French Way

The French Way (Galician: Camiño francés, Spanish: Camino francés, literally the "way of the Franks") is the most popular of the routes of the Way of St. James (Spanish: Camino de Santiago), the ancient pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, 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 León. A typical walk on the Camino francés takes at least four weeks, allowing for one or two rest days on the way. Some travel the Camino on bicycle or on horseback.

The four branches of the Way of St. James

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 Pyrenees towns of Somport and Canfranc. This fourth route follows the Aragonese Way and joins the French Way at Puente la Reina, south of Pamplona, in Navarre, about 700 kilometres from Santiago de Compostela.

In 2017 roughly 60% of pilgrims traveled to Santiago de Compostela via the French Way according to statistics gathered by the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago.[1]

Example itinerary

Though there is no set itinerary for this 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		Crosses the border of France and Spain in the western Pyrenees.
2	25	744	21.5	Roncesvalles, Spain	Zubiri	Burguete, Espinal, Viscarret, Linzoáin
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	Joined by the Aragonese Way just before Puente la Reina.
5	92	677	22	Puente la Reina	Estella	Cirauqui, Lorca, Villatuerta
6	114	655	22	Estella	Los Arcos	Villamayor de Monjardín
7	136	633	28	Los Arcos	Logroño	Torres del Río, Sansol, Viana	Leaving the province of Navarre, entering La Rioja
8	164	605	29	Logroño	Nájera	Navarrete, Ventosa
9	193	576	21	Nájera	Santo Domingo de la Calzada	Azofra
10	214	555	23	Santo Domingo de la Calzada	Belorado	Grañón, Redecilla del Camino	Leaving La Rioja, entering the Province of Burgos, Castille and León
11	237	532	24	Belorado	San Juan de Ortega	Tosantos, Villafranca Montes de Oca
12	261	508	28	San Juan de Ortega	Burgos	Agés, Atapuerca, Olmos de Atapuerca
13	289	480	40	Burgos	Castrojeriz	Villalbilla de Burgos, 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	Leaving the province of Burgos, entering Palencia
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 Martín del Camino, Hospital de Órbigo, Santibáñez de Valdeiglesias
21	519.5	249.5	20	Astorga	Rabanal del Camino	Murias de Rechivaldo, Santa Catalina de Somoza, El Ganso
22	539.5	229.5	32.5	Rabanal del Camino	Ponferrada	Manjarin, El Acebo, Riego de Ambros, Molinaseca	Highest point of trail, 1515 metres above sea level, near Manjarin.
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	Crosses from León 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	The last point at which a pilgrim can start the journey on foot or horseback and still complete the 100km needed to claim the compostela.
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 do Gozo

Films

• The Way (2010)

References

1. "Statistics". Oficinadelperegrino.com. Retrieved 2020-03-14.

External links

• the French Way - Google Maps
• A photo tour of the Camino Frances (2010)
• Free Guide for Hikers on the French Way
• the French Way - Google Maps TODO MENTIRA
• http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2015/05/the-way/george-photography%5B%5D