Information
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from St Jean Pied de Port to Leon (yet)
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What is the camino?
Pilgrimage of the Camino de Santiago means walking, biking or riding on horse to the grave of the Saint Santiago, who is one of the Apostels of Jesus, to the town Santiago de Compostela in Galicia/ north-west Spain. There are several paths leading to Santiago de Compostella. The most popular trail is the so called "Camino Frances", which starts from the French Border either (most usual) from St Jean Pied de Port or from the Sompfort Pass - both meet at Puente la Reina- and past Burgos, Leon, Astorga before it reaches Santiago. Another camino less popular and also with less pilgrim infrastructure (e.g. refuges) goes along the Atlantic coast.click to enlarge
Camino frances
Getting there
If not walking from your country the most popular spot of starting is at St. Jean de Pied de Port. There are flights from London-Stanstead to Biarritz / France by Ryanair (ryanair.com). Outside the Airport building the bus No. 6 is going two times per hour to the train station (gare) of Bayonne ( 20 minutes, fare 1,20 Euro). The train (sncf.com) to St. Jean Pied de Port takes 1,5 hrs (one was 18.13 fare 8,20 Euro).gare Bayonne click to enlarge
If starting at the Somport pass you have to fly to the city of Pau / France, take the train to Oloron (40 minutes) and the bus five minutes later. The start at the Somport Pass is less popular but the scenery should be more gorgeous as walking from St. Jean Pied de Port.
If you do only a part of the trail, there are flights by Ryanair to Vitoria (Gasteiz), Valladolid and some airlines fly to Bilbao or Hendaye/Irun.
Bus connections are from Logrono to Pamplona and Vitoria and from Pamplona to Bilbao, Logrono, Vitoria, San Sebastian, Irun and Madrid.
When and time to go
Season: The best time is from April to October. In April, May or Oktober it could be cold and snowing in the Pyrennes (first section from St Jean Pied de Port) but in July and August it is very hot in the middle sections and also it is more crowded in Summer that increase the nearer you come to Santiago. That means running for the beds. Walking in winter should be quiet but some refugios close in winter time.Fall in the Pyrennes click to enlarge
Time to go: The total camino from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago takes 30 to 32 days, from the Somport pass calculate with 2-4 days more. Add some days more for relaxing.
Holy Years: If the 25th July - the birth day of the Saint Santiago- is on Sunday, which is 2010 and then 2021, then it is the "Holy Year" and you are supposed to have double purgatory when reaching Santiago de Compostella in this year. But it will be more crowded then.
San Fermín: Pamplona is celebrating the San Fermín from the 7th to 14th of July. The famous bull racing through the streets, reported by Hemingway, takes place at this time. All the refugios in Pamplona are closed and the hotel prices are tripled and sold out by months.
Bus and rail connections on the Camino
Train: renfe.es,
Bus: there are several bus companies in Spain. A search site
is elportaldelautobus.com,
but you have to know the Spanish province you start at.
Difficulties and dangers
The Camino is an easy-going hike through villages. Even the first stage
from St.Jean de Pied du Port to Roncavalles is not very hard for untrained
hikers. You don't need any provisions, except some field rations, alle
can be bought on the way.
Spanish people are in general open minded and very sincere. But some
people, mostly strangers, have a living on the Camino, so look after your
belongings. Women are safe and pilgrimage as a single woman is neither
a problem nor unusual, but as everywhere, be careful!
Pilgrim's "credential"
beginning the pilgrimage you should get a pilgrims pass, called "credential". You stamp the credential at every refugio or some particular places as the chruch of Eunate or the Pamplona University. The credential is a proof of your pilgrimage of the last 100 (200 km) to Santiago de Compostela and which is esential for staying in the cheap refugios. You can buy a credential at St. Jean Pied de Port in the pigramage office (2 Euro) or in Pamplona in the refugio. In the pigrimage office in St. Jean Pied de Port you alos get a list of refugios, their opening times and prices and a description of the sections.credential
stamps
Spirit of the Camino
the best of the camino is the community especially in off-season. In
high season in summer it can be different, if it too crowdy.
Accommodation
There are in regular distances refugios for staying overnight at the Camino Frances . A pilgrims pass "the credential" is required for staying there. It is a bed in a dorm, which is quite cheap from nothing to 10 Euro, mostly 4 to 6 Euros. Breakfast or dinner is only sometimes available. Some have a kitchen, most of them have showers and Internet (from free to 1 Euro 15 min.) In some refugios are washing machines and dryers. You have to leave the refugio from 8 a.m (sometimes 9 a.m.) and you have to get there mostly at 10.pm (sometimes at 11 pm), which is unfavourable, because dinner in Spanish restaurants are mostly served from 9 p.m. You can't stay more than one night in a refugio. While you can prebook refugios in France it is hardly possible in Spain.Refugio click to enlarge
Signposting and Maps
The camino is well signposted. You do not need a map. A (yellow) cross means "wrong way, don't go here!"sign click to enlarge
Food
Restaurants around the refugios often have pilgrim's menu for 6 to 12 Euro (mostly 8 to 10 Euro). This include a three course menu with red wine or water. But other menues are hardly more expensive. It is sometimes necessary to prebook them at least for one or two hours before.Spanish bar with thuna cake click to enlarge
Brekafast is often very poor. In Spanish bars you get coffee (cafe con leche = coffee with milk) and delicious bocadillos ( ) and also cakes from white bread, mayonaise, thuna and ham. The price is reasonable (1-1,50 Euro for the coffee and 1-2 Euro for the bocadillo/cake).
There are enough shops for buying food along the camino.
What to bring with you
You need a light sleeping bag for using the refugios, bedding is often
not available. There are enough shops on the road, it's not necessary to
take something with you. A torch would be useful, if you like to read in
your bed. Two walking sticks are very helpful while walking, but some bough
from a tree is useful, too. You also get some in St.Jean Pied de Port for
little money.
Literature
There are a lot of books about "el camino", travel guides and also
books about the writer's experience and feelings there.
Links:
El Camino: csj.org.uk,
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es,
espritduchemin.org,
Regiones: turgalicia.es,
santiagoturismo.com,
euskadi.net
(Basque), bilbao.net,
navarra.es,
larioja.org/turismo,
turismocastillayleon.com,
diverses: esplaya.com
(beaches), fiestasatope.com (fiestas),
Train and busses: renfe.es
(train), Bus: elportaldelautobus.com,
other pilgrim trails : Montepaolo/Dovadola
- Assissi in Italy : camminodiassisi.it,
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is welcome!
Excuse my English, that is not my native language, thanks!