HELLO. THIS IS OUR WAY
Camino de Santiago de Compostela
- Camino Frances -
25th Jan 2025
What is the Camino de Santiago
The Camino Frances (French Way) is the most popular and well-known route of the Camino de Santiago, a network of ancient pilgrimage paths leading to Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain.
26th Jan 2025
Planning for The Way
Embarking on the Camino de Santiago has been a dream of ours for a long time, and now, as we plan our adventure, the excitement is building! There's something magical about walking a path steeped in history, culture, and personal reflection.
24th Apr 2025
The journey begins
The journey began with a short walk from home to Aviemore train station, where we boarded the train for a scenic one-hour ride to Inverness.
28th Apr 2025
To the start of the Camino
After flying from Bristol to Bordeaux the night before and walking 2km from the airport to our hotel, we woke to clear blue skies — and a few transport problems.
29th Apr 2025
Day 1 - St. Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles
Woken at 5am by someone’s alarm. We stayed in bed until 5:30 before deciding to get up. It was our first real morning of packing up properly, and we managed to be ready in about 45 minutes. By 6:15am, we were out on the street.
30th Apr 2025
Day 2 - Roncesvalles to Zubiri
A lot of toilet-flushing through the night meant I was awake by 4am. By 5:45am we gave up on sleep and started packing. At 6am, the dorm lights flicked on accompanied by the gentle blare of hymns. Shoes on, out the door by 6:30am. Still dark, but like yesterday: clear skies, no breeze.
1st May 2025
Day 3 - Zubiri to Pamplona
With the window open all night and the steady sound of the river drowning out any snorers, it was our best night’s sleep so far. We were up at 5:30 a.m., carrying our kit quietly to the garage/boot room to pack without waking anyone else.
2nd May 2025
Day 4 - Pamplona to Puente la Reina
A quiet night, with surprisingly few snorers given we were in a 24-bed dorm. I was woken at 5 a.m. by someone’s phone alarm and lay there until 5:15 before heading to the loo. We carried our bags out to the reception foyer to pack and were on the move by 5:55 a.m. Unsurprisingly, the streets of Pamplona were quiet apart from a few other early pilgrims.
3rd May 2025
Day 5 - Puente la Reina to Villamayor de Monjardín
Early starts are becoming the norm. We left the albergue at 5:55 a.m., heading down the main street and over the bridge that gives the village its name. Not many other pilgrims were about as we began the gradual ascent out of the village.
4th May 2025
Day 6 - Villamayor de Monjardín to Viana
Concerned about finding somewhere to stay tonight, we were up, packed, and out the door by 5:10 am. Early starts have three advantages: we get the trail to ourselves, we walk longer before the heat of the midday sun, and best of all, we catch the sunrise. It was almost two hours before we saw anyone else on the trail - just before the village of Los Arcos - then it started getting busier, with people ahead and behind us.