Camino Francés by Bike

Camino Frances - Cycling Route
Distance
about 770 km (480 miles)
Countries
Spain, France
Difficulty
Moderate
Type of trip
Cycling route

The Camino Francés is a walking pilgrim route: about 770 km from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France, over the Pyrenees and west across northern Spain through Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos and León to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. There’s no separate official bike route. Cyclists ride the same waymarked path where it suits a bike and use nearby roads where it doesn’t, as not all of the walking path can be ridden. The Compostela, the certificate from the Pilgrim’s Office in Santiago, needs at least the last 200 km by bike, against 100 km on foot, with your credencial (pilgrim passport) stamped at least twice a day over that stretch.

You sleep in albergues (pilgrim hostels), guesthouses or hotels. The credencial gets you into albergues, but check each one’s rules for cyclists before you count on a bed. The first day is the big climb: from Saint-Jean the Route Napoléon goes up to the Lepoeder pass at 1,430 m before dropping to Roncesvalles. From 1 November to 31 March it’s closed and everyone goes via Valcarlos instead. If you want a shorter ride that still earns the Compostela, Ponferrada is about 230 km from Santiago on the walking route.

Highlights along the way

  1. Pyrenees crossing: 24 km from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Roncesvalles with about 1,400 m of climbing on the Route Napoléon, or the lower Valcarlos route.
  2. Burgos Cathedral: a Gothic cathedral begun in 1221, and the only Spanish cathedral on the UNESCO list on its own rather than as part of an old town.
  3. The Meseta: the high, flat farmland between Burgos and León at around 700 to 800 m, the flattest riding on the route, and hot in July and August.
  4. Cruz de Ferro: an iron cross in the Montes de León beyond Foncebadón. The Camino’s highest point, about 1,505 m, is just past it.
  5. O Cebreiro: the village where you enter Galicia, at the top of the biggest climb on the Spanish side, about 28 km up from Villafranca del Bierzo.

Distance

About 770 km (480 miles) from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago on the walking route. Road detours can add a little. Cyclists need at least the last 200 km for the Compostela; Ponferrada to Santiago is about 230 km.

Best time to go

April to June and September to October. July and August are hot on the Meseta, and November to January can bring snow on the high passes. The Route Napoléon over the Pyrenees is closed from 1 November to 31 March, when you go via Valcarlos.

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