Practical guides, route tips, food and pilgrim stories from the CaminoWays team, with over 15 years of experience on the Camino.
Advice & tips Pilgrim stories Food & wine Camino FAQs Camino Francés Camino Portugués Cycling Culture & events
The Camino del Norte route along the Camino de Santiago is filled with breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural experiences. One of the highlights of this pilgrimage is undoubtedly the food. The route guides pilgrims through the culinary delights of San Sebastián and Bilbao, both home to an array of Michelin-starred restaurants. This blog will delve
Delicious Food from the Camino del Norte Read More »
Camino Francés, the most famous route of the Camino de Santiago. A charming medieval Basque town in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, it’s where most pilgrims begin the roughly 772 km, 33-to-35-day journey to Santiago de Compostela. It’s also the meeting point of several French pilgrim routes — including Le Chemin du Puy, Vézelay
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port – Gateway to the Camino Francés Read More »
León is one of the great cities of the Camino Francés and one of the most popular places to start the Camino de Santiago. Sitting around 300 km from Santiago de Compostela — roughly 12 to 14 days of walking — it’s famous for its soaring Gothic cathedral and more than 1,800 m² of glowing
León Insider’s Guide: What to See on the Camino Francés Read More »
A Traditional Mountain Village on the Camino Francés O Cebreiro is a traditional mountain village on the Camino Francés, perched at 1,300 metres where El Bierzo gives way to Galicia. With its round, Celtic-style pallozas, its famous creamy cheese and the legend of a Eucharistic miracle linked to the Holy Grail, it’s one of the
O Cebreiro, village on the Camino Francés Read More »
Cruz de Ferro | Camino Frances The Cruz de Ferro (Iron Cross) is the highest point of the Camino Francés — a simple iron cross on a tall wooden pole where, for centuries, pilgrims have left a stone carried from home. Located between the villages of Foncebadón and Manjarín in the mountains of León, it’s
Cruz de Ferro | Camino Frances Read More »
Villafranca del Bierzo is a beautiful mountain town on the Camino Francés, the last major stop before the great climb into Galicia — and one of the most meaningful places on the whole route. Known as ‘la pequeña Compostela’, “little Compostela”, it’s famous for a remarkable privilege: pilgrims who cannot complete the journey to Santiago
Villafranca del Bierzo: Little Compostela Read More »
The Templar Castle of Ponferrada (Castillo de los Templarios) is a 12th-century fortress in north-west Spain, raised by the Knights Templar to protect pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago. Covering some 16,000 square metres above the River Sil, it is one of the largest and most impressive castles in Spain, one of the great historical
The Castillo de los Templarios of Ponferrada Read More »
Ponferrada is a historic town in the El Bierzo region of north-west Spain and one of the last major stops on the Camino Francés before Santiago de Compostela. It takes its name from a medieval iron-reinforced bridge built for pilgrims, and today it’s best known for its striking Knights Templar castle, its handsome old town,
Ponferrada and the Iron Bridge: The Origin of its Name Read More »
New Year’s Eve is a time of celebration all around the world, even on the Camino de Santiago. From counting down to midnight and whatever New Year’s Eve tradition you adopt at home, it’s a time when we reflect on the good things the year has brought (and maybe even say good riddance to some
Try Your Luck With This Spanish New Year’s Eve Tradition Read More »
Discover how difficult the Camino Frances is, the 780 km French Way journey from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela.
How difficult is the Camino Francés? Read More »
The Camino Frances runs 772km from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, crossing the Pyrenees and four Spanish regions in around 30–35 days of walking. The map below shows the full route, its main stages, and the key towns along the way, so you can plan your Camino at a glance. The
Camino Frances Map | Map of the French Way Read More »
If you’re walking the Via Francigena in Italy, most cities and historic towns along the way charge a small local tourist tax, known in Italy as the tassa di soggiorno (or imposta di soggiorno). It’s a modest nightly charge, but it’s worth understanding before you set off so there are no surprises at check-out. The
Tourist Tax in Italy: A Via Francigena Guide Read More »
