Section 2
Roncesvalles to Pamplona
After the gruelling climb over the Pyrenees, you’ll be relieved to hear it’s mostly downhill or flat from Roncesvalles all the way to Pamplona. This next 50 km (31 miles) stretch through Navarre and the Basque Country typically takes two days, with beautiful walking through shady forests, riverside paths, meadows, and quiet little villages. You’ll cross old stone bridges and follow the gentle flow of the Arga River all the way toward the historic and often frenetic city of Pamplona.
Roncesvalles
754 km (469 miles) to Santiago
Don’t count on a lie-in at the monastery. The volunteers come through the dorms singing, rousing everyone at 6 am sharp. You don’t really have a choice. Time to get moving. There’s no breakfast served at the albergue, but there are a few vending machines downstairs if you want a quick coffee in a plastic cup before you head out.
Roncesvalles can be very busy in the morning. As well as those who have walked from Saint-Jean, many pilgrims begin their Camino here, as it is a popular starting point too, especially among Spanish pilgrims, and everyone seems to want to set off at exactly the same time. If you are not in a rush, it is often nicer to hang back for a coffee and let the wave roll on ahead.
I recommend dropping into Café Sabina, which usually opens around 8 am, and having a proper coffee and a croissant before setting off. By the time you hit the trail, the crowds will have thinned, and birdsong will have replaced the clatter of boots and trekking poles.
Leaving Roncesvalles couldn’t be easier; just look for the road sign that says “Santiago de Compostela 790km” and grab the obligatory selfie in front of it! The Camino path is just to the right of the sign. And if you’re wondering why it says 790km when your guidebook insists it’s 754, that’s because the road takes a more winding route, while the Camino goes more or less as the crow flies.
The path to Burguete winds gently downhill through peaceful beech and oak forests. Along the way, you’ll pass La Cruz Blanca, the White Cross, also known as Roland’s Cross, which was placed here in the 1600s to purify the forest of witches. Apparently, there were a few lurking around back then.
Burgete
751 km (46 miles) to Santiago
The first village you will reach is Burguete. If you did not get breakfast in Roncesvalles, do not worry; there are a couple of cafés in the village, and I particularly like El Bar Del Frontón, next to the church. Burguete is probably best known as the fishing retreat of Jake Barnes, the main character in The Sun Also Rises, which is definitely worth reading before your Camino to immerse yourself in the Spanish spirit. When Hemingway wasn’t caught up in the hedonistic frenzy of Pamplona’s festivals and bullfights, he came here for the tranquillity and the trout fishing. He stayed at Hotel Burguete, which is still very much in business.
As you walk through the village, keep an eye out for a sharp right turn back onto the path; it’s easily missed. Interestingly, until now you have been walking mostly south, and now, for the first time, you are turning decisively west toward Santiago.
Espinal
747 km (464 miles) to Santiago
The walk from Burguete to Espinal is a gentle, relatively flat trail that winds through peaceful forests. As you approach Espinal, the trees begin to thin, and the village appears tucked into the rolling hills. It’s a quiet place with a few bars, perfect for a coffee stop.
Bizkarreta
742 km (461 miles) to Santiago
Continue your walk to the little village of Bizkarreta. As you enter, you’ll spot a cute café on the left with a giant, old-fashioned weighing scale out front. Hop on and note your weight here, then again in Santiago to see what the road has taken or given. The café itself is a lovely stop for a cold drink or a quick snack, with a few shaded tables outside.
As you leave Bizkarreta, you’ll come across Kili Kili, a quirky little outdoor library sitting in a field. Weathered bookshelves hold books you can take to read while walking, then leave for another pilgrim farther along the Camino. The name Kili Kili comes from the Basque word meaning “tickle”, as in tickle your imagination. The place is just charming.
Zuibiri
733 km (456 miles) to Santiago
The stretch down to Zubiri gets steeper and rockier. It’s tough on the knees, so take it slow. When you reach the village, you leave the path and cross the River Arga over an old stone bridge called Puente de la Rabia (The Rabies Bridge). Local tradition says if you walk your animals across it three times, it’ll cure them of rabies. No idea if it works, not sure if I will ever get a chance to test the theory.
The river here is perfect for soaking tired feet. Even if you’re not planning to stop in Zubiri, it’s a great spot to rest for a while. I once spent a lovely afternoon here, “Basqueing in the sun”, pardon the pun.
There are plenty of good places to eat and sleep in Zubiri, including a fine municipal albergue, but my favourite is Albergue Suseia, run by Sara, who is incredibly warm and attentive. It has a really friendly atmosphere, comfy bunks (just 12 of them), a lovely garden, and a cracking communal dinner with four home-cooked courses featuring local ingredients and great vegetarian options.
By now, you’ve probably noticed I’m a big fan of albergues that offer a communal meal. Sitting around a long table, meeting people from all over the world, and swapping stories is one of the great joys of the Camino. Suseia is one of those places, and it fills up fast, so book well ahead. Easily one of my favourite stays on the entire Camino.
Quick Insight
You have been walking through the Basque Country for the last few days, so who exactly are the Basques?
The Basques are often described as Europe’s most ancient people, having inhabited this rugged corner of northern Spain and a slice of southwest France for millennia.
They have a strong, proud identity and distinctive DNA, and have outlasted or resisted the Romans, the Visigoths, and almost everyone else who has passed through the region over the centuries.
Their language, Euskara, is full of letters the rest of us tend to avoid, like K, X, and Z, and it remains a real mystery. It is unrelated to Spanish, French, or any other European language, and no one is entirely sure of its origin. Many linguists believe it may be the last surviving link to a prehistoric language spoken in Western Europe before Indo-European languages spread across the continent thousands of years ago.
Another thing you will quickly notice is how much the Basques love their flag. It is a bit like the Union Jack in layout, but red, green, and white, and you will see it everywhere, flying from flagpoles, hanging from balconies, and painted on walls.
They have their own traditional sport, pelota, too, which is like handball played against a wall. The court is called a frontón, and once you know what to look for, you will start spotting them everywhere. They are like handball alleys, usually painted green and 8 to 12 metres high.
The Basques also claim to have discovered the Americas long before Columbus. Their national dish is cod, found mostly in the cold waters near Iceland, which they have been fishing for centuries before Columbus set sail. Venturing that far into the Atlantic, it is not hard to imagine they stumbled across the New World and simply kept quiet about it, to protect their fishing grounds.
Finally, the Basques love celebration and tradition. During festivals, you will often see people dressed in white with red scarves or berets.
For any history buffs, The Basque History of the World by Mark Kurlansky is an excellent read before you go.
Larrasoaña
723 km (449 miles) to Santiago
Leave Zubiri by crossing back over the bridge to rejoin the Camino. From here, the trail follows the river, crossing it several times along the way. The ground is still quite rocky, so if you are setting off early in the morning while it is dark, be sure to carry a flashlight. After about a kilometre, you pass a magnesite mine, not exactly scenic, but you skirt around it pretty quickly.
After about 5 km, you will reach Larrasoaña, a smaller village than Zubiri but another good place to rest for the night. Like Zubiri, you leave the main path and cross a small bridge to enter the village, and just like Zubiri, the river here is a lovely spot to soak your feet.
Larrasoaña has a few albergues; my favourite is at the far end of the village, Albergue Nicolás. It is a quiet, welcoming place to stay, with a small general store just across the road. The albergue has a lovely terrace, which naturally becomes the evening gathering spot for pilgrims, since there is not much else happening in the village.
Just after Larrasoaña, you will come to the tiny village of Akerreta. Fans of The Way may be interested to know that they shot one of the film’s early scenes here. This is where Tom first meets the chain-smoking Canadian, Sarah. In the movie, it appears to be a simple pilgrim hostel, but in real life, it is actually a beautifully restored 18th-century Basque farmhouse that now operates as a small rural hotel. This is also where much of the cast and crew stayed during filming. If you feel like treating yourself for a night, it is said to be a wonderful place to stay, although definitely a bit of a splurge by pilgrim standards.
Zabaldika
720 km (447 miles) to Santiago
Continue on to Zabaldika. As you come into the tiny village, the path splits. The main trail veers left, and most pilgrims follow that route, never realising what they have missed. But if you take the small path to the right, the one that climbs a little uphill, you will find a real hidden gem: the Iglesia de San Esteban, the Church of Saint Stephen. Inside the old bell tower, two ancient bells hang, and pilgrims are welcome to climb up and ring them.
Right next to the church is the Albergue Parroquial de Zabaldika, run by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart. This albergue is full of heart. A donativo, it offers simple beds, and a shared evening meal. It is calm, welcoming, and I loved every minute of it. If you are pushing on to Pamplona, still stop in and say hello.
Pamplona
700 km (435 miles) to Santiago
The walk into Pamplona is, in my humble opinion, one of the more pleasant approaches to a city on the entire Camino. Later on, you will discover that walking into the big cities usually means slogging through industrial estates and urban sprawl for what feels like hours. Not here. The path stays green, quiet, and rural right until the very end, and then suddenly you emerge at a beautiful Romanesque bridge. Cross it, and just like that, you are in the city. Just after the bridge stands a medieval monastery, Albergue de la Trinidad de Arre. I have never stayed there, but it looks peaceful and could be a good option if you are not keen on the noise and bustle of central Pamplona.
From there, it is still about five kilometres to the old city, mostly on city streets, but at least not through the dull industrial areas you encounter in some other towns. However, if you want to avoid street walking altogether, you can take a variant that follows the Arga River. Instead of crossing the bridge, just stay on the left bank and continue alongside the river. It is not officially marked, but it is easy to follow; a shady trail used by walkers and cyclists that gently winds along the river until you reach the Magdalena Bridge and rejoin the Camino. The riverside option adds a small amount of distance to your day because the river curves, while the road is more or less straight. Either way, cross the bridge and follow the short climb up the ramp along the old city walls. You will enter the historic centre through the Portal de Francia, a grand stone gate that once kept armies out and now welcomes pilgrims.
Once inside, pause on the ramparts and look back across the green valleys you have walked through. The views are stunning. Then turn around and dive into the old town.
You will experience a really odd feeling the first time you walk into a city as a pilgrim, scruffy and dusty. It is kind of disorienting in the best way, almost liberating, like the normal rules do not quite apply to you anymore, as you move through it on a completely different frequency than everyone else.
Pamplona is a fantastic Basque city, a maze of narrow cobbled stone streets, grand old churches, and bustling plazas filled with cafés and tapas bars, sorry, meant to say pintxo bars. (pronounced pincho).
You will also see lots and lots of footwear stores that do a roaring trade as pilgrims arrive and quietly reckon with choices they made at home in their living rooms. Pamplona, it seems, has also become something of an unofficial world centre of expertise in foot injuries. I wonder why.
Roman general Pompey, the same fella who fought a civil war with Julius Caesar, likely founded Pamplona around 75 BC and named it Pompaelo after himself. But this being the Basque Country, locals insist the place existed long before the Romans and was known as Iruña, the name they still use today, which simply means “the city” in Basque.
Either way, over the centuries, it grew into the capital of the old Kingdom of Navarre and one of the most important stops along the Camino. Most pilgrims hold off on rest days until Burgos or León, and Pamplona comes early enough that a rest day here can feel like a treat you have not quite earned yet. But if you can spare the time, do it. If not, arrive early and make the most of the day. There is so much to take in.
Begin at the Gothic Cathedral of Santa María la Real. The exterior can be misleading; its 18th-century façade feels more like a civic building than a soaring cathedral. But walk through the doors, and you are suddenly back in the Middle Ages. The real highlight is the cloister, widely considered one of the finest Gothic cloisters in Europe. A cloister, if you are wondering, is essentially a peaceful enclosed garden for quiet reflection, and if the terminology of church architecture is not familiar to you, do not worry; there is an entire chapter later in the book dedicated to exactly that.
From there, wander downhill into the old town and trace the route of El Encierro, the famous bull run. Just 850 metres long, it winds through the historic centre from the baroque Town Hall to the bullring and is easy to follow, with plaques and ground markings showing the exact path the bulls take each July.
After that, it is about a ten-minute walk to the Citadel. One of the best-preserved Renaissance fortresses in Spain, it is a striking contrast to the narrow medieval streets of the old town. The fortress, built during the reign of King Philip II in the late 1500s, was designed as a star-shaped military fortress with thick stone walls and wide open spaces. Today, it feels more like a peaceful park than a defensive structure, a relaxed spot to stroll, sit on the grass, or simply take a breather. While you are there, it is also worth calling into the Pilgrim Welcome and Interpretation Centre, a great place to explore the history of the Camino.
www.pamplona.es/en/turismo/caminodesantiago/ultreia
Finally, lose yourself in the winding streets on a slow Hemingway-inspired bar crawl, drifting through the cafés and taverns he immortalised in The Sun Also Rises. Stop for pintxos and a glass of Navarra wine at some of his old haunts like Bar Txoko, peek into Hotel La Perla where he used to stay, and finish at the grand Café Iruña on Plaza del Castillo, where you can find his bronze statue, order a drink, and raise a glass to Papa.
Pamplona has plenty of accommodation options. Albergue Jesús y María is the classic choice, a large, popular albergue near the cathedral. It fills up fast in peak season, and if you arrive late, you may miss out on a bed, though they’re known for finding space somewhere, even if that means the floor of a nearby school gym. A little extra hardship now and then makes you feel like a proper pilgrim.
There is also a donativo albergue called Betania, a relatively recent addition to the Camino that’s quickly building an excellent reputation. The albergue opened in 2024 and occupies a beautifully restored 17th-century convent. I haven’t stayed there myself yet, but I’ve heard consistently good reports. It has just 14 bunk beds and is still a bit under the radar, so it’s usually not full.
Each evening, there’s a communal dinner, and afterwards, pilgrims are invited into the attached baroque church for quiet reflection and music. It’s run by Father César and, by all accounts, it’s very special.
Some pilgrims choose to start their Camino in Pamplona, which is a handy option if you’re short on time or simply want to skip the tougher mountain stages. Regular buses and trains from Madrid and Barcelona connect the city well; journey times typically range from 3.5 to 6 hours, depending on the service. The train station is about a 20-minute walk from the old town.
There is also a small airport on the city’s outskirts with only a handful of routes, but there are usually a few daily flights from Madrid taking about an hour. If you book ahead, they are often not much more expensive than the train and can save you a bit of time.
Quick Insight
Hemingway once described Pamplona as “the hell-raising capital of the world”, and it definitely is for nine days every July. From the 6th to the 14th of July, around a million people descend on Pamplona for the world-famous Running of the Bulls.
The festival honours Saint Fermín, a third-century Christian martyr. The bull run itself grew out of the old tradition of herding fighting bulls from outside the city into the bullring. At some point, someone decided it would be a good idea to run in front of them.
Every morning at 8 a.m. during the festival, thousands of thrill seekers race through the narrow cobbled streets of Pamplona with six half-tonne bulls thundering along behind them. For something so famous, it’s remarkably brief. The whole spectacle is over in minutes.
If you want a decent view, arrive before 6 a.m. and claim a place against the barriers; otherwise you’ll end up several rows back with a splendid view of the backs of people’s heads.
You can also buy tickets for the bullring itself and watch the bulls and runners enter the arena. Morning tickets are usually around €15.
Best of all, rent a balcony overlooking the route. It isn’t cheap, though, with prices typically ranging from €150 to €350 per person, but it’s an unforgettable experience. Most balconies are in private apartments whose owners rent them out during the festival. You normally arrive between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. and the hosts will serve you coffee and pastries while you wait for the action to begin.
The most sought-after balconies overlook Mercaderes Curve, known as “Dead Man’s Curve”, where the bulls have to make a sharp 90-degree turn. It is one of the most dangerous points on the route, where most of the pile-ups occur. Others prefer Estafeta Street, the longest stretch of the course, where the bulls are usually at full speed.
The same bulls that charge through the streets during the morning run face the matadors that evening. The bullfight starts at 6:30 p.m. and continues until around 11 p.m. Getting tickets is not easy. Most of the 20,000 seats are owned by local peñas (social groups) and families who have held them for generations, with only around 10% released to the general public each year. You can buy tickets from a handful of specialist websites or directly from the bullring ticket office. Prices start at around €50 for seats in the sunny lower tiers and can climb to €400 or more for the most sought-after shaded seats higher up.
When not running with the bulls, people are partying. Everyone dresses in white with red scarves; parades seem to appear around every corner with giant puppets and marching bands. Wine is sprayed everywhere, and bars never seem to close. The place runs on noise and drunken adrenaline. It’s all a bit mad. Brilliant, chaotic, exhausting, and completely bonkers. People sleep wherever they can find a patch of ground, and the celebrations never really stop until the final night, when the crowds gather beneath the town hall balconies to sing “Probe de Mí,” or “Poor Me.” After nine days of almost nonstop raucous celebrations, San Fermín finally ends.
Not everyone is a fan of bull running and bullfighting, the very concept disgusts many. If that’s you, then there is an alternative event called the Running of the Nudes on the 5th of July, the day before the festival begins. Participants run through the streets naked to protest against bullfighting and raise awareness of animal welfare concerns.
For pilgrims, it may be all a bit much: the stench of urine and beer, the massively inflated prices, and the booked-out accommodation. If you are looking for the ultimate party, this is the place to be; if not, maybe consider staying in a village on either side of Pamplona and passing through the city during the day. And don’t worry, if seeing a bull run is on your bucket list, there is a good chance you’ll stumble across one at a smaller local fiesta further along the Camino.
