Last spring, I walked Stage 1 of the Camino de Santiago, completing over 100 miles (of the 500 total) in about 2 weeks. Of course the dream was to walk the whole thing at once, but the reality is my job wouldn’t allow for the 5-6 weeks off required to do so. I wanted to put together this guide for anyone in a similar boat. You’re interested in all the Camino has to offer, and you don’t want to wait for the potential time in the far future when you’d be able to tackle it all at once. It’s definitely possible to walk the Camino in sections! This article will be focusing on the Camino Frances, which starts in France and ends in Santiago. It’s the most traditional route and the one most people recognize worldwide.
What is the Camino de Santiago?
But first, a little history. The Camino de Santiago is a traditionally Catholic pilgrimage that people have been doing for centuries. The Camino Frances, which I’ll be referring to in this article, is the most common route for this pilgrimage and is also known as “the Way of St. James” or “the French Way”. The journey starts in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, a little fairy tale town in the Pyrenees foothills of France, and ends at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela in the Galicia region of Spain.
It all has to do with the ancient story of St. James, an apostle who’s apparently buried in Santiago (well his body at least. According to legend, he was beheaded and his head was buried in Jerusalem). During his life, it’s said that St. James traveled to Spain to spread the word of Christ. He’s an important biblical figure, and as early as the Middle Ages people were walking to the cathedral in Santiago in his honor. The popularity of the pilgrimage since those early days has fluctuated depending on wars and royal influence. But it’s become SUPER popular in modern times, and the route was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993.
Who walks the Camino de Santiago?
While the pilgrimage to Santiago is technically a Catholic one, there are many people who walk the Camino for non-religious purposes. You can’t really fit pilgrims into a box. There are people of all ages and nationalities–446,000 people arrived in Compostela in 2023 alone. In terms of religion, I only met one person doing the Camino for that reason–a young guy from the US who went to every mass and always had his bible.
I did meet young travelers and people closer to my age (30s), but I’d say the majority of pilgrims were older. You see people doing it as a physical challenge, for spiritual growth in a broader sense, or during a transitional time in life. I’d say the common thread is those who are seeking something, whatever that may mean for them. Every pilgrim has felt the call, and answered.
I was very curious before my own Camino, wondering who I would cross paths with and what their motivations would be. I’m so grateful to the people I met along the way–their stories inspired me during the journey and have stayed with me since. A few examples: I met one woman who had spent her adult life raising children and was finally taking time for herself. How beautiful. I met other women who were walking through a period of deep grief. Their courage kept me going, too.
Why was I interested in doing stage 1 of the Camino?
I’ve scoured my memory to try and pinpoint when I first heard about the Camino de Santiago. I sadly cannot remember. I just know that it’s stayed in the back of my mind for years as something I’d love to experience. I was so curious about what a journey like it would unlock within me. What would come up if I had 500 miles to just…walk? The timing never quite felt right until last year. Like I mentioned before, I didn’t have time to do the whole thing at once, but walking stage 1 of the Camino was possible. The call was too strong to ignore any longer.
For me personally, I guess you could say I was at a sort of transition in life, but maybe more of an emotional one. I had things I wanted to let go of, like past versions of myself and thoughts that took up a lot of mental energy but no longer suited me. I had questions I wanted time and space to ponder. I needed courage to walk into a new chapter in life. I needed to restore trust in myself. I also wanted to challenge myself physically, since that was something I’d never really done as an adult.
If you walk the Camino, I’m sure you have your own reasons for doing so, but I’d definitely recommend setting some intentions. That being said, you never know what the Camino will show you and teach you, so stay open minded. The lessons I learned were so impactful and transformative and affect my life positively to this day. Even with just 2 weeks on the trail.
Can you do the Camino Frances in stages?
This was a major question I had. Was it possible to just do a section of the Camino, in a logistical sense? From my research, I realized there were 4 main stages of the Camino Frances if you have about 2 weeks to work with each time. There are many different ways people break it down, but this is what would work well for me personally. I can’t wait to get back out there for stage 2!
- Stage 1: Start in St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France and end in Logroño, Spain. Just over 100 miles.
- Stage 2: Start in Logroño and end in Burgos. A shorter section through wine country at about 70 miles.
- Stage 3: Start in Burgos and end in Leon. Just over 100 miles.
- Stage 4: Start in Leon and end in Santiago de Compostela!! 182 miles. But, that would be 13 miles per day for 14 days without rest days… I would most likely break this one up (unless I had a longer vacation to work with). Maybe stopping near Lugo?
- optional Stage 5: Say you can’t do a massive stage 4 of 182 miles. You could make a stage 5 from Lugo to Santiago de Compostela but then go further to Finisterra on the coast, which many pilgrims like to add on anyways. It’s another 56 miles to Finisterra from Santiago.
When to walk Stage 1 of the Camino
The routes are technically open year-round, so when you walk is really up to you. However, I would definitely take weather into consideration when planning your trip. I went at the end of April into May and thought that was the perfect time for Stage 1 of the Camino. It was slightly cold in the mornings but warmed up a lot during the day. Some days were really warm, so I made sure I started early and ended early to avoid the worst of the heat. There are sections that don’t offer much shade, which can be a challenge on hot days.
I’d say most people walk in the summer, but that wouldn’t be ideal for me personally. It would be way too hot! And way too crowded! Even in spring, many accommodations were fully booked. I know lots of pilgrims who struggled to just walk into town and find a place to stay. I was able to book my accommodation ahead of time because my trip was shorter and I knew where I would be each day (for the most part). That ended up working really well for how busy it was while I was there.
I definitely would walk in autumn as well, especially through wine country! That would be so nice during harvest season. However, I don’t think winter would be for me either. You would need to carry a lot more gear if it got super cold. And many places in town might be closed.
Stage 1 of the Camino: What to pack
I already wrote a whole packing guide, so I’ll link that post to reference. Just remember that packing for a Camino is a very different type of packing and requires very specific considerations. Less is definitely more! I share every single item I brought with me here:
Camino de Santiago Female Packing List
Common Words and Phrases to Know
The camino has its own vocabulary that you will definitely come across and learn along the way. It’s also helpful to know some basic Spanish since you’ll be in Spain. Most people speak English, but not everyone. Plus, it’s respectful to at least attempt the local language 🙂
- pilgrim/peregrino: a person who journeys to a sacred place
- albergue/ refuge/ hostal: accommodation for pilgrims
- pintxos (pronounced pinchos): small finger foods served through out the Basque Country of Spain
- Buen Camino: a common greeting or goodbye when passing other pilgrims on the trail, wishing them well on their walk
- “The Camino provides:” a phrase you will hear a lot. If you need something, the camino has a way of providing. I definitely found this to be true.
A Daily Overview of Stage 1 of the Camino de Santiago
This is where we really get into specifics! I’m going to share what each day looked like for me: how far I walked, where I stayed, highlights, challenges, costs. I had about 2 weeks to walk this section, so I did have the luxury of rest days.
This was also my “vacation” for the year, so I didn’t want to come home with injuries or feeling too exhausted. That’s why you’ll see me in mostly private rooms. I started out staying in dorms, but I had a hard time sleeping with all the snoring men! lol but really. So then I did mostly private rooms when I could.
I also ended up sending my bag ahead with a courier most days because I wanted to avoid injuries as much as possible. That weight does increase strain on your knees and can also throw off your balance. Whether or not you carry your bag can be a controversial subject among pilgrims, but you have to do what’s best and safest for the journey you want to have.
One last note: l was not traveling on a strict budget, so you’ll see I spend more money on meals and accommodation than is absolutely necessary.
Travel Days
I did want to mention actually traveling to the “starting line” of the Camino–that took a couple of days in itself. I was coming from Chicago, so I had to fly from Chicago to Barcelona. I left on a Thursday night, had a layover in Copenhagen, and arrived Friday evening. I stayed the night in Barcelona and took a train on Saturday morning to Pamplona. Then I had to take a taxi to St-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Luckily I found two other pilgrims to split that ride with! It wasn’t very straight forward getting from Pamplona to SJPDP. You could also go from Paris, so check your options to see what would work best for you.
- Stay at Hotel Barcelo Sants: 126 euro. This was convenient because the hotel was in the train station.
- train: 87 euro. Booked via Trainline.
- I can’t remember how much it was to split the taxi! maybe 20-30 euro.
- I arrived in France and checked into Beilari after another travel day. I paid for dinner at the hostel as well. 43 euro total for that night’s stay and dinner.
- This was also the day I went to the pilgrims office (right across from Beilari) and got my “passport,” which is a must if you want your completion certificate in Santiago. You have to get stamps in it every day as you go.
- Dinner was at 7:30 pm and was wonderful. It was communal and conversational and everything I could have wanted the night before embarking on this journey–highly recommend! They make dinner special at Beilari.
Day 1: St-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Orisson
If you want to ease into your first day on the trail like I did, then I definitely recommend breaking up the walk to Roncesvalles into 2 days. It can be done in one day from SJPDP, but I feel like it’s extreme for the first day. If you’re super fit and don’t mind a long trek, then go for it all on day 1. But I really enjoyed the slower pace, especially since I had never done anything like this and had some nerves.
My morning started with mass in SJPDP from 8:30-9:30 am. Even though I wasn’t walking for religious purposes, I was still curious about the churches since it is a Catholic pilgrimage. Then I walked to Orisson, a refuge with a gorgeous valley view. It took just over 2 hours. I had lunch, cake, and wine while I chatted with other pilgrims and enjoyed the atmosphere. I could not believe I was actually walking the Camino!
It’s very hard to get a reservation to stay the night at Orisson, so I took the shuttle back to SJDPD and stayed another night at Beilari. It was actually really nice to have more time to explore because the town is so freaking cute! I had dinner out with a new friend. While in SJPDP, make sure to try some local cider. It was widely consumed in this town back in the day and was considered “essential food.” haha.
- Distance covered: about 5 miles
- Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Challenges: there were some sections with steep incline, nerves of day 1
- Highlights: fresh food and wine with an incredible view, exploring more of SJPDP and having dinner and cider in town, being able to say I was walking the Camino de Santiago!
- Costs: 9.5 euro for a ham and cheese baguette and a glass of wine, 8 euro for bask cake and another glass of wine (lol), 8 euro for shuttle back to SJPDP, bacon burger/fries/local cider was 17.50 euro, another night at Beilari (no dinner) cost 25 euro.
- Links: Le Refuge Orisson, Beilari Hostal
Day 2: Orisson to Roncesvalles
I had the shuttle take me back to Orisson after breakfast at Beilari. The walk from Orisson to Roncesvalles is a big one, and there aren’t any facilities along the way. Make sure you have everything you’ll need in your pack! I had to pee in nature this day lol. I was glad I had wipes and a ziplock bag to take out my waste. I was also glad for the snacks I brought–there was a lot of incline so I definitely needed to refuel. I’d say this was one of the most physically challenging days, but being in the Pyrenees was incredible.
- Distance covered: about 12 miles
- Time: 7 hours
- Challenges: carrying my whole pack through the mountains was rough, we got rained on for a while, my plan got pushed ahead a day so I had to book an extra night in Roncesvalles and there wasn’t much to see, I don’t think I ate enough this day, no facilities on the trail
- Highlights: the feeling of accomplishment after this long and tiring day, walking with other pilgrims and hearing their stories, wine and meals with amazing women, the views of the Pyrenees, having a nice room to do laundry and relax, crossing the border into Spain on foot
- Costs: Hotel Roncesvalles was 75 euro, 3 course dinner and wine at the hotel was 24 euro, bag of chips and wine in town was 3 euro.
- Links: Hotel Roncesvalles
Day 3: Rest day in Roncesvalles
This is definitely not necessary, but I had already pre-booked some other accommodation and had to stay an extra night here to line it all up. I didn’t mind having more rest days built in. I relaxed, caught up on laundry, read a book, journaled, went to the 6 pm church service, and had dinner with other pilgrims at 7 pm. I dined and stayed in the traditional albergue de peregrinos which felt like a right of passage!
- Distance covered: none!
- Challenges: sleeping in the massive dorm room with all the snoring
- Highlights: the hostel is in a really cool ancient building and despite accommodating so many people it’s really clean and organized
- Costs: Orreaga Roncesvalles was 31 euro for a dorm bed and dinner, 14 euro for lunch in town, 10 euro for breakfast at the previous hotel
- Links: Orreaga Roncesvalles Pilgrims’ Hostel
Day 4: Roncesvalles to Zubiri
I went through so many emotions this day! It was my first day walking mostly on my own– the other couples of days had been really social. I was able to focus more being by myself, for better and for worse. I was focusing a lot on how heavy my bag was! lol not good.
The day prior, I had heard some pilgrims talking about the terrain on this section. There’s some really smooth rock that was challenging to walk on, plus it had just rained. I was worried about slipping and breaking an ank lol. But I just took it step by step, and it ended up being totally fine with my walking sticks. You can take a taxi to skip certain sections if you need to!
I was absolutely exhausted when I arrived at my accommodation, but I got to work taking care of myself–showering, washing clothes, eating enough for lunch. Then I was rewarded with the most amazing meal I had ALL YEAR at this albergue for dinner. The feeling of being so tired and having someone prepare an incredible, multi- course meal with locally sourced ingredients for you felt better than I can explain. I still think about it to this day! You HAVE TO stay at this place if you can score a room–it was my favorite accommodation out of everywhere I stayed during stage 1 of the Camino.
- Distance covered: about 14 miles
- Time: just under 6 hours
- Challenges: I felt physically drained this day, walking on the section with very smooth/slick/slanted rock
- Highlights: I was proud that I took care of myself despite my exhaustion. That was one of my goals for this Camino–to trust that I would show up for myself in those simple but important ways every single day no matter how tired or mentally drained I was. I had one of the best meals of my life this day. Lots of lessons learned this day through the highs and lows.
- Costs: I had breakfast at Orreaga Roncesvalles but I can’t remember how much it was, 34 euro for dorm room and dinner at Albergue Susiea, 11 euro for tuna in tomato sauce and a glass of wine in town, 1.5 euro for a beer in the garden of the albergue
- Links: Albergue Suseia *best ever you have to stay here and have dinner!! dinner only served in April, May, and Sept*
Day 5: Zubiri to Pamplona
Pamplona is the biggest town you’ll cross during stage 1 of the Camino. It’s worth staying an extra day here and building in a rest day in my opinion. There’s lots of shops if you need to buy anything or switch out any of your gear. There was also a decent amount to explore if you have the energy! You might have heard of Pamplona before–it’s where the famous running of the bulls takes place every July.
- Distance covered: about 13 miles
- Time: 5 and 1/2 hours
- Challenges: can’t think of anything super tough this day just had general fatigue
- Highlights: making it to the big city and treating myself to a nice hotel room and room service, very cute albergue with outdoor seating along the way
- Costs: 12.60 euro for a burger and glass of wine, 2 euro for cookie, 2 nights at Hotel Pompaelo was 207 euro
- Links: Hotel Pompaelo Urban Spa, La Parada de Zuriain
Day 6: Rest day in Pamplona
Since walking stage 1 of the Camino was technically my vacation for the year, I wanted to treat myself to a spa day. I relaxed in the hot tub in the hotel spa and then got a massage. In the evening, I met up with fellow pilgrims for pintxos and more wine.
- Distance covered: none!
- Challenges: Resting is not a challenge for me! lol.
- Highlights: spa day, finally trying some pintxos
- Costs: 50 euro for the massage, 8 euro for breakfast, my friend paid for the food
- Links: Hotel Pompaelo Urban Spa
Day 7: Pamplona to Puente La Reina
This was the day I finally caved and paid for luggage transfer. I was curious how I’d feel each day if I didn’t have the weight of my bag on my mind so much. This ended up being one of my favorite days on the Camino. The landscape was gorgeous, and this was also the day I made it to the famous sculpture. The albergue I stayed at was soooo nice with a cute wine garden. I had a wonderful dining experience here as well. Even as a solo traveler, I ended up talking to the women at the table next to me which was lovely.
- Distance covered: about 14 miles
- Time: 6 hours
- Challenges: walking the downhill section with lots of loose rocks
- Highlights: feeling strong, seeing the breeze blow through the long grass and wheat, photo op at the Monument of the Alto de Perdon, you’re high up there so the views are also great, wine in the garden at the albergue while reading a good book, multi-course meal and lovely conversation for dinner
- Costs: 5 euro for bag transfer, 8 euro for breakfast, 4.50 euro for a sandwich for lunch, 3 euro for wine, 81 euro for accommodation and dinner and breakfast the next morning at the albergue
- Links: Albergue Jakue *highly recommend*
Day 8: Puente La Reina to Estella
The Camino was a journey of highs and lows, and this day ended up being so challenging for me. There were some really pretty vineyard views, but what I remember most is being so exhausted when I arrived in Estella. It took everything out of me, but I stayed true to my goal of taking care of myself. I drank a Liquid IV to help rehydrate, I showered and took myself out for a meal, and I got laundry done. Many lessons are learned on the days you have to dig deep.
- Distance covered: about 13 miles
- Time: 6 hours
- Challenges: exhaustion really took over this day
- Highlights: showing up for myself despite being so drained, the view of the bridge walking out of Puente La Reina, ate one of the best chocolate croissants of my life
- Costs: I didn’t write down how much my dinner cost, Alda Estella Hostel was 63 euro, bag transfer was 6 euro, I got a croissant for 1.75 euro and a smoothie for 3.50 euro along the way
- Links: Alda Estella Hostel
Day 9: Estella to Los Arcos
The rollercoaster continued because after such a tough day 8, I had another one of my favorite days on day 9. The walk this day was through various small towns which I enjoyed. You also pass the famous wine fountain on this section of the trail, but it was a holiday when I walked and the fountain was off. I can’t believe there’s an old fountain that offers free wine to anyone passing by–only in Spain! Apparently the wine is not good, haha, but I wish I could have tried it for myself.
When I arrived in Los Arcos I headed to one of the pilgrim dinners in town. It was one of my favorite meals of the trip! They were really busy, and they asked a few groups if we’d be willing to share a table. In the spirit of the Camino we all said yes. I sat with a couple from San Francisco and a dad/daughter duo from France. The conversation was amazing, and we even ordered an extra bottle of wine to enjoy each others’ company over more drinks.
- Distance covered: 15 miles
- Time: 7 and 1/2 hours including a stop for breakfast
- Challenges: a bit of incline in the morning
- Highlights: passing the Irache Wine Fountain, extending our pilgrim dinner with another bottle of wine, finally found a shell to hang on my bag, walking through rural towns
- Costs: 6 euro for bag transfer, breakfast cost 6 or 7 euro, bought 5 euro worth of snacks at a store, pilgrim dinner plus a bottle of wine was 20 euro, hostal cost 81 euro
- Links: Hostal Suetxe
Day 10: Los Arcos to Viana
I had been walking the past few days mostly solo, but I walked with a fellow pilgrim on day 10 that I had met back in Roncesvalles and spent time with in Pamplona. This day felt very long despite being a shorter distance, so it was lovely to walk together. We had lunch along the way and a nice dinner once we made it to Viana. Viana was stunning! I so enjoyed being out in town in the evening.
- Distance covered: about 11 miles
- Time: 6 hours
- Challenges: there were many uncovered sections this day and it was HOT
- Highlights: being out and about in Viana, sharing meals and conversation with my friend Doreen
- Costs: 6 euro for bag transfer, 2.70 euro for coffee and a croissant, 10 euro for lunch in Torrez del Rio, 10 euro to pay for breakfast at the hotel on day 11, hotel cost 53 euro, I think Doreen paid for my dinner! So kind! I also had wine at the hotel this day but I can’t remember how much that was.
- Links: Hotel Palacio de Pujadas by Mij
Day 11: Viana to Logroño
This was my last day walking stage 1 of the Camino and one of my shortest days on the trail. It was sad coming to an end because I felt like I was finally starting to hit my stride. I made it to Logroño very early in the afternoon and spent a few hours relaxing at a cafe with a good book. I went into town in the evening and treated myself to a lovely solo dinner. I didn’t feel overly pressured to explore Logroño because when I come back to do stage 2, I’ll be here again! Apparently Logroño has the best pintxos on the whole Camino.
- Distance covered: about 6 miles
- Time: 2 hours
- Challenges: I was sad to be heading back to Barcelona the next day.
- Highlights: completing stage 1 of the Camino, having so much free time to journal and read in the town square
- Costs: 6 euro bag transfer, 20 euro for dinner, 22 euro for bed in a dorm room, I did not write down my cost for the cafe.
- Links: Winederful Hostel and Cafe
Travel Day Back to Barcelona
It was more straightforward to get from Logroño back to Barcelona. I took a 6 hour bus.
- Booked via Alsa
- Cost 40 dollars
Stage 1 of the Camino de Santiago: Conclusion
The days on the Camino were so enjoyable. All I had to do was walk and drink wine! haha. It was such a physical challenge while also being so relaxing in its own way. There was time to think and daydream, listen to podcasts, journal, read multiple books, talk to fellow pilgrims, see gorgeous landscapes and drinks lots of good, local wine. It was a very simple trip in terms of activities and accommodation, but so luxurious in terms of being able to take such quality time for yourself. When do we get to do that in life for a prolonged period of time?
The inner journey I experienced while walking stage 1 of the Camino was just as beautiful as the landscapes and towns I journeyed through externally. I got so much out of this experience and the lessons are still with me today. If you feel called to do the Camino, I highly recommend making it happen! I hope this guide will be helpful to you in the planning stages, especially if you can’t tackle the whole thing in one go.
You Might Also Like
Camino de Santiago Female Packing List (here’s the link for my packing list again 🙂 )
The Year of Spanish: 2023 in Review (how my travels panned out in 2023 with the goal of learning Spanish at the forefront)
vanhalla adventures youtube playlist (I enjoyed watching her videos about the Camino to help me get a sense of what to expect and to get excited for my own trip.)
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