat the delicious miniature cuisine, pintxos. Pamplona is the capital of Navarre province in northern Spain and is best known for the Running of the Bulls (Feast of San Fermín). During this festival bulls are led through the city streets by daring runners, this is one crazy party lasting for a week. The running of the bulls is a massive celebration with more than a million people visiting the city from July 6 to 14. Many pilgrims prefer not to visit the city on these dates.
Pamplona is an expensive city compared to the rest of Spain, particularly accommodation being pricey. During the week of the San Fermín accommodation is very hard to find and prices can be up to five times their normal price.
The Historical center of Pamplona is spectacular. Some highlights not to miss are the Cathedral, the Citadel of Pamplona, the Museum of Navarra, and the Plaza del Castillo.
Things to Do in Pamplona
The Pamplona Cathedral (Santa María de la Asunción) is a 15th-century Roman Catholic church built in French Gothic architecture style. The cathedral is a wonderful, historic attraction with lots of variation, art, history, and stunning Gothic and Romanesque architecture. The first couple of visitors in the morning can go up to the bell tower for spectacular views of the city.
The Museum of Navarra is the art museum of the city. The museum is housed in an old pilgrims’ hospital with an impressive collection of Roman and medieval art.
Plaza del Castillo is the main square of the town in typical Spanish Renaissance style, housing outdoor seating of surrounding restaurants and cafes. This is an awesome spot to have a coffee. Ernest Hemingway is said to have spent a lot of time here writing in Café Iruña.
Tours in Pamplona
Private City Tour Pamplona
Places to stay in Pamplona
El Alto del Perdón – Between Pamplona and Puente de la Reina
12 km from Pamplona on top of a tough 2.5 km climb you will reach one of the most famous landmarks on the Camino El Alto del Perdón.
El Alto del Perdón is the sculpture group representing pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago. It’s probably one of the most popular photo spots on the Camino Frances.
The pilgrim sculpture made by Vincent Galbete was erected in 1996 and is one of the great symbols of the Camino de Santiago. There is a Spanish inscription on the statue “Donde se cruza el camino del viento con el de las estrellas” meaning “where the path of the wind crosses that of the stars”.
The sculpture displays a history of pilgrims and the pilgrimage at various stages in time from the Middle Ages up to the present day. The statue consists of twelve pilgrims, the first pilgrim at the beginning of the Camino appears to be searching for the route, followed by a group of three pilgrims indicating the increase in popularity of the Camino. Next is a group on horseback symbolizing the medieval era of merchants on the Camino. A solitary pilgrim is next, symbolizing a decline in the popularity of the pilgrimage towards the mid-twentieth century. At the end of the procession are two modern-day pilgrims symbolizing the renewed popularity of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in the late twentieth century.
Puente La Reina
Puente La Reina is a small medieval town located between Pamplona and Estella on the Way of St James. The town is best known for its picturesque medieval bridge, atmospherical church, and charming streets. This delightful little town is a great destination for food and wine lovers and a good place to taste popular local dishes such as cod with pil-pil sauce, roast lamb, blood pudding, and Navarra-style piquillo peppers.
Things to do in Punte La Reina
See the Puente La Reina Bridge – the beautiful six-arched Romanesque bridge sitting over River Arga is a must-see for visitors.
Visit the atmospheric Church of Santa Maria – this beautiful 15th-century is one of our favorite churches on the French Camino and is home to several historical works of art.
Walk on Calle Mayor (Main Street), and look at the wooden gates used to cut off the streets for the bull run during the festival.
Explore the Roman Villa, an interesting ancient ruin located outside of the town.
Enjoy the local cuisine.
Visit the Puente La Reina Museum.
Places to stay in Puente La Reina
Logroño
The charming city, of Logroño, is located in the north of Spain, near the…
