Camino de Santiago - A walk of a lifetime
Part 1 - Saint Jean Pied de Port to Zubiri
Have you heard of the Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage? I had not until my dad started talking about it back in 2022. He’d heard about it from my uncle, got immediately intrigued, and before long started training for it. We booked flights and hotels with the intention of walking the Camino in 2023, then again in 2024, but a series of unfortunate and painful circumstances prevented us from doing it. After two false starts, 2025 was finally the year we made it happen.
The Camino de Santiago also known as the Way of St. James, is a pilgrimage people have been walking for over 1,000 years. All routes leading to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. For centuries, people have started walking towards the cathedral using their homes as a starting point, which explains why there is not just one route. That said, there is a more traditional and well known route, the Camino Frances or The French Way which is the route we decided on.
We arrived in Saint Jean Pied de Port (SJPDP) eager and nervous. We had spent the last few days in Paris eating like we were about to be dropped onto a survival reality show with no access to food.
The Camino Frances is 800 km (500 mi) long, beginning in Saint Jean Pied de Port, France, and crossing the Pyrenees into Roncesvalles, Spain via the Napoleon Route. This was by far one of my favorite sections of the camino. It has a 4750 ft of elevation gain but the views are breathtakingly beautiful and worth the effort, they almost distract you from the fact that your legs are questioning your life choices.
One of the benefits of doing this in May is the near perfect weather. The hills are lush and green, wildflowers blanket the landscape, wild horses roam freely, and shepherds can be seen guiding their sheep.
We stopped for lunch at Refuge D’Orisson, about 8 km from the start. We would have loved to have stayed the night here but spots book months in advance. Instead, we caught our breath, enjoyed the views and a pilgrim approved meal: a baguette filled with either cheese and butter or ham, cheese and butter paired with a delicious coffee. Simple, satisfying and exactly what we needed before continuing on our way.
We lucked out with the weather while crossing the Pyrenees. Later on, other hikers told us that the next few days the mountains were swallowed by cold, thick fog, so dense you could barely see a few feet in front of you. Not only would that have been dangerous, but it would have been heartbreaking to miss those incredible views.
This does not mean we escaped the weather, oh no, it caught up with us as we were leaving Roncesvalles. It rained nonstop for about a week. We ducked into a little corner store and bought ponchos, which mostly protected our packs and upper bodies. the rest of us? completely soaked.
Zubiri, Spain
Much of this section took us through forests, muddy and rocky trails. The walk into Zubiri was especially treacherous and, at times, genuinely dangerous. Slippery terrain, steep descents, sharp jagged rocks and tired legs made for a challenging combination. A few people we met decided to skip this section altogether and take a taxi into town.
One of the neat things about walking the Camino is the people you meet and continue to run into throughout the trek. You build friendships with people experiencing the same things as you. People encourage and cheer each other on and the beauty of it is that you might or might not see these people again but they feel like friends.
Finding your way on the Camino is, for the most part, surprisingly easy. The route is clearly marked with signs along the trail, symbols painted on sidewalks, light posts, walls etc. There are also apps that let you track your progress and watch yourself move along the map in real time.
Typical Camino de Santiago trail marker
And yet … surprise surprise, we still managed to get lost.
One memorable detour happened shortly after leaving Zubiri. We found ourselves bushwacking through overgrown terrain for a bit before the realization set in, we were not on the right trail. The funniest part is that we weren’t alone. Once we figured out we’d gone off course, Dave ran back to retrieve a few other equally confused hikers who had followed the same wrong turn. Apparently, getting lost is just part of the Camino experience, no matter how many signs and apps you have telling you exactly where to go.
So, tell me, had you heard of the Camino de Santiago before? Is this something you’ve done or would consider doing? Why or why not?
I look forward to your comments below.
Next section I’ll talk about our arrival in Pamplona.
