Overview
The Camino Frances is the most famous Camino route, walked by millions of pilgrims from all over the globe since the Middle Ages. More than just a pilgrimage, the Camino is a unique social and cultural experience and a truly memorable adventure.
Follow in the footsteps of medieval pilgrims, walking the second stage of the French Way. Starting from Logroño in the wine-growing region of the Rioja, you walk through undulating vineyards and fields dotted with small brooks and oak woods until you reach the Oca Mountains. Then you descend into the valley of the Pico river and reach the medieval city of Burgos, with its impressive Gothic Cathedral. Along the way, you will pass castles, monasteries and charming medieval villages. One of the highlights of this section is the town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada with its historic centre, an important stop for pilgrims on the Camino since the Middle Ages.
- The city of Logroño and La Rijoa wine region
- The historic town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada
- The majestic town of Burgos, home of El Cid
Click to view map
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Logroño
Arrive in the city of Logroño, capital of La Rioja and home to some of the best tapas scenes on the Camino. Head for Calle Laurel to sample the local Rioja-style specialities.
- Accommodation: Hotel Ciudad de Logroño or similar in Logroño
Day 2: Logroño to Nájera | 29km
From Logroño, you can expect a long day, but it should not be too challenging. Leave Logroño by the old pilgrims’ gate ‘Puerta del Camino’. The first part of the day takes you out of the city, but you will eventually get back to the vineyards of La Rioja. Your first stop is Navarrete, a 12th-century town built by the ‘Knights of the Holy Sepulchre’. You will finish the day in Nájera, another medieval town with a history with a strong link to the Camino, where you will enjoy great panoramic views of the whole region.
- Walking for the day: 29km, 6-7h
- Accommodation: Pension San Lorenzo or similar in Nájera
Day 3: Nájera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada | 21km
After your night in Nájera, your Camino takes you along some quiet country roads with the La Demanda Mountain to the South. You will pass the small village of Azofra, dedicated to the La Rioja patron: La Virgen de Valvanera. Azofra is also the starting point for the ‘Monasteries route’, off the Camino de Santiago route, but it is worth visiting if you have additional days, particularly the Yuso and Suso monasteries of San Millán de la Cogolla, considered the birthplace of the Spanish language. You will finally arrive in Santo Domingo de la Calzada, a town with a beautiful Medieval centre.
- Walking for the day: 21km, 5h
- Accommodation: Hostal El Molino de Floren or similar in Santo Domingo
Day 4: Santo Domingo to Belorado | 22km
From Santo Domingo de la Calzada, you will be walking on uneven terrain through woodland and then crop fields. Part of today’s trail runs parallel to busy main roads. As you get closer to Belorado, you will start catching a glimpse of the Oca Mountains, the last mountain range before the Meseta (the central Spanish Plateau). Your stop for the night is Belorado, a small and pleasant village in the Burgos province. Visit the Santa María Church, where you will find images of St James.
- Walking for the day: 22km, 5h
- Accommodation: Pension Toñi or similar in Belorado
Day 5: Belorado to Atapuerca | 30km
From Belorado, most of your journey today will be along earthen tracks and peaceful trails on your way to the little town of Villafranca Montes de Oca, the Camino weaves its way through gorgeous woodlands of fragrant oak and pines. Pass through the hamlet of San Juan de Ortega where you can visit its famous mausoleum before continuing onto Atapuerca famous for its UNESCO World Heritage prehistoric caves where fossils and stone tools of the earliest known hominins in Western Europe have been found.
- Walking for the day: 30km, 6-7h
- Accommodation: Hotel Papasol or similar in Atapuerca
Day 6: Atapuerca to Burgos | 20km
After your night in Atapuerca, you will continue following your Camino trail to the town of Burgos. Take some time to explore Burgos: admire the beauty of its historic centre, enjoy a stroll along the magnificent promenade by the river and taste delicious local tapas in the old town. Burgos has been referred to as the Gothic capital of Spain, and the city’s cathedral is probably one of the most impressive in the country.
- Walking for the day: 20km, 5h
- Accommodation: Hotel Centro Los Braseros or similar in Burgos
Day 7: Departure
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before heading back to the airport. We highly recommend booking additional nights in Burgos to explore this great city.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation is in simple but comfortable hotels and guesthouses, located close to the route of the Camino. All of them have private or en-suite facilities and offer a warm welcome to walkers, traditional hospitality and delicious local food. We have carefully hand-picked all places and regularly monitor their quality. We have tried to choose accommodations that offer friendly service, clean and comfortable rooms and local flavour.
Important: We aim to book you into each town listed on the itinerary. However, in case of low availability, we may book you two nights in the same town with provided transfers. Also, on some occasions, your accommodation can be located a few kilometres away from the trail, so we organise transportation to/from your accommodation.
Click to view default hotels
- Hotel Ciudad de Logroño (Logroño)
- Pension San Lorenzo (Nájera)
- Hostal El Molino de Floren (Santo Domingo de la Calzada)
- Pension Toñi (Belorado)
- Hotel Papasol (Atapuerca)
- Hotel Centro Los Braseros (Burgos)
*Hotels are subject to availability. In case a particular hotel is fully booked for your desired dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal or higher value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included (usually a simple buffet breakfast/coffee and toast/bread/croissant) on all days. When no restaurant location is available on the route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops, or packed lunch can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. Where no dinner is included, most places serve hearty pilgrim menus – you can get a 3-course dinner including wine and water for about GBP 10-15 pp.
Difficulty and terrain
This walk is graded moderate and includes walks of 4-7 hours, and up to 30 km a day; the terrain is mostly flat, rarely undulating with some occasional steeper ascents (read more about difficulty grades). You will follow a mixture of farm/dirt tracks, minor roads and footpaths. The routes are perfectly waymarked with yellow painted arrows and a yellow shell on a blue background, and the itinerary is very easy to follow. We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime.
When to go
This trip is available to depart from 1 March till 15 November; the best months to visit are April–June and September–October, as in the summer months it may become too hot (and crowded). September is a great time to enjoy the Fiesta de la Vendimia Riojana, the Rioja Grape Harvest Festival in Logroño. The flexibility of self guided walking holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date during the season.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airport for this tour is Bilbao. The alternative airports are Santander and Madrid.
By train or bus
Arrival at Logroño:
- Bilbao Airport 136km: Train takes 1.5h, the bus takes 2h.
- Santander Airport 234km: Regular Train takes 2.5h – check Renfe; there are also regular buses – check ALSA
- Madrid Airport 329km: Train takes 3h – check Renfe
Departure from Burgos: From Burgos, you can take the train to Bilbao (159km), Santander (181km) or Madrid (249km) with Renfe which takes respectively 3h / 1h / 3h. Alternatively, you can take the bus to Madrid with ALSA which takes around 3 hours.
Inclusions
Included
- 6 nights in private en-suite rooms
- 6 breakfasts
- Maps
- Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel on all walking days (1 pc up to 20 kg per person)
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches and dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes & entry fees (payable on the spot)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
Options, extras and supplements
- Supplement applies to members of a group who require a single room / single use of a double room
- This holiday is available for solo travellers; a supplement will be charged as accommodation and luggage transfer costs are not shared (we never mix and match – solo travellers will be accommodated in single rooms)
- Airport transfers
- Extra nights
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