Introduction and Route Details

 

Alto del Perdón

 Introduction.

I was inspired to do this walk whilst on a flight to Toulouse in September 2019, with my son Tom. We were travelling to the Spanish Pyrenees for a short walking holiday. On the plane, I sat next to a retired teacher, Maeve from Glastonbury, who told me that she was travelling to France to start her walk on the Camino de Santiago. This was to be her seventh time! 
Chatting with her, for about an hour on the flight, started something in me that I couldn't forget, and for weeks after I kept thinking about the possibility that I could do it too; to walk around 800km (500 miles) from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port at the foot of the Pyrenees in France (literally "Saint John at the Foot of the Pass"), to Santiago de Compostela in the far north-west of Spain.
I had heard the popularity of people walking the Camino many times, seen it on celeb TV and the film, The Way etc, but I had dismissed it as something I didn't want to do. I think I had a few of problems with it; the fact that it is outside the UK and I imagined language barriers and complicated travel arrangements. The path also seemed a bit too well travelled as I prefer more remote walks, with less walkers and preferably with some mountains.

So what's changed? I think it was talking to Maeve and the passion she had for the walk that stayed with me. She said 'If you go, go alone as you will meet far more people that way'. So, that's what I am going to do, go for a long walk!

Originally I had planned my walk for April-May 2020 but due to Covid-19 my plans were shelved. I am now planning to walk in September 2021.

History of the Camino De Santiago

The Camino de Santiago, or the Way or St James, is a network of pilgrim's footpaths or pilgrimages, stretching across Europe. They all lead to the shrine of the apostle in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, where tradition has it, the remains of the apostle are entombed.

In the middle ages (10-13th centuries), thousands of pilgrims from across Europe made their way to Santiago to pay their respects at the Cathedral.

One of the most popular pilgrim routes today is the Camino Francés (the French way), which is the route I am taking. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims walk at least part of the Camino Frances every year. So it shouldn't be lonely but it might be a bit too busy for me! 
There are hostels or 'albergues' all along the route, making it easy to find accommodation at the end of each day’s walk.

My Travel Plans

I am planning to walk in September as hopefully, the heat shouldn't be too hot for me and it might be a little less crowded, especially with the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic. This may also cause me difficulties, as a lot of the hostels may be closed.

My flight is booked for the 10th September. I fly from Bristol to Bordeaux, and then catch the train, and after a nights stop over in Bayonne, onto St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, in the far west of France, at the foot of the Pyrenees. I hope to be arriving about 9am and after a look around the town, walk through the afternoon to my first night's accommodation. I have my first and second night accommodation booked but after that I will find the hostels as I need them along the route.
My return flight is also booked, for 22nd October which will give me 6 weeks; 35 walking days with the option of some rest / sightseeing days or walking on to the coast at Finisterre.
I'm not sure how often I will be updating this blog. It may be every day or once a week. I'll have to see how I feel.

Photos are also on my Instagram account

Route Map

The Google map below shows my route and the rough plan of the stops for accommodation, but these will probably change as I travel.
You can expand the map below onto a new web page (click on the top right square, in the map header) and zoom in and out to see more details or if the map is not working, click here to see the route on a new page - Camino Route

or click here for the Terrain map

Key: Main route to Santiago de Compostela, optional follow-on route to Finisterre & Muxia

Whole Route Elevation Profile (click on the pop-out to see the whole page)