Stage 2 / 33 · Camino Francés
Roncesvalles to Zubiri
The stage from Roncesvalles to Zubiri is 21.5 km, about 5 h 45 min on foot, with 330 m of total ascent and 750 m of descent.
| Distance | 21.5 km |
|---|---|
| Estimated time | 5 h 45 min |
| Elevation gain / loss | +330 m / −750 m |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Highest point | 950 m · Roncesvalles |
| Lowest point | 527 m |
| Villages with services | 6: Roncesvalles, Burguete, Espinal, Viscarret, Lintzoain, Zubiri |
| Longest stretch without services | 7.9 km |
| Updated |
Reviewed:
We organise it for you: bed, luggage and support Plan my Camino
Travelling as a group? Rooms close together, one quote.
Today on the Camino
Finding where you are…
Next village—
To Zubiri—
You’ve arrived: log the stage
Log stageBeds nearby
Need a taxi or luggage transfer? We’ll arrange it
Where to stay in Zubiri
You pay at the property.
Where to stay in Roncesvalles
Elevation profile
600 m800 m1000 m Roncesvalles · 950 mZubiri
Waymarked route (OpenStreetMap); official distance: Gobierno de Navarra; elevations from a digital terrain model.
Map
Zoom in to see more places to stay
What you will see on the way
A gentle descent through beech woods and Navarrese meadows. Burguete keeps the manor houses where Hemingway stayed to fish for trout; the churches of Espinal and Viscarret mark the medieval way. The stage ends in Zubiri over the Romanesque Puente de la Rabia, under which livestock was led to cure rabies, according to legend. It is 21.5 km with 425 m of descent, mostly on the steep last 4 km down to Zubiri. After Lintzoain, at km 13.6, there are no more bars, so carry water for the final stretch.
History of Zubiri
Zubiri, in Navarre's Esteríbar valley, means «village of the bridge» in Basque. Here the Camino Francés crosses the river Arga for the first time, over the medieval Romanesque Puente de la Rabia.
For centuries, sick animals were brought here to be walked around the pillar of a bridge.
What not to miss in Zubiri
- Puente de la Rabia
- The central pillar
- Banks of the Arga: quiet pools by the bridge to rest
Origins and the Camino
It was the safe crossing of the Arga on the way down from Roncesvalles, and the village grew around it.
Industry arrived in the 20th century: magnesite mined at Eugi since 1945 is processed at a plant beside the village, which pilgrims skirt on the way to Larrasoaña.
Anecdotes, curiosities and legends
Legend has it that while digging the foundations of the central pillar, the builders found the remains of a young woman: Saint Quiteria, protector against rabies.
Tradition says the relics were to be taken to Pamplona, but the mule carrying them stopped dead at Burlada and refused to move. Locals took it as a sign that the saint wished to stay in Zubiri.
Pilgrim tip
Pause in the middle of the bridge and look at the central pillar, the one from the legend. The calm pools of the Arga right beside it are good for cooling your feet.
Villages along the way
| Village | km | Altitude | Services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roncesvalles · Places to stay | 0 | 950 m | BarShopWater fountain |
| Burguete | 3 | 900 m | BarShopPharmacyATMDoctorWater fountain |
| Espinal | 6.7 | 870 m | BarShopDoctorWater fountain |
| Viscarret | 11.6 | 780 m | BarWater fountain |
| Lintzoain | 13.6 | 790 m | BarWater fountain |
| Zubiri · Places to stay | 21.5 | 525 m | BarShopPharmacyATMDoctorWater fountain |
© OpenStreetMap
Related guides
Your Camino organized, nothing to worry about
Free, no obligation · Reply within 24 h
Xacobeo 2027 Holy Year: dates and when to book
Do you run a business on this stage?Advertise here
