French Way of Saint James
Guide to the French Way of Saint James. A route of 778 km through northern Spain from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela and Finisterre.on the Galician coast. The route usually takes 4 to 5 weeks.
The essentials
- El Camino "
- Practical guide "
- The route: the French Way "
- What they never told you about the French WayAdvice, information on pilgrim hostels and much more "
El Camino
Practical guide
This guide is the ideal companion to the Spanish section of the Camino de Santiago. The walk from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago can be completed in four to five weeks by anyone with a reasonable level of fitness and who also likes to visit the varied places of interest along the way. It can also be done in sections by those who do not have time to do it all in one go or who only want to cover certain sections. In addition to the description of the route, the guide also includes maps of the stages, information on accommodation, access and where to get the pilgrim's stamp in towns and villages. A detailed introduction informs about the long history of the Camino de Santiago and advises on what to take and how to manage a long-distance trail.
- Signage, route planning and maps
- Descriptions of the many historic shrines, churches, towns and cities visited.
- Preparation and planning
- How to get there and back
- Recommended equipment
- Accommodation, information on each pilgrims' hostel.
- Food
- Postal services
- Phones
When to go?
The main season for this section of the Camino route is from May onwards, in time to reach Santiago on 25 July. This can mean very hot weather!
Reference Cities & Services
The centres of passage are Roncesvalles, Pamplona, Burgos, León, Astorga, Sarria, Santiago de Compostela and Finisterre.
Difficulty
The Camino de Santiago is not technically difficult. A long walk in what can be difficult hot and dry conditions.
Not to be missed
Arriving in Santiago de Compostela, crossing the Pyrenees, the camaraderie of the people you meet along the way, the architecture, the history and the ever-changing landscape.
The route: French Way
How have we planned the stages?
Ancient roads, medieval churches, castles, towering mountains, and following in the footsteps of history for 1500 km in France and Spain. It is an enormous distance, and this pilgrimage through Spain covers the last 778 kilometres of the route.
Sections
It is divided into sections:
- Saint-Jean-de-Pied-de-Port to Roncesvalles (in the Pyrenees)
- Roncesvalles to Burgos
- Burgos to León
- León to Sarria
- Sarria to Santiago de Compostela
- Santiago de Compostela to Finisterre. It also includes another section from Santiago to "the ends of the earth" at Finisterre, on the Atlantic coast.
Variants:
The French section of the route is covered in the following guide: The Way of Saint James in France: from Le Puy to the Pyrenees".. The other routes of the Camino, such as the North Road, English Way" y Primitive Way" are alternative routes from the Pyrenees to Santiago.
