Take your time to enjoy your morning in Saint Jean. Visit the iconic sites of this scenic town and, if need be, take advantage of the option to make any last-minute purchases in one of the numerous Pilgrim gear shops. If you haven’t done so already yesterday, stop by the Pilgrims‘ Office and get your Credencial – your Pilgrim’s Document, which will entitle you to receive your Compostela (Certificate of Pilgrimage Completion) once you reach Santiago – as well as your very first stamp in it! Then, lace up your boots: your Camino is about to begin! Today’s first hike is a short one: out of town and up to Huntto. The elevation gained today will make tomorrow’s climb over the Napoleon Pass shorter and easier. Your accommodation here is in a historic Casa Rural in the mountains – check in, spend the afternoon and evening enjoying the beautiful Pyrenees and get good rest for tomorrow’s challenge.

Distance: 5.4 km. / 3.7 mi.
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

This is one of the most strenuous days of entire French Way – but also one of the most rewarding: the breath-taking panoramic vistas of this Napoleon Route make the physical challenge well-worth it! The total elevation gain of 950 m. (3117 ft.) is significant, but the ascent is steady and the terrain – passable. Across the Summit, the Camino descends steeply across forests toward the iconic Monastery of Roncesvalles. The remaining 3.5 km. (2.2 mi.) to Burguete are easy, and your accommodation is in the historic hotel, in which Hemingway once wrote parts of his novel „The Sun Also Rises“.

Distance: 22.9 km. (14 mi.)
Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging

For much of the today’s hike, the Camino runs as a charming, forested path right alongside the River Arga, all the way to the village of Zabaldika. Here, the beautiful Romanesque church is home of the oldest bell in Navarra which – when open – the Pilgrims are allowed to ring: climb up the bell tower, make a wish and ring the bell, sending the echo across the picturesque valley below! From here, you can return to the path along the river, or go over the hills – both paths will eventually converge and lead you into the heart of Navarra’s Capital and your first city of the Camino – Pamplona. Walk its streets, and catch yourself imagining what it’s like here during the Running of the Bulls at the time of San Fermín.

Distance: 20.2 km. (12.6 mi.)
Difficulty: Easy

Farewell, Pamplona; farewell, Camino – and safe travels on your journey back home or to your next adventure! Or, here is another option well-worth considering: to continue onto our next Part 2 of the Camino Francés, from Pamplona to Logroño.

¡Buen Camino!