The Camino Francés: Seven Iconic Stages to Santiago

No permit is needed to walk, but the Compostela certificate requires a credencial (pilgrim passport) stamped twice a day over the final stretch, and at least the last 100 km on foot — which is exactly why Sarria is the busiest starting point on the route.

Pilgrim hostels line the whole way, but in high season beds go fast — finish your walking day early rather than late. A sleeping-bag liner and earplugs make dorm nights much better.

Yellow arrows and the scallop shell mark the entire route — you rarely need a map. If you haven’t seen an arrow in ten minutes, backtrack to the last one rather than improvising.

The classic start at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is reached by train from Bayonne; Santiago has its own airport and rail links. Since these seven stages are sampled highlights rather than a continuous walk, Spain’s regional buses and trains between Pamplona, Burgos, León and Ponferrada are your friends.

Late spring to early autumn is the sweet spot. The day-1 mountain crossing from Saint-Jean to Roncesvalles is the most weather-exposed stage of the whole Camino — in winter it is genuinely dangerous and routed differently.

The route’s highest ground (about 1,515 m) comes near Manjarín just after the Cruz de Ferro, where pilgrims traditionally leave a stone carried from home. If you adopt one Camino ritual, make it that one.

The Burgos-to-Hornillos stage crosses the open meseta: long horizons, little shade, and services spaced far apart. Fill water at every town and carry food — village bars are the Camino’s refuelling system.