Camino Frances from Pamplona: Stages, Distances and How to Prepare
Pamplona is the first major city on the Camino Frances and a convenient starting point if you’re arriving by plane, train or bus: it has an airport, a train station with services to Madrid, and daily bus connections to Madrid, Barcelona and San Sebastián. Starting here means skipping the first three stages — the crossing of the Pyrenees and the valleys of Navarra — and setting off from a city with every service you need, a walled old town, and a Gothic cathedral just steps from the Camino.
From Pamplona to Santiago it’s about 715 kilometers over 31 stages, roughly five weeks of walking. The route first climbs to the Alto del Perdón, crosses La Rioja and its vineyards, cuts across the Meseta through Burgos and Palencia, and finishes through the mountains of León and Galicia. You’ll need the pilgrim’s credential: one stamp a day is enough as far as Sarria, and two a day for the last 100 kilometers to qualify for the Compostela. To walk the whole Camino Frances from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, see our guide to all 34 stages.
The 31 Stages of the Camino Frances from Pamplona to Santiago de Compostela
Stage 1: Pamplona – Puente la Reina (24 km)
This stage takes pilgrims through small villages and farmland to Puente la Reina, a medieval town known for its striking Romanesque bridge over the Arga River. It’s a place steeped in history, where several branches of the Camino converge.
Stage 2: Puente la Reina – Estella (22.6 km)
Stage 2: Puente la Reina – Estella (22.6 km)
This stage heads into the wine country of Navarra. Estella, known as “little Toledo,” is a town with a rich historical and architectural heritage. Pilgrims can visit the Church of San Pedro de la Rúa and the Palace of the Kings of Navarra.
Stage 3: Estella – Los Arcos (21.8 km)
Stage 3: Estella – Los Arcos (21.8 km)
As pilgrims head toward Los Arcos, the landscape begins to change, with sweeping vineyards and farmland. Los Arcos is a small town where the Church of Santa María is a notable highlight.
Stage 4: Los Arcos – Logroño (28 km)
Stage 4: Los Arcos – Logroño (28 km)
This stage takes pilgrims from Los Arcos to Logroño, crossing the border between Navarra and La Rioja. It’s a region famous for its vineyards, where you can enjoy the well-known Rioja wine. Logroño, a city with a rich winemaking and culinary tradition, offers a well-earned rest with its famous tapas along Calle Laurel.
Stage 5: Logroño – Nájera (30.4 km)
Stage 5: Logroño – Nájera (30.4 km)
Continuing through La Rioja, this stage brings pilgrims to Nájera, known for its impressive Monastery of Santa María la Real. The path through vineyards and open fields reflects the calm of the region.
Stage 6: Nájera – Santo Domingo de la Calzada (21 km)
This stretch of the Camino passes through farmland and leads to Santo Domingo de la Calzada, where legend tells how a pilgrim was miraculously saved from death by the saint the town is named after. The local cathedral is a must-stop for walkers.
Stage 7: Santo Domingo de la Calzada – Belorado (22.7 km)
The route heads into Castilla y León, entering Burgos Province. Belorado, a small town with a rich medieval history, has points of interest such as its church and main square.
Stage 8: Belorado – San Juan de Ortega (24 km)
This stretch is known for its tranquility and the natural beauty of the mountain scenery. San Juan de Ortega is famous for its monastery, which welcomes pilgrims.
Stage 9: San Juan de Ortega – Burgos (26.6 km)
Stage 9: San Juan de Ortega – Burgos (26.6 km)
On reaching Burgos, pilgrims find a modern city with a striking old town, dominated by the famous Burgos Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Stage 10: Burgos – Hornillos del Camino (19.8 km)
Stage 10: Burgos – Hornillos del Camino (19.8 km)
Leaving Burgos, the Camino enters the vast plains of the Meseta Central on the way to Hornillos del Camino. This stage offers a very different landscape and experience, marked by open fields and wide horizons.
Stage 11: Hornillos del Camino – Castrojeriz (20.6 km)
Continuing across the Meseta, this stage offers stillness and a chance for introspection, with the town of Castrojeriz standing out historically with its impressive castle.
Stage 12: Castrojeriz – Frómista (25.4 km)
Stage 12: Castrojeriz – Frómista (25.4 km)
This stage takes pilgrims to Frómista, known for the Church of San Martín, one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in Spain.
Stage 13: Frómista – Carrión de los Condes (19.6 km)
The path follows the Canal de Castilla, a change of scenery that offers a flat, peaceful route to Carrión de los Condes, known for its monastery and warm welcome to pilgrims.
Stage 14: Carrión de los Condes – Ledigos (23.4 km)
A quiet stage along rural tracks and farm paths, taking pilgrims through small hamlets and the vast plain of the Tierra de Campos to Ledigos.
Stage 15: Ledigos – Sahagún (16.2 km)
Stage 15: Ledigos – Sahagún (16.2 km)
Approaching Sahagún, the Camino passes through the heart of the Tierra de Campos, known for its farmland and its deep historical and spiritual significance on the Camino de Santiago.
Stage 16: Sahagún – El Burgo Ranero (17.8 km)
Stage 16: Sahagún – El Burgo Ranero (17.8 km)
This stage, known for its stillness, crosses the Tierra de Campos and is known for its wide horizons and farmland. El Burgo Ranero is a small village offering essential services for pilgrims and a rest at its municipal albergue
Stage 17: El Burgo Ranero – Mansilla de las Mulas (18.8 km)
Following rural tracks and paths between fields, this stage leads pilgrims to Mansilla de las Mulas, a town with notable historical heritage, including remains of its medieval walls.
Stage 18: Mansilla de las Mulas – León (19.7 km)
Stage 18: Mansilla de las Mulas – León (19.7 km)
This stage ends in the city of León, a major landmark on the Camino with its striking Gothic cathedral and other historic monuments essential to understanding the route’s rich history.
Stage 19: León – Hospital de Órbigo (30.6 km)
Stage 19: León – Hospital de Órbigo (30.6 km)
Leaving León behind, pilgrims cross the Roman bridge at Hospital de Órbigo, one of the longest and best-preserved bridges of its era in Spain.
Stage 20: Hospital de Órbigo – Astorga (16.7 km)
Stage 20: Hospital de Órbigo – Astorga (16.7 km)
This short but significant stage ends in Astorga, where you can visit the cathedral and the famous Episcopal Palace designed by Antoni Gaudí.
Stage 21: Astorga – Rabanal del Camino (21.2 km)
Stage 21: Astorga – Rabanal del Camino (21.2 km)
The route begins to climb gently as it nears the mountains of León Province. Rabanal del Camino is a traditional village that serves as a resting point before the more demanding mountain stages ahead.
Stage 22: Rabanal del Camino – Ponferrada (35.2 km)
This is one of the most demanding yet spectacular stretches, crossing the Cruz de Hierro, an iconic spot where pilgrims often leave a stone brought from home. The stage ends in Ponferrada, famous for its Templar Castle.
Stage 23: Ponferrada – Villafranca del Bierzo (24.2 km)
This part of the Camino offers striking views of the Bierzo vineyards and ends in Villafranca del Bierzo, a place of historical significance for pilgrims who were unable to continue on to the Cathedral of Santiago.
Stage 24: Villafranca del Bierzo – O Cebreiro (27.8 km)
Climbing from the Bierzo into Galicia, this stage marks a shift in both landscape and culture, ending in the mystical village of O Cebreiro, famous for its church and traditional pallozas.
Stage 25: O Cebreiro – Triacastela (21.7 km)
Stage 25: O Cebreiro – Triacastela (21.7 km)
Crossing the Galician mountains, this stage offers spectacular scenery and brings pilgrims to Triacastela, where the mountain route ends and the descent toward Santiago begins.
Stage 26: Triacastela – Sarria (18.4 km)
Stage 26: Triacastela – Sarria (18.4 km)
This stage lets pilgrims choose between two routes: one via Samos and its ancient monastery, or the more direct route to Sarria, the starting point for many pilgrims because of the minimum distance required to earn the Compostela.
Stage 27: Sarria – Portomarín (22.4 km)
Stage 27: Sarria – Portomarín (22.4 km)
From Sarria, the Camino runs through rural landscapes and hamlets to Portomarín, known for its Church of San Nicolás, moved stone by stone when the old village was flooded to build a reservoir.
Stage 28: Portomarín – Palas de Rei (24.8 km)
Stage 28: Portomarín – Palas de Rei (24.8 km)
The Camino continues over gentle hills and eucalyptus woods, with the village of Palas de Rei offering a welcoming rest before the Camino’s final stages.
Stage 29: Palas de Rei – Arzúa (28.5 km)
Stage 29: Palas de Rei – Arzúa (28.5 km)
Linking Lugo Province and A Coruña Province, this stage connects with the Camino del Norte and continues through green, fertile countryside to Arzúa, famous for its local cheese.
Stage 30: Arzúa – O Pedrouzo (19.3 km)
Stage 30: Arzúa – O Pedrouzo (19.3 km)
One of the final stages, passing through woodland and meadows to the town of O Pedrouzo, getting pilgrims ready for their arrival in Santiago.
Stage 31: O Pedrouzo – Santiago de Compostela (20 km)
The exciting finale of the Camino Frances, where pilgrims cross Monte do Gozo before reaching the Cathedral of Santiago in the city of Santiago de Compostela, a culminating moment of celebration and spiritual reflection.
What the Camino from Pamplona Is Like, Stage by Stage
Leaving Pamplona past the Ciudadela and the University, the route quickly opens onto the countryside: the Alto del Perdón, with its iron pilgrim silhouettes, and the descent to Puente la Reina, where the Camino Aragonés joins the Camino Frances by its Romanesque bridge. Next come Estella and its wine fountain, the Rioja vineyards toward Logroño and Nájera, the Meseta between Burgos and León, and, in the final third, Astorga, the Cruz de Ferro, the Bierzo region and the climb to O Cebreiro before descending into Galicia.
In Pamplona it’s easy to get your credential — at the cathedral and at several albergues — and gear up before setting off. The first stage to Puente la Reina is 24 kilometers, with the Alto del Perdón as its only real climb; many pilgrims who start here spend the afternoon exploring the city on arrival and set off early the next morning.