Stage 1 / 33 · Camino Francés
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Roncesvalles
The stage from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Roncesvalles is 24.4 km, about 8 h 30 min on foot, with 1370 m of total ascent and 590 m of descent.
| Distance | 24.4 km |
|---|---|
| Estimated time | 8 h 30 min |
| Elevation gain / loss | +1370 m / −590 m |
| Difficulty | Demanding |
| Highest point | 1437 m |
| Lowest point | 169 m |
| Villages with services | 4: Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Huntto, Orisson, Roncesvalles |
| Longest stretch without services | 16.5 km |
| Updated |
Reviewed:
From November to March the Napoleon route (Lepoeder) is closed: take the Valcarlos route.
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Today on the Camino
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To Roncesvalles—
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Where to stay in Roncesvalles
You pay at the property.
Where to stay in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Appartement Arnoegi
House / apartmentChez Mapi
HotelGarazi
HotelWhere to stay in Roncesvalles
Pilgrim hostels in Roncesvalles(1)
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Elevation profile
500 m1000 m1500 m ▲ 1437 m Saint-Jean-Pied-de-PortRoncesvalles
Waymarked route (OpenStreetMap); official distance: Federación Española de Asociaciones de Amigos del Camino; elevations from a digital terrain model.
Map
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What you will see on the way
The founding stage: the Napoleon route climbs from the walled town of Saint-Jean, with its Porte Saint-Jacques and Vauban citadel, to the Lepoeder pass (1,430 m) along the crossing used by Charlemagne and medieval pilgrims. In winter the pass closes and the route goes via Valcarlos.
History of Roncesvalles
Roncesvalles (Orreaga) is the first stop on the Camino Francés in Navarre after crossing the Pyrenees. Its pilgrim hospital was founded around 1127 by Sancho de Larrosa, Bishop of Pamplona, and its 13th-century Gothic collegiate church holds the tomb of King Sancho VII the Strong.
Charlemagne's rearguard fell here in 778, and pilgrims coming down from the pass have been welcomed here for almost nine centuries.
What not to miss in Roncesvalles
- Collegiate Church of Santa María
- Chapel of San Agustín
- Silo de Carlomagno: 12th-century funerary chapel
Origins and the Camino
The first shelter stood on the Ibañeta pass, but the harsh mountain winters moved the hospital down to its present site.
Anecdotes, curiosities and legends
Legend has it that Charlemagne built the Sancti Spiritus «silo» to bury his knights. In fact it is the oldest building in the complex, from around 1170–1210, and it served as an ossuary for pilgrims.
Tradition says shepherds followed a stag with two bright stars between its antlers to a spring, and there the image of the Virgin of Roncesvalles was found.
Pilgrim tip
Stay for the evening pilgrim Mass: its group blessing marks the symbolic start of the Camino. Check the time at the collegiate church, as it changes with the day.
Villages along the way
| Village | km | Altitude | Services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port · Places to stay | 0 | 170 m | BarShopPharmacyATMDoctorWater fountain |
| Huntto | 5.5 | 500 m | BarWater fountain |
| Orisson | 7.9 | 720 m | BarWater fountain |
| Collado de Lepoeder | 20.2 | 1430 m | Water fountain |
| Roncesvalles · Places to stay | 24.4 | 950 m | BarShopWater fountain |
© OpenStreetMap
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