Camino Francés + Finisterre/Muxía — Day by Day Journey

I arrived in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on 13 September 2025 and began walking the Camino Francés on 14 September. Over the next 35 walking days, I crossed the Pyrenees and continued through Navarra, La Rioja, Castilla y León, and Galicia, reaching Santiago de Compostela on 18 October. After a rest day in Santiago, I continued to Finisterre and Muxía, completing the journey on 27 October.

This post focuses on the day-by-day journey itself — how each stage felt, the weather, the people I met, and the small moments along the way. Practical details such as accommodation and prices are documented separately.

🛏️ Where I stayed:
Read the full accommodation guide here →
Camino Francés + Finisterre/Muxía — Albergue Guide

Table of contents

SECTION 1 — Stage & Distance Overview

SECTION 2 — Day-by-Day Journey

Day 0 — Arrival in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

I arrived in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in the afternoon and spent the day settling in, organising my gear, and mentally preparing for the start of the Camino.

🛏️ Stayed at Maison d’hôtes Larraldia — full accommodation details here.

Day 1 — SJPP → Roncesvalles (24.2 km)

I started my Camino early in the morning, knowing that the first day is often described as one of the hardest due to the long uphill climb over the Pyrenees. Before setting off, I met a group of Malaysian guys and even spoke a bit of Cantonese with them.

The weather was very kind to us — cloudy and cool — which made the long ascent much more pleasant than I had expected. Instead of struggling with the heat, I could actually enjoy hiking through the mountains and taking in the views. The climb was manageable.

Near the end of the stage, just before arriving in Roncesvalles, I met a Chinese pilgrim named Leon. We walked the final stretch together and chatted along the way. It was also my first time using trekking poles, and I realised I was using them completely wrong. Leon kindly showed me how to use my waist instead of pressing too hard with my arms, which immediately made walking feel easier. That small tip helped a lot and saved my arms from unnecessary strain.

I spent about 7 hours walking on my first Camino day before finally reaching the albergue. The Albergue de Peregrinos in Roncesvalles is huge — one floor alone holds around 50 people.

Dinner was at the albergue, and that evening I met a Korean couple. We chatted during dinner, and the girl mentioned that she had studied Spanish during her undergraduate degree. We ended up talking in Spanish for a while — she became my first Camino friend, which made the experience feel even more special.

After such a long day, I was exhausted, but sleeping wasn’t easy. I wasn’t used to the constant snoring yet and woke up many times during the night.

In the early morning, everyone was woken up by loud choir music at around 6 a.m. — honestly quite funny. It was a very Camino-style start to the day.

🛏️ Stayed at Albergue de Peregrinos de Roncesvalles — full accommodation details here.

Day 2 — Roncesvalles → Zubiri (21.4 km)

After the pleasant weather on Day 1, I thought Day 2 would be just as comfortable — and in the beginning, it was. I started walking quite early, around 7–8 a.m., before the sun was fully out. It wasn’t too cold, and the path felt calm and gentle. The terrain was relatively flat at first, which made the morning walk feel relaxed and steady.

Leaving Roncesvalles, I saw the famous sign showing 790 km to Santiago de Compostela. Standing there, it still felt a bit unreal — the Camino signs, the yellow arrows painted on the ground, and the idea that I was only at the very beginning of such a long journey. Following those yellow arrows still felt new and slightly surreal.

Even though I had already walked over the Pyrenees the day before, everything still felt very fresh — the signs, the symbols, and the rhythm of walking. I was slowly getting used to trusting the arrows on the road and letting the Camino guide me forward.

As the day went on, the weather slowly changed. The sun came out, and after midday, it started to feel noticeably hotter. Toward the end of the stage, the route descended steeply, with lots of small, loose, and slippery stones. Going downhill required extra attention — it was tiring on the legs, and I had to slow down to avoid slipping. The combination of heat and the long descent made the final stretch especially exhausting.

By the time I arrived at the albergue in Zubiri, I was completely worn out. After resting for a bit, I met a Korean guy at the hostel, and we decided to cook dinner together. We invited a few other pilgrims staying there, and later on, a group of Italian pilgrims joined us and cooked carbonara. In the end, we all shared dinner together at the albergue — a spontaneous, warm communal meal that felt very Camino-like.

After such a physically demanding day, sitting down to eat and talk with people from different countries was incredibly comforting. It was one of those moments where the tiredness fades a little, replaced by the feeling that you’re no longer walking alone.

🛏️ Stayed at Albergue Río Arga Ibaia — full accommodation details here.

Day 3 — Zubiri → Pamplona (20.4 km)

Even though the distance wasn’t very long, Day 3 felt tough. Early September was still very hot, and walking under the strong sun made the stage much more tiring than expected. With little shade along the way, the heat slowly drained my energy, kilometre by kilometre.

By the time I arrived in Pamplona, I was absolutely starving. I went straight to Mesón de la Navarrería and ordered a bocata de lomo con queso y anchoa. After hours of walking in the heat, that simple meal tasted unbelievably good.

After eating, I finally had enough energy to walk around and explore Pamplona’s city centre. It felt very different from the Camino villages — lively streets, old buildings, and plenty to see.

In the evening, I had a few good and tasty tapas for dinner.

🛏️ Stayed at Hostel Casa Ibarrola — full accommodation details here.

Day 4 — Pamplona → Puente la Reina (23.9 km)

With both uphill sections and strong heat, I knew it would be another physically demanding day. Right from the start, there was very little shade, and we walked directly under the sun for long stretches. The heat and bright sunlight made the climb feel even tougher.

As we approached the top, the views slowly opened up, and reaching the Mirador del Alto del Perdón felt like a small victory. Seeing the famous pilgrim statues at the top was a powerful moment — one of those iconic Camino scenes that you’ve seen in photos.

After the Mirador, we continued walking under the heat, slowly descending and pushing on toward Puente la Reina. By the time I arrived at the hostel, I was completely starving. Unfortunately, dinner wasn’t served until 7:30 p.m., so there was a long wait.

While waiting, I went to Bar Gares with a Chinese pilgrim I had met along the way. I ordered Iberian pork, and it was incredibly tasty — rich, juicy, and absolutely worth the wait after such a hard day of walking.

After dinner, I walked a bit around Puente la Reina and headed toward the famous bridge and river.

🛏️ Stayed at Albergue Estrella Guía — full accommodation details here.

Day 5 — Puente la Reina → Estella (21.6 km)

To avoid the heat in the middle of the day, I started walking very early, around 6:45 a.m., when the sun wasn’t out yet and the air was still cool.

However, I had started developing a small blister around my ankle from the day before. Going uphill was especially painful — I think it was caused by the hard ankle area of my shoes, which were still relatively new. Even though the distance wasn’t long, the discomfort made every uphill section feel much harder than expected.

As the morning went on, the sun came out again, and the heat quickly built up. Large parts of the route had little to no shade, and walking under the direct sun was exhausting despite the early start.

By the time I arrived in Estella, my ankle was really bothering me, so the first thing I did was buy Compeed blister plasters to protect it before it got worse. After sorting that out, I walked around and explore the town.

For dinner, I ended up eating Chinese food together with two Chinese guys and a Korean guy.

🛏️ Stayed at Ágora Hostel — full accommodation details here.

Day 6 — Estella → Los Arcos (21.0 km)

Day 6 was another hot day, so I started walking fairly early again, around 7 a.m., hoping to avoid the worst of the midday sun. For part of the way, I walked with Leon, and along the route we met a friendly group of Taiwanese pilgrims. They shared some fresh figs with us, which was such a small but sweet Camino moment.

Along the way, we also picked a few figs from trees beside the path. They looked tempting, but it turned out they weren’t fully ripe yet.

As the day went on, the heat became intense again. A big part of the route felt exposed, with long stretches of walking under the sun and hardly any shade.

When I finally arrived in Los Arcos, I walked around the town a little. It’s a small place, with a beautiful church right in the centre.

Inside the church, there was a choir singing. I stayed to listen for a while, and it was such a peaceful experience — the kind of quiet moment that feels almost like the Camino gives you a pause to breathe.

🛏️ Stayed at Casa Arqueña — full accommodation details here.

Day 7 — Los Arcos → Logroño (28–29 km)

Day 7 was a fairly long stage — around 29 km — so I started early again, before 7 a.m. I was supposed to walk with Leon, but he overslept, so I began the day walking on my own.

At the beginning, the weather was surprisingly pleasant. It was cloudy with some wind, and the cooler air made the morning walk feel comfortable and steady.

Along the way, I passed through the small village of Viana, and it happened to be a very lively moment — it looked like there were two weddings going on at the same time.

After midday, the sun came out again and the heat returned. As the temperature rose, the final kilometres became much harder. The heat started to feel almost intolerable.

When I arrived in Logroño, I immediately felt a totally different kind of exhaustion — not just from walking, but from the noise and crowds. There seemed to be a wine festival happening, and the whole city centre was packed with people celebrating. It was chaotic, loud, and overwhelming. As someone who prefers the quieter side of the Camino — the calm walking, the peaceful villages, the simple routine — the atmosphere honestly felt like the opposite of what I needed after such a long day.

My albergue was right in the middle of the festival scene, and in the end I decided not to stay there for the night. Instead, I chose to sleep somewhere outside the busy city centre, where I could actually rest properly.

That night, Leon also decided to pause his Camino. After the long, hot first week, he felt he needed a break, so he took a train to Madrid to rest first. He planned to return later and continue the final 100 km from Sarria. It reminded me that the Camino isn’t only about finishing — sometimes listening to your body and taking a break is also part of the journey.

🛏️ Stayed at Albergue San Nicolás — full accommodation details here.

Day 8 — Logroño → Nájera (29.0 km)

Day 8 was the first day of my Camino with rain. When I woke up and saw the weather, I hoped the rain might stop if I waited a little — but it didn’t. In the end, I had no choice but to start walking anyway.

When I went downstairs at the hotel, I met a friendly Australian couple. They invited me to walk with them, and as the rain got heavier, they even helped me pull out the rain cover for my backpack and helped me with it. It was such a small thing, but it made me feel supported.

As we walked together, we came across two Spanish pilgrims, and soon the five of us were walking as a small group. I had the chance to speak Spanish with them, which made me genuinely happy — one of my goals for the Camino was to practise Spanish whenever I could!

After some time, we separated. The Australian couple stopped first, and I continued walking with one of the Spanish women, Montserrat, she was from Barcelona. We walked together for quite a while, chatting as we walked.

Later, I decided to stop and rest in a bar. By the time I was ready to leave again, the rain had finally eased, and the weather began to clear slightly. I set off again and continued walking toward Nájera.

As the road continued, I kept passing through beautiful wine country, with rows of grapevines stretching out across the fields.

Toward the end of the stage, the sky turned grey again. I didn’t want to get caught in heavy rain one more time, so I sped up and walked faster, hoping to reach Nájera as soon as possible. I managed to arrive at the albergue just in time — right before the rain started pouring heavily again.

🛏️ Stayed at Albergue Puerta de Nájera — full accommodation details here.

Day 9 — Nájera → Redecilla del Camino (31.1 km)

Day 9 was fortunately a sunny day — no rain at all — and it felt so much easier mentally compared to yesterday. Early on the way, I even saw a few cats along the route.

The scenery along the way was also beautiful. With the clear sky and fresh air, walking felt peaceful and steady.

Later in the day, the weather changed again — not rain this time, but strong wind. It became very windy and I basically had to tolerate the wind for a long stretch until reaching Santo Domingo de la Calzada, where I stopped for lunch.

That turned out to be a very good decision. I stopped at Bar Piedra, and it ended up being one of the best lunch breaks of my entire Camino journey. The food was comforting and satisfying after hours of walking in the wind, and the cheesecake was genuinely one of the best I had on the Camino — the perfect reward before continuing on.

Looking back, I think I made a bad decision here. Many website recommend stopping in Santo Domingo (and it would have been a sensible stage), but I felt that 20 km was too short and decided to push on to the next two stops instead. Even though the weather was pleasant and not too hot, walking 32 km was still exhausting — especially knowing that I still had to continue the journey the next day.

I ended up arriving at around 6 p.m., completely tired. After this day, I decided to take things slower and avoid pushing too hard. Ideally, I would keep my stages under 30 km from now on.

🛏️ Stayed at Albergue Essentia — full accommodation details here.

Day 10 — Redecilla del Camino → Villafranca Montes de Oca (23.5 km)

After the very long walk the day before, I finally decided to slow down. I had already walked 32 km on Day 9, and one of my roommates asked me, “Why do you have to do this? Are you in a rush?” The answer was definitely no. That question stayed with me, and I realised I didn’t need to push myself so hard. From this point on, I decided to keep my stages shorter — ideally under 25 km — and walk at a more sustainable pace.

My blister around the ankle was also getting worse, which made the decision even clearer. I walked together with my roommates for a while in the morning, but later continued on my own toward Belorado.

In Belorado, I stopped at a pharmacy to buy Compeed blister plasters and ibuprofen — some much-needed Camino supplies at this point.

Back on the trail, I kept seeing many “dead” sunflowers along the route.

Compared to the previous days, today’s route felt relatively flat and easy. With fewer hills and a shorter distance.

When I arrived in Villafranca Montes de Oca, I realised it was a very small town. Most places were already closed, and the only option for dinner nearby was Hotel Restaurante San Antón Abad, so I went there for a menú del día. Inside, I ended up sitting with a couple from the US and a Belgian guy. During dinner, the couple shared their beautiful story — they had actually gotten engaged while walking the Camino together. Hearing that made the evening feel extra special and heart-warming, a reminder that everyone is carrying their own journey along this path.

🛏️ Stayed at Casa Rural La Alpargateria — full accommodation details here.

Day 11 — Villafranca Montes de Oca → Orbaneja Riopico (26.3 km)

Day 11 started with a calm and relatively flat road, making it a nice way to ease into another long walk.

I stopped by a café for lunch and had a bocadillo de morcilla de Burgos — a Spanish blood sausage — together with a café con leche. It was my first time trying morcilla.

After lunch, I set off again as it was getting late. The sun grew stronger and the temperature started to rise, making the afternoon walk feel heavier.

Because my clothes hadn’t fully dried from the day before, I had to hang them on my backpack to air-dry while walking. It looked a bit funny, and even with the strong sun, they still weren’t completely dry after being on my backpack the whole day — one of those small Camino struggles you just learn to accept.

After arriving at the hostel, I relaxed for a bit and took a shower. Later, when I went out to look for dinner, I realised almost everything was already closed. It’s a very small town, with basically just one bar/restaurant. By the time I got there, the only food left was tortilla and a banana — not exactly a proper dinner, but better than nothing.

This is one of the downsides of staying in small villages: food options can be very limited if you arrive late. Still, the quiet atmosphere and peaceful surroundings made it a relaxing place to end the day.

🛏️ Stayed at Casa Rural Fortaleza — full accommodation details here.

Day 12 — Orbaneja Riopico → Rabé de las Calzadas (24.2 km)

Day 12 turned out to be the coldest day of my entire Camino. I started walking very early in the morning, and right away I could feel how different the day was going to be.

Walking toward Burgos in the dark and cold was honestly brutal — it was around 3°C, and because the sun wasn’t up yet, it felt absolutely freezing. My hands were numb, my face felt stiff from the cold, and all I could think about was finding somewhere warm.

By the time I reached the outskirts of Burgos, before heading into the city centre, I stopped at a bar to warm up and have breakfast.

I had tortilla, some tapas, a tostada con jamón and a café con leche — a big breakfast, but very much needed after yesterday’s “dinner” of tortilla and banana. Sitting indoors, warming up, and eating properly again felt incredibly comforting after the freezing morning.

After breakfast, I walked into the centre of Burgos to buy a pair of gloves — absolutely essential in this weather — and then went to visit Burgos Cathedral, the iconic landmark of the city.

The cathedral was stunning and definitely one of the highlights of Burgos. Even though it was tempting to stay in the city, I decided not to sleep there. I’ve learned that staying overnight in big cities can be noisy, and I preferred to continue walking to a smaller place for a quieter night.

Once I left Burgos behind, the sun finally came out, and suddenly everything felt so much better. The warmth made a huge difference — it was hard to believe how freezing it had been just a few hours earlier.

After arriving at the hostel in Rabé de las Calzadas, I relaxed for a bit and was grateful that this accommodation also had a restaurant downstairs, so I could finally have a proper dinner without worrying about places being closed.

After dinner, I chatted with the owner for a while. He was very kind and encouraged me to speak more Spanish along the Camino. Before I went upstairs, he even gifted me a small bottle of water — a simple gesture, but one that felt very warm.

🛏️ Stayed at Hostal Fuente de Rabé — full accommodation details here.

Day 13 — Rabé de las Calzadas → Castrojeriz (27.5 km)

Day 13 started very early again — before sunrise. It was still dark when I set off, but fortunately it was not as cold as yesterday.

The morning was extremely foggy.

After walking for around 10 km, I stopped for breakfast and had tostada with café con leche.

Not long after breakfast, I came across a few cats along the way.

As the morning went on, the fog slowly began to lift, revealing blue skies and sunshine.

Later, I stopped again for lunch.

There was another cat in the restaurant.

After lunch, I still had a fair distance to go. The afternoon sun became strong, and large parts of the route had no shade at all. Walking under the direct sun was tough, and the heat made the final stretch feel endless.

Eventually, I arrived at the albergue in Castrojeriz. This turned out to be one of the most relaxing places I stayed on the Camino. The atmosphere was calm and peaceful, with a meditation session held by the host.

Dinner was a vegetarian meal, beautifully prepared with many different dishes. It was very filling and delicious, and we had great conversations around the table. The whole place had a very chill and relaxing vibe, with not many pilgrims staying that night. The host was very kind, and she also had two lovely white cats, which made the place feel even warmer and more welcoming.

🛏️ Stayed at Espacio Interior — full accommodation details here.

Day 14 — Castrojeriz → Frómista (24.7 km)

Day 14 started early again to avoid the heat.

As I approached Mirador del Alto de Mostelares, something unexpected happened — I started to see the sunrise. I hadn’t planned it at all, but suddenly the sky began turning orange and pink. It was absolutely spectacular.

This was definitely one of the most memorable views of my entire Camino journey!

After soaking in the view, I continued walking.

Later in the morning, I stopped for breakfast — a café con leche and a sandwich (again). At this point, sandwiches had basically become a Camino staple.

The weather stayed pleasant for a while, and walking felt steady and comfortable.

By noon, however, it became very sunny and hot again. I stopped once more for another café con leche and another sandwich before continuing the final stretch toward Frómista.

When I arrived in Frómista, unfortunately the hostel turned out to be the worst of my entire Camino. The bed felt dirty, and there was only cold water in the shower. It was a disappointing end after such a beautiful morning.

(Full details in my accommodation archive below.)

In the evening, I went to a nearby restaurant for dinner.

I had ribs and shared dinner with the Swedish sister I had met earlier that day at the Castrojeriz albergue. We had a really nice conversation over dinner, which helped balance out the frustrating accommodation experience. It reminded me that even when a stay isn’t great, the people you meet can still make the day special.

After dinner, we walked outside and saw two little kittens nearby.

Just across from the restaurant, the church was beautifully illuminated at night.

🛏️ Stayed at Albergue Luz de Frómista — full accommodation details here.