Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Pamplona

You’ll be booked into a hotel in the heart of the small town. While in town, you should visit the 14th Century Gothic church, Notre-Dame-du-Bout-du-Pont, the hilltop citadel (remodelled in the 17th Century), and follow the cobbled Rue de la Citadelle downhill and over the river for views back over St-Jean-Pied-De-Port.

This first day is considered the most difficult as the Camino crosses the Pyrenees. The ‘Camino Napoleon’ kicks off with a steep climb, on through orchards and then, later, through Alpine-style meadows, before weaving its way alongside leafy beech woods towards the Spanish border. The Valcarlos Camino mainly follows the road which runs through the valley alongside the River Nive or River Valcarlos. Don’t miss the Collegiate Church as you descend into Roncesvalles.
If you would like to walk at a more relaxed pace, we can arrange one of 3 options:

1. A stay in the Refuge Orisson (basic accommodation but welcoming) halfway to split the day into 2.
2. Stay 2 nights in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and use a taxi lift from/to Refuge Orisson.
3. An alternative route via Valcarlos that splits this walking day into two stages (12km and 14km). Here you will be staying in a 2-star hotel. This route through Valcarlos is not part of the usual Camino Frances itinerary and the walk is not as rewarding as it follows the main road.
   IMPORTANT: The Napoleon Route over the Pyrenees is closed for pilgrims from the 1 November until the 31 March. Pilgrims need to use the alternative route via Valcarlos if they are travelling within these dates. Travelling on the Napoleon Route at this time is forbidden and all pilgrims going over the Pyrenees and having to be rescued before that time will be fined €5,000.

The Camino crosses two beautiful mountain passes and continues on through woods and meadows before coming to Espinal, where the panoramic views of the countryside, with the Pyrenees in the background, are a sight to behold. The River Arga runs alongside this part of the Camino and continues its course all the way to Larrasoana.

The Camino runs along the River Arga, at the foot of a group of hills covered in beech, oak and Scots pine trees. As we approach Pamplona, the town famous for its ‘Running of the Bulls’ festival in San Fermin each July, the landscape shows more signs of civilisation, with reforested planted conifers and farmlands increasingly prevalent.

After breakfast, we bid you farewell. There is a lot to see and do in Pamplona, but we recommend just walking through the city’s streets, admiring the architecture, food, and wonderful people that inspired the great Ernest Hemmingway.