French Way ( Camino Francés) ‧ Stage 2
French Way
On foot
33 stages
Information
About this stage
Although the previous stage is the beginning of this French route, many pilgrims take the town of Roncesvalles as the start of their journey along the Camino de Santiago. Why? The steep climb from Saint Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles is more than 1,500 metres high, which can be a real ordeal for more than one pilgrim.
This means that the town of Roncesvalles is the starting point for many pilgrims. More than 700 km to reach the Galician capital, Santiago de Compostela. You can take the opportunity to take a photo at the characteristic sign that marks this distance. You will have an incredible souvenir to remember this experience by!
Recommendation Pilgrim
The end of the stage is located at Zubiri, but many pilgrims keep on walking until Larrasoaña, just 5,5 km (3,4 mi) away plus an extra hour. If you decide to continue you should do it on the left side of the Arga River. After some farmhouses, you will get to the end of the stage.
Due to the descents, this stage is not a recommended for people with reduced mobility. If we are looking for an alternative, we could follow N-135 road. However, it is a risky route as well for being a busy road. Cyclists will consequently be affected for the Erro’s descent. It is highly recommended to follow the main road to avoid any injuries. There are no remarkable difficulties for the rest of the way, except for a couple of spots where cyclists will have to get off the bike to cross a bridge or a stream.
Distance and elevation
Stage profile
Route
Itinerary
Km 0 ‧ Roncesvalles
Leaving Roncesvalles we take a dirt track that winds through a beautiful forest of oak, beech and clover trees. We must not leave the path that always goes along the right-hand side of the road and a few metres away from it.
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Km 2,8 ‧ Burguete
Cross Burguete along the main street and, after passing the church, turn right. Shortly after, we ascend along a wooded track. At a high point we come to an asphalted track; we follow it down until we reach Espinal.
Km 6,5 ‧ Espinal
Walk through the village by its road and take a track to the left, going uphill. A little more than half a kilometre further on, turn right onto a path. At the Alto de Mezkiritz, cross the N-135 road and then go down a wooded path that leads to Bizkarreta.
Km 11,5 ‧ Bizkarreta
We leave parallel to the N-135 road, which we cross a little further on to descend to Lintzoain.
Km 13,4 ‧ Lintzoain
We start a steep climb to 850 metres above sea level; then we continue up and down until we reach Puerto de Erro; here, we cross the N-135 road. We continue along all kinds of roads on a steady descent to Zubiri. If this is the end of our stage, we cross the bridge over the river Arga and enter the town; if we continue along the Camino, we leave the bridge on our right.
Km 21,4 ‧ Zubiri
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