Camino Frances Walking Stages : My Step By Step Daily Guide for the Camino de Santiago

Created by Colleen | Updated : 6 December 2024 | ,

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I’ve walked the Camino Frances eight times over the last 11 years; both solo and leading groups. With so much knowledge I decided to create comprehensive guides for each of the Camino Frances walking stages.

My aim is to help you prepare for your journey, with practical tips, personal insights, and snippets of historical background.   

Deciding to walk the Camino de Santiago is a huge undertaking.  I remember reading names of places and village and towns and wondering if they’d ever make sense to me.  I remember trying to make a plan without any real understanding of the route or the terrain.  If you feel like me then keep reading.

Scallop Shells for sale on the Camino Frances

My Stages Along The Camino Frances

The Camino Frances, also called the French Way, is the most iconic of all the Camino routes. It spans nearly 800 kilometres from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

The route, now divided into manageable daily walking stages, offers breathtaking landscapes, cultural landmarks, and for many, incredibly spiritual experiences. Having walked this route many times, I have created these daily stage guides to make planning easier for you; whether you’re tackling the full route or just a portion

P.S I’m re-writing these posts over winter 2024; watch this space as I add new information.

Camino Frances Daily Stages

Click the links below for my tips, insights and experiences; where to eat, drink, sleep, great albergue suggestions and historical details worth exploring.

Stage 1 : Saint Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles 

  • Distance : 25.1 kilometres
  • Walk from France into Spain, crossing the Pyrenees, through spectacular mountain scenery, arriving at the iconic monastery Albergue of Roncesvalles.

Stage 2 : Roncesvalles to Zubiri

  • Distance : 22.46 kilometres
  • Meander through beech forests and Basque villages and the foothills of the Pyrenees in Spain’s Navarra region

Stage 3 : Zubiri to Pamplona

  • Distance : 22.98 kms
  • Waking through rural villages along the River Arga into the historic heart of glorious Pamplona; with lively streets, Hemingway and the famous Running of the Bulls.

Stage 4 : Pamplona to Puente la Reina

  • Distance : 23.8 kms
  • Walk up to the iconic iron statues on Alto de Perdon and onwards to Puente de la Reina at the crossroads of two ancient Camino Routes and it’s famous medieval bridge.

Stage 5 : Puente la Reina to Estella

  • Distance : 21.9 kms
  • Enjoy the glorious change in scenery as you walk through Navarra along Roman Roads, lined with cereal crops, olives and vines.

Stage 6 : Estella to Los Arcos

  • Distance: 21.6 km
  • Today you’ll drink from the famous wine fountain, enjoy the superb little bar in Azqueta and cross the glorious valley into Los Arcos.

Stage 7 : Los Arcos to Logrono

  • Distance: 28.4 km
  • Walk out of Navarra and into Rioja, passing the beautiful little Templar Church of the Holy Sepulchre and ending in fabulous Logrono and it’s equally fabulous Calle Laurel!

Stage 8 : Logrono to Najera

  • Distance: 28.7 km
  • Leaving Logrono through urban parks, walk through the stunning wine region of Rioja and on into historic Najera with it’s links to the crown jewels of England.

Stage 9 : Najera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada

  • Distance: 21.7 km
  • A stunning walk through vines and vast cereal fields and ending in Santo Domingo with it’s Paradors and Cathedral and legends of roosters.

Stage 10 : Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Belorado

  • Distance: 22.9 km
  • Walk through Granon with it’s famous albergue, on through cereal fields as the Camino criss-crosses the road before reaching Belorado with it’s stunning wall art.

Stage 11 : Belorado to San Juan de Ortega

  • Distance: 24.4 km
  • Today you cross the forests of the Monts de Orca to the monastery founded by San Juan where pilgrims have found refuge for a thousand years.

Stage 12 : San Juan de Ortega to Burgos

  • Distance: 26.8 km
  • Walk through lands so ancient that our earliest ancestors called them home to the UNESCO Cathedral of Burgos; one of the most iconic landmarks on the Camino Frances

Stage 13 : Burgos to Hornillos del Camino

  • Distance: 21 km
  • Walk today into the margins of the Meseta. Home to Romans and Visigoths and Moors, who all left their mark on this historic bread basket of Spain.

Stage 14 : Hornillos del Camino to Castrojeriz

  • Distance: 20.1 km
  • Ancient springs and historic albergue punctuate todays walk, with a visit to the monastery which discovered the treatment for the medieval San Anton’s Fire.

Stage 15 : Castrojeriz to Fromista

  • Distance: 25.3 km
  • Walking into the heartlands of the Meseta, climb Alto de Mostelares, discover quirky albergue in Boadilla before walking alongside the Canal de Castilla

Stage 16 : Fromista to Carrion de los Condes

  • Distance: 19.6 km
  • Walk through vast landscapes with river variants and churches steeped in legends, to reach the medieval metropolis of Carrion de los Condes

Stage 17 : Carrion de los Condes to Terradillos de los Templarios

  • Distance: 26.6 km
  • Walking the infamous 17 kilometre trail from Carrion leading you to the lands of the Knights Templar and the heart of the Meseta

Stage 18 : Terradillos de los Templarios to Bercianos del Real Camino

  • Distance: 23.8 km
  • Reach the traditional halfway point of the Camino Frances as you approach Sahagun; once one of the most import centres in the medieval Kingdom of Leon

Stage 19 : Bercianos del Real Camino to Mansilla de las Mulas

  • Distance: 27 km
  • Today you walk through what the locals call El Paramo; flat lands, dominated by cereal fields which can feel remote and empty.

Stage 20 : Mansilla de las Mulas to Leon

  • Distance: 18.9 km
  • Finally leaving the remote lands of the Meseta and heading to Leon. Do expect a certain amount of urban sprawl today but then your reward is glorious Leon!

Stage 21 : Leon to Villar De Mazarife

  • Distance: 21.1 km
  • Leaving fabulous Leon behind we walk first through the urban landscape before returning to more Meseta like lands. But the mountains are on the horizon again and the terrain is changing for sure!

Stage 22 : Villar De Mazarife to Astorga

Stage 23 : Astorga to Rabanal del Camino

Stage 24 : Rabanal del Camino to El Acebo

Stage 25 : El Acebo to Ponferrada

Stage 26 : Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo

Stage 27 : Villafranca del Bierzo to Las Herrerías

Stage 28 : Las Herrerías to Fonfría

Stage 29 : Fonfría to Sarria

Stage 30 : Sarria to Portomarin

Stage 31 : Portomarin to Palas Del Rei

Stage 32 : Palas Del Rei to Ribadiso

Stage 33 : Ribadiso to O Pedrouzo

Stage 34 : Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela

Want to learn more about the Camino? Then hop over to my Free Private Facebook Group | Walking The Camino De Santiago.

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Colleen, Taking a horse from Las Herrieras on the Camino Frances

Useful Information For Walking The Camino Frances

In this section you’ll find any posts that would be relevant to the Camino Frances and that may help with your planning.

Want to learn more about the Camino? Then hop over to my Free Private Facebook Group | Walking The Camino De Santiago.

Join My Camino Facebook Group
sweeping the view of the huge green fields in Spain, walking to our accommodation on the Camino in Hornillos

Want to learn more about the Camino? Then hop over to my Free Private Facebook Group | Walking The Camino De Santiago.

Join My Camino Facebook Group

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance

Whenever you travel, you should have great travel and medical insurance.  None of us expect anything bad to happen, but in the event of an incident, you want to be sure that your insurance will cover you.

I’ve ended up in hospital in Peru, Indonesia, Portugal, Japan and Ireland. Every time my insurance took care of everything. I would never leave home without full and comprehensive insurance.

TrueTraveller : We have this policy and are very happy with the cover, especially considering our ages and pre-existing conditions.

Globelink: We have used and recommended Globelink for years and not heard of any issues. They are a great choice for European and UK Residents.

Genki : This is an EU based company offering long term policies for nomads and travellers. Their monthly rates are very competitive for longer trips too.

Safety Wing : Many of my travelling buddies from the USA recommended Safety Wing; we’ve not used them personally but know folks who have.

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Colleen in Salamanca on the Via de la Plata

Author : Colleen Sims

Hey I’m Colleen. I’m married to Gerry, we’ve three fabulous kids and been living in France for almost two decades. I fell in love with Spain in the 1980s and I’ve walked 1000s of miles along the Camino de Santiago. Now we’re exploring and walking the world and I can’t wait to share what we’ve learned!

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