Camino de Santiago: the Baztån Way

We met up in beautiful Bayonne, France, and walked the Camino Baztán for 6 days, averaging around 14 miles a day through an isolated and very traditional part of the Basque Country straddling the Pyrenees that form the westernmost part of the border between France and Spain. The weather was much drier and warmer than normal for October in the area, reaching the mid 80s every day.  The walk was mostly quiet and very beautiful through farmlands, pastures and beech forests and over several steep passes, following the courses of the Baztán and Ulzama rivers through some ancient villages to reach the regional capital of Pamplona where we enjoyed great food and city sights. 

The Camino de Santiago, the Way of St James, is a network of ancient walking routes from the French Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. The main path has become heavily traveled especially in summer; October is an ideal time to enjoy cooler weather and less congestion on the trails. This trip is a week's trek on a less-traveled branch from Bayonne, France, to Pamplona, Spain, via the beautiful Baztán valley in the Basque country, comprised of about 5 days of walking, plus a day at either end to enjoy the historic cities of Bayonne and Pamplona. The Baztán route joins the main Camino to Santiago at historic Pamplona (famous for the July Running of the Bulls festival), which also has good onward transport links for those who are done walking. Those who have not previously done a Camino are welcome; I've done five previous trips (though not this one) and would be happy to share my expertise to help you prepare for and enjoy the trip. Participants should be in good physical condition; much of the route is mountainous, though not technically demanding, and we will be averaging around 12 miles a day. We will travel light: no camping equipment is needed; accommodations en route are in small local hotels and pilgrim hostels with spartan facilities. Adaptability and good humor in the face of of the unexpected are key. Spanish and French language skills would be helpful but not a must.

Several options are possible for extended trips. You could walk the main Camino from Pamplona to the stunning cathedral city of Burgos (about a week's trek). I myself will be heading to San Sebastián from Pamplona by rail to pick up the Camino del Norte, which runs along the cliffs and beaches of the Atlantic coastline on its way to Santiago, then I'll be switching after about 240 miles to the Camino Primitivo at the city of Oviedo for the last 200 miles to Santiago. Happy to have company on parts of that too.