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Stage 1 · Camino Francés
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port → Roncesvalles
Before you set off
Nowhere to eat
Between Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Roncesvalles.
The Pyrenees by the Napoleon Route
The first stage of the Camino Francés is also one of the hardest: 24.2 kilometres with 1390 metres of ascent and 410 of descent, high difficulty, crossing the Pyrenees in a single day. You leave Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port through the puerta de España and must choose your route straight away. The Napoleon Route climbs via Huntto to Orisson, follows the open ridge, passes the Virgin of Biakorri and the Thibault cross, enters Navarre at the Bentartea pass and tops out at the Lepoeder pass, the highest point. The Valcarlos route runs along the valley, hugging the road, and climbs at the end over the Ibañeta pass. Napoleon is closed in winter and in bad weather, and then Valcarlos is the only option.
On the Napoleon Route the steepest climbing comes in the first kilometres up to Orisson; after that the gradient spreads out into a long, gentle rise with views over the whole valley. There are no villages or services along the entire route, only the odd spring, so water and food go in your pack from the start.
From Lepoeder you drop to Roncesvalles through the forest, either by the direct path or by the variant via Ibañeta. Roncesvalles is the collegiate church, the hostel and little else, with just enough for dinner and a bed.
Tips
Ask at the pilgrim office in Saint-Jean whether the Napoleon Route is open and what weather is expected up top; if it is closed, take Valcarlos without a second thought.
Leave at dawn with water for the whole day and food: nothing is open between Saint-Jean and Roncesvalles, and fog can come down at any hour.
Get your departure stamp at the pilgrim office in Saint-Jean and your arrival stamp in Roncesvalles: it is the first day of the parchment.
Poles and warm clothing even if it is hot below: at Lepoeder the wind and cold bite even in summer.
Roncesvalles has few beds and fills up: book ahead or arrive early.
The direct path down from Lepoeder is very steep and slippery in the rain: if you arrive tired, go down via Ibañeta.
Where am I?
Your phone says where you are; the guide tells you how far is left and where the next water is.
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Your position is used to answer you and is not stored anywhere.
Walk with me
It crosses where you are with the time, the daylight left, the water, the beds and the notice board. Three things at most: the ones that actually change your afternoon.
Create the free account It is free and forever. An account is needed for the guide to place you. I already have an account
It checks GPS every 6 min while you keep it open. GPS drains the battery: if yours is low, switch it off.
Your position is used to answer you and is not stored anywhere.
Profile and services
The elevation for this stage has not been loaded yet.
The weather
17°C
Cloudy
- Feels like
- 19 °C
- Wind
- 1 km/h
- Daylight
- 08:16 – 19:25
- Today ⛅ 24° 14° 23 %
- Wed ⛅ 26° 13° 13 %
- Thu ☀️ 30° 15°
- Fri 🌦️ 20° 17° 17 %
- Sat 🌦️ 17° 13° 30 %
- Sun ⛅ 14° 7° 26 %
- Mon ⛅ 13° 5° 15 %
Data from Open-Meteo, refreshed every half hour.
What's there today
Nobody has reported anything on this stage.
Tips from people who walked it
The things that do not expire: where the fountain actually is, which bar opens at six, where not to go in the rain.
None here yet. If you have just walked this stage, you know something tomorrow’s pilgrim does not.
Emergencies
Call 112112 is the same number in Spain, in Portugal and across the European Union. It works with no credit, with no SIM, and over any operator's network, not just yours.
Say where you are I am walking the Camino Francés, on the stage from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Roncesvalles.
- Arreguy Olaizola Pharmacy km 0,0
- Okabe Pharmacy km 0,0
The map
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What to see on this stage 3
- Église de l'Assomption de la Vierge Church km 0,0
- Orreagako Andre Mariaren eliza Church km 24,0
- Done Jakueren eliza Church km 24,1