The French Way
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The French Way (Spanish: Camino Francés) is the most popular of the routes of the Way of St. James, the ancient pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. It runs from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the French side of the Pyrenees to Roncesvalles on the Spanish side and then another 780km on to Santiago de Compostela through the major cities of Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos and Léon.
Paths from the cities of Tours, Vézelay, and Le Puy-en-Velay meet at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. A fourth French route originates in Arles, in Provence, and crosses the French-Spanish frontier at a different point, between the Pyrenées towns of Somport and Canfranc. This fourth route follows the Aragonese Way and joins the main Way of St. James at Puente la Reina, south of Pampelune, in the Basque Country, about seven hundred kilometres from Santiago de Compostela.
[edit] An example itinerary
Though there is no set route, daily stages from major town to major town could be walked as follows:
| # | km from St-Jean | km to Santiago | Distance | Begins | Arrives | Passes through | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 769 | 25 | Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France | Roncesvalles | Passes over the border of France and Spain in the western Pyrenees. | |
| 2 | 25 | 744 | 21.5 | Roncesvalles, Spain | Zubiri | ||
| 3 | 46.5 | 722.5 | 22 | Zubiri | Pamplona | Larrasoaña, Trinidad de Arre | |
| 4 | 68.5 | 700.5 | 23.5 | Pamplona | Puente la Reina | Cizur Menor, Uterga, Obanos | Meets the Aragonese Way just before Puente la Reina |
| 5 | 92 | 677 | 22 | Puente la Reina | Estella | Cirauqui, Lorca, Villatuerta | |
| 6 | 114 | 655 | 22 | Estella - Lizarra | Los Arcos | Villamayor de Monjardín | |
| 7 | 136 | 633 | 28 | Los Arcos | Logroño | Torres del Río, Viana | |
| 8 | 164 | 605 | 29 | Logroño | Najera | Navarrete, Ventosa | |
| 9 | 193 | 576 | 21 | Najera | Santo Domingo de la Calzada | Azofra | |
| 10 | 214 | 555 | 23 | Santo Domingo de la Calzada | Belorado | Grañon, Redecilla del Camino | |
| 11 | 237 | 532 | 24 | Belorado | San Juan de Ortega | Tosantos, Villafranca Montes de Oca | |
| 12 | 261 | 508 | 28 | San Juan de Ortega | Burgos | Ages, Atapuerca, Olmos de Atapuerca | |
| 13 | 289 | 480 | 40 | Burgos | Castrojeriz | Villabilla, Tardajos, Rabé de las Calzadas, Hornillos del Camino, San Bol, Hontanas | |
| 14 | 329 | 440 | 23 | Castrojeriz | Frómista | Itero del Castillo, Puente de Fitero, Itero de la Vega, Boadilla del Camino | |
| 15 | 352 | 417 | 19 | Frómista | Carrión de los Condes | Población de Campos, Villacázar de Sirga | |
| 16 | 371 | 398 | 39 | Carrión de los Condes | Sahagún | Calzadilla de la Cueza, Ledigos, Terradillo del los Templarios, San Nicolás del Real Camino | |
| 17 | 410 | 359 | 19.5 | Sahagún | El Burgo Ranero | Calzada del Coto, Bercianos del Real Camino | |
| 18 | 429.5 | 339.5 | 38 | El Burgo Ranero | León | Reliegos, Mansilla de las Mulas | |
| 19 | 467.5 | 301.5 | 24 | León | Villadangos del Páramo | ||
| 20 | 491.5 | 277.5 | 28 | Villadangos del Páramo | Astorga | San Martin del Camino, Hospital de Órbigo, Santibañez de Valdeiglesias | |
| 21 | 519.5 | 249.5 | 20 | Astorga | Rabanal del Camino | Murias de Rechivaldo, Santa Catalina de Somoza, El Ganso | |
| 22 | 539.5 | 2229.5 | 32.5 | Rabanal del Camino | Ponferrada | Manjarin, El Acebo, Riego de Ambros, Molinaseca | |
| 23 | 572 | 197 | 23 | Ponferrada | Villafranca del Bierzo | Cacabelos | |
| 24 | 595 | 174 | 30 | Villafranca del Bierzo | O Cebreiro | Pereje, Trabadelo, La Portela de Valcarce, Vega de Valcarce, Ruitelan, La Faba | The Way passes from León (province) into Galicia |
| 25 | 625 | 144 | 36.5 | O Cebreiro | Sarria | Hospital de la Condesa, Fonfría, Triacastela, Samos, Calvor | |
| 26 | 661.5 | 107.5 | 21 | Sarria | Portomarín | Barbadelo, Fereiros | |
| 27 | 682.5 | 86.5 | 24.5 | Portomarín | Palas de Rei | Gonzar, Ventas de Naró, Ligonde | |
| 28 | 707 | 62 | 25.5 | Palas de Rei | Arzúa | Casanova, Leboreiro, Melide, Ribadiso da Baixo | |
| 29 | 732.5 | 36.5 | 36.5 | Arzúa | Santiago de Compostela | Santa Irene, Arca do Pino, Monte de Gozo |
