Camino De Santiago – Self Guided

Self Guided Walks on the Camino de Santiago

Highlights

Begin on the French/Spanish border and walk to Pamplona or Logrono.
Includes accommodation in various hotels each night and breakfast.
Your luggage is transferred for you so you can just bring a small backpack,
A choice of how many days you wish to walk.
Time to explore the wonderful cities of Pamplona and Logrono.
Walk carefree in the knowledge that all your accommodation is pre-booked.

Select number of days when booking. (Choice of 5, 7, 8 or 10 days, See below)

Cost:

5 Day: Cost: €480, Single supplement: + €125
7 Day: Cost: €585, Single supplement: + €175
8 Day, Cost: €640, Single supplement: + €200
10 Day: Cost: €755, Single supplement: + €250

Select number of days while booking.
Secure your Booking Now with Just 10% Deposit.

Tour Description

Camino de Santiago – Self-Guided

St Jean Pied De Port – Pamplona – Logrono (Choice of destination)

The Camino De Santiago is a long distance trail with its origins in many countries.

The final destination is in Santiago de Compostela in North West Spain. This is the way of St James and is the most famous walking route in the world.

This section covers the start of the most popular route, The Camino Frances (French Way) starting in St Jean Pied De Port in France and taking in the first few days of the Camino through the Pyrenees and into the Navarra and Rioja regions of Northern Spain. This is a wonderful part of the trail and will give you a real taste of this famous walk.

The trail is a real delight and you pass through so many small villages and towns where you can stop and enjoy a glass of wine and talk to others you are sure to meet along the way. There are also a few cities along the way on this section including Pamplona (famous for the running of the Bulls and Hemingway) and Logono which is another beautiful city full of fine restaurants, cafes, shops, museums and of course the wonderful wines of Rioja.

Apart from the walk in the Pyrenees you are usually not too far from one town to the next along this trail so food and drink can be bought along the way. Bringing just a small packed lunch and water to get you along your way.

Itinerary

The Camino from St Jean Pied De Port – Pamplona – Logrono

Day 1: St Jean de Port

Travel to St Jean Pied de Port. This town is the ancient capital of the Basque region with a great medieval atmosphere in its narrow streets. When you arrive here depending on your flight you will have plenty of time to look about the town, get your passports stamped. Do visit the Passport and information office as they will be able to give you some fine tips for along the way. Then you relax over a bite to eat at your hotel and get yourself prepared for the following days walk.

Day 2: St Jean de Port – Roncesvalles – 25.1Km

Start your walk along the Camino. This will be the hardest day of walking in this itinerary so make sure you get an early start. You will have a choice of taking two routes the higher and more scenic Napoleon Route named after the Great French General, the way he would take his troops into Spain or there is also a lower route.

The “Napoloen Route” is the steeper of the route options but the most scenic and definitely the most popular. The ground can be steep in places but there is a lot of downhill as well. You will be making your way into Spain across the Pyrenees today into the town of Roncesvalles. The town of Roncesvalles (Orreaga in Basque) has a very medieval feel to it and is the important gateway to the Camino for the Spanish side.
(Luggage Transfer To Roncesvalles)

Day 3: Roncesvalles – Zubiri – 22Km

Today’s walk will be a mix of woodland and open countryside and you are still at a height of about 900m so there is still a lot more down than up to go. It is also mainly quite track with very little road. You will be crossing the Puente de la Rabia (medieval bridge) so called because it was believed that any animal led 3 times around the central arch would be cured of rabies. Zubiri itself has a population of approx 400 and has grocery shop, bank and church.
(Luggage Transfer To Zubiri)

Day 4: Zubiri – Pamplona – 21Km

The path today is a tranquil walk crisscrossing the Rio Argo for the first half and the rest will bring you along busy main road leading into the town Pamplona. There are plenty of shaded areas along the way to cool down and water fonts as well. Pamplona itself is a beautiful city and the Camino trail passes right through the heart of it. After you have checked into your accommodation here there is plenty to explore in this city. This is the perfect place to stop for a day or two and that is why we suggest a rest day here to nurse your feet and take the weight off.
(Luggage Transfer To Pamplona)

Day 5: Rest Day in Pamplona

This is a university city with a population of approx 200,000 and of course most famous these days for San Fermin (Bull Run).
You can easily spend the day here exploring the museums, cathedrals, shops, restaurants and bars in the old part of the city.

Day 6: Pamplona to Puente La Reina. 21 Km

The trail today is mainly quite path. There is how ever some hills to cross but these offer great views across Pamplona behind you and to the west of you the Arga Valley opens up and the villages you pass through ahead. The scenery is quite different from what you have walked through before with open farmland around you. Eventually you will make your way into the small medieval town of Puente La Reina.
(Luggage Transfer To Puente La Reina)

Day 7: Puente La Reina – Estella – 21.9Km

Today’s walk continues through some wonderful open farmland with a little incline at the start but is quite flat after this leading to lovely peaceful walk all the way to Estella. You pass few through quite a few villages along this way so plenty of chances to get water, snacks etc. You will also be walking along some ancient Roman built roads.
(Luggage Transfer To Estella)

Day 8: Estella – Los Arcos 21.1Km

The majority of this days walk is on delightful natural paths, through some oak and pine forests at the start. The last stretch towards Los Arcos brings us through open vineyards and countryside. You will need to bring snacks and water for today’s walk with you.
(Luggage forwarded to Los Arcos)

Day 9: Los Arcos – Logrono 28.6Km

Today is the last day of walking on this section and hopefully by now you will have a real feel for the Camino and why it is so popular. 75% of todays track is on wonderful natural path through open arable farmland. This a long stage with limited shade and water fonts, so bring some snacks and plenty of water. Just before you Logrono you enter into the great wine producing region of Rioja.

Logrono is another lively University of Northern Spain with a population of approx 130,000 and the capital of La Rioja. It is a beautiful city with a blend of medieval and modern. There are plenty of bars, restaurants and shops centred around the main pedestrian street of c/ de Portales. So you can kick the boots of for the last time and unwind in this wonderful city.

Day 10: Hasta luego to the Camino for now…

Today after some breakfast and getting your things together say Goodbye to the Camino for Now.

Tailored Walk: If you would prefer not to walk through the Pyrenees or choose alternative starting point or destination we can also organise this for you.

What to Bring

Here is a short list of extras you will need to bring along for this walking holiday.

Essentials in your walking Day Pack:

Water, snack, sun hat, sun cream, sun glasses, rain-gear.
blister plasters for you feet, lip balm. small first aid.

A typical walking day pack is approx 25L – No heavier than 8Kg.

Strong walking shoes or boots are necessary.
Walking trousers /shorts, not jeans
Polyester T-shirts, not cotton
Good walking socks.
Mostly, one good water bottle is fine, you can refill along the way.
It can rain heavily, so have good waterproofs.
Don’t forget your earplugs.
Small torch.

Note: In most areas you can wash clothes, so there is no need to take too many extra clothes.

Personal Medical Equipment

Suntan lotion
Antiseptic cream (e.g. Neosporin or similar)
Lip balm (e.g. Chapstick or similar)
Cloth tape for blisters (also good to use before the blister forms, for prevention)
Band-aids, again primarily for blisters
Sterile gauze bandages for emergencies

Very Important:

Check Your Passport is in date and you have adequate Travel Insurance.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions:

The walks and fitness

The walks on this tour are generally of a moderate to a strenuous level.
A good reasonable level of fitness is required.
You can walk at your own pace and the route is very well sign posted.

The Accommodation:

We choose our accommodation very carefully and use a mix of quality Guest houses and hotels.
The accommodation providers are well used to us bringing them guests after a days walk.
They know that they somewhere comfortable to relax and freshen up.

Food along the Camino

There is a wide variety of food in both France and Spain. Meals can be relatively cheap, depending on your choice.
Note: It can be difficult to get a vegetarian dish in Spain as traditionally they do enjoy their meat.

Breakfasts: are included and can range from size depending on accommodation.

Lunches for the walks: There are plenty of places that you can purchase a snack along the way.

Evening Meals : Meals are available in all the towns you pass through and are very reasonably priced with a wide selection to choose from. Most places will offer a Pilgrim dish which is usually very good value.

The walks and fitness

The walks on this tour are generally of a moderate to a strenuous level.
A good reasonable level of fitness is required.
You can walk at your own pace and the route is very well sign posted.

The Accommodation:

Food along the Camino

There is a wide variety of food in both France and Spain. Meals can be relatively cheap, depending on your choice.
Breakfasts: are included and can range from size depending on accommodation.
Lunches for the walks: There are plenty of places that you can purchase a snack along the way.
Evening Meals : Meals are available in all the towns you pass through and are very reasonably priced with a wide selection to choose from. Most places will offer a Pilgrim dish which is usually very good value.