Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

We travelled from Melbourne and Boston and met in Madrid. Yesterday we made our way to Pamplona, stayed one night, then caught a bus to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France ready to start our Camino Francés in two days time.

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is the meeting point of several Caminos de Santiago that spread out across mainland Europe, and it was from here that pilgrims most frequently made the crossing into Spain.

The tradition continues and the small town is saturated with pilgrims, and pilgrim related tourism, during most of the year. There is an air of excitement and anticipation.

The Camino Francés (or the French Way) is the most famous of the nine major Camino de Santiago routes. It traditionally starts in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, before traversing the Pyrenees and continuing across the rolling hills of northern Spain, before finishing in Santiago de Compostela, which is believed to be the burial place of Saint James the Apostle.

Accommodation for our two nights in St Jean is Gite de la Porte Saint Jacques at the top of the steep Rue de la Citadelle which is the mostly pedestrian spine of the old town.

We spent our rest day looking around and shedding some jet lag.Read more