After Roncesvalles, the pilgrim walks through the lower Navarre valleys at the foothills of the Pyrenees. Of the many rivers that flow out of the mountains, the Río Arga will continue along your camino path past Pamplona and through to Puente la Reina before continuing on to meet the mighty Río Ebro as it journeys […]
There will be lots of opportunities on the camino to experience the special tastes of the Spanish kitchen. Some of those flavors are uniquely regional and can only be sampled “at the source”. This is certainly true of the wine “Txakoli (chack-oh-lee) or Chacolí in Spanish. It is popular with people of the Basque Country (El […]
After climbing the Alto de Perdón past Pamplona, the pilgrim sees the vast Valdizarbe below them. Like pearls on a necklace, the towns of Uterga, Legarda, Muruzábal and Óbanos stretch forward in the distance to Puente la Reina, the stopping point of Stage 4. Strong, solid houses are typical of the Navarran style as you […]
First day of fall. Great time to be walking along the camino. Wine harvest in full swing. The crops have been taken off and all that remains is the stubble in the sun-baked fields. The colour palette is less vibrant, more muted. These trees in their fall foliage at Monasterio de San Zoilo in Carrion […]
It’s not necessarily shared rooms on the Camino every night. A little luxury can be a great tonic. The Posadas del Camino was created in 2007 for the purpose of bringing together, under a common seal of quality, the most prestigious and best-rated Hotels, Inns and other types of accommodation along the Camino Francés. They […]
Like the proverbial carrot dangling in front of the donkey, the scallop shell is always before you. Hanging from the many backpacks that you walk behind, embedded in the pavement of the streets that you tread, in the light standards illuminating the night or carved into the stones along the route, this may be the […]
A speciality of northern Spain, these mainstays of the food scene are related to “tapas”. Bigger than tapas, it is almost always served on a piece of bread with some tasty topping like fish (hake, cod or anchovy), tortilla, stuffed peppers or croquetas. Toothpicks hold it all together. That toothpick in the middle is […]
They say that your hardest day on the Camino will be your first. Climbing the Pyrenees towards Roncesvalles from Saint-Jean-Pied-du-Port will test your endurance right out of the gate. If you take the Route de Napoléon straight over the top, you will pass the Virgén de Biakorri at the Pic d’Orisson. Perched on a rocky […]
A journey of 800 km. begins with the first step. Crossing the Pilgrim’s bridge over the River Nive at Saint-Jean-Pied-du-Port to begin the climb over the Pyrenees and start the Camino de Santiago. There will be a lot of uphill and then a lot of downhill crossing over the Pyrenees. Don’t rush it, the […]
Pamplona is the first major city the pilgrim reaches after descending from the Pyrenees. It is also the largest city along the Camino Francés and the historic capital of the ancient kingdom of Navarra. Over 90% of the wine production of Navarra is red. The main grape variety is tempranillo, but other types such as garnacha […]