Practical info ON HORSEBACK

Stages and signs

Although the most common ways of doing the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago is on foot or by bike, some people do it on horseback, as in the Middle Ages. To do so, you should follow the signposted route, although in a few narrow or difficult places you will need to get off your horse. Doing the pilgrimage on horseback is a great adventure, but it has the disadvantages of having to transport the animals to the starting point, and then finding a place for them to sleep at night. This option therefore requires careful planning, obtaining infomraiton on the places where both rider and horse can rest overnight. There is some practical information on the route in Navarre below.

French route by Orreaga/Roncesvalles
Stage 1: From St. Jean-Pied-de-Port to Orreaga/Roncesvalles (21 km.)
Stage 2: From Orrega/Roncesvalles to Zubiri (22 km.)
Stage 3: From Zubiri to Pamplona (20 km.)
Stage 4: From Pamplona to Puente la Reina (19 km.)
Stage 5: From Puente la Reina to Estella (19,7 km.)
Stage 6: From Estella to Los Arcos (20,6 km.)
Stage 7: From Los Arcos to Viana (18 km.)

French route by Jaca
Stage 1: From Artieda to Sangüesa (24,6 km.)
Stage 2: From Sangüesa to Monreal (26,5 km.)
Stage 3: From Monreal to Puente la Reina (30,4 km.)

Download the full document with all the stages of the French route of the Way in Navarre. (.pdf 6,29 mb)

Signs

The Pilgrim's Way to Santiago is a well-signposted route, so the pilgrim should let him/herself be guided and enjoy the things to be discovered along the way. The signs are not all standard but there is never any doubt about the route to be followed.

• In the Navarrese part of the stage from Saint Jean de Pied de Port to Orreaga–Roncesvalles: wooden posts with yellow arrows placed on both sides of the route.
• At the end of each stage: information panels that indicate the route, distances and changes in height, and specific information on each stage.
• At points where the Way crosses or coincides with roads: a vertical blue metal sign with the anagram of the Pilgrim's Way (a yellow shell that looks like a star), the silhouette of a traveller and white arrow indicating the direction. 50 metres before the crossing: metal signs warning of the danger.
• On paths: the most commonly found signals are yellow arrows, but because the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago de Compostela was catalogued as route 'GR65' you will also find marks used in Long Distance Walking Routes, i.e. two small strips of white and red paint.
• In towns and villages: blue ceramic plaques with the anagram on the walls of buildings located along the route.
• At problem points or quick changes of direction: boundary markers with the same ceramic plaque.
• Along the route: perspex arrows that indicate the right direction to follow.
• Unofficial signage: piles of stones and crosses that pilgrims leave in place as they travel the route.

Up

Hostels and special services

In Navarre there are not many places equipped to take horses. Some establishments accept rides and their saddles/trappings, while others only take in horses. Depending on the type of accommodation, the horses can either be put in a stable or sleep outdoors. In any case, it is advisable to get advance information on where to stay with your horse(s) and the conditions they will sleep. It is advisable to look for a place for horses to sleep along the route; it is important not to do more kilimotres than you need to.

Download a list of establishments that take horses (.pdf 43 Kb) along the Pilgrim's Way in Navarre.

Up

How to get to Orreaga/Roncesvalles

The Pilgrim's Way starts from any spot on the route, but most pilgrims start at Orreaga/Roncesvalles. You can get there by bus, taxi or hire car.

The Artieda bus company covers the Pamplona-Orreaga/Roncesvalles route every afternoon except on Sundays and Public Holidays. They charge a 6€ supplement per bicycle.

Información sobre transportes

Route	Times	Duration of tryp	Company	Price
Pamplona – Orreaga/Roncesvalles	Monday to friday, at 18:00 / Saturdays, at 16:00	1 hour and 10 minutes	Artieda: Tel.948 30 02 87	6,00€

Another option is to take a taxi (average price 50€). Download the full list of taxis on the French Route in Navarre (.pdf 59 Kb) and car rental companies (.pdf 57 Kb).

To transport the horse there are two options: contract a specialist company ot take a support car with a trailer for the entire route.

If you would like information on how to reach Navarre and how to travel around the region, enter here.

Up

The credential and the compostela

What the Credential is and how to obtain it

The credential is an official document that certifies and identifies the pilgrim. It shows his/her personal daya, maps of the Pilgrim's Way and boxes where the stamps are entered in the places where the pilgrims pass through, and the date. This document is essential to stay in public hostels and obtain the 'Compostela', but it does not give any other rights to its holder.

The credential costs 1€ and can be obtained in hostels, the Collegiate Church of Orreaga/Roncesvalles, the Archbishopric of Pamplona, in the offices of the 'Amigos del Camino de Santiago' (Friends of the Pilgrim's Way) and in brotherhoods or shelters named by the church in Santiago.

The 'Compostela'

This is a document issued by the Chapter of Santiago Cathedral, and it certifies that a person has made the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. It is written in Latin. To obtain it, you need to show a stamped credential and have completed a minimum of 100 kilometres on foot or horseback or 200 kilometres by bicycle.

Special arrangements for university students

Students from any university in the world that travel the Pilgrim's Way can certify their pilgrimage by stamping their credentials in European universities associated to the route. The 'Acreditación Jacobea Universitaria' includes the following documents: University credential: both the student and the university can apply for it on the Internet. If you have it you can stay in hostels along the way.

"Compostela Universitaria": a certificate obained with the stamped 'credencial jacobea', also on the Internet.

Up

Pilgrim's menu

The Pilgrim's Menu generally consists of two dishes, bread and a dessert at a low price, sometimes restricted to certain times of day. Restaurants are not obliged to offer this kind of menu. You need to show your status as a pilgrim (on foot, bicycle, horseback) with the credential.

Download the full list of restaurants (.pdf 93 kb) on the French Route in Navarre that offer the Pilgrim's Menu

Up

Healh centres and medical suggestions

Navarre has an extensive network of health services along the route. Download a list of Health Centes and Doctors' Surgeries on the French Route in Navarre.

Some tips for pilgrims: prevent and cure.

1. Prevention
   • Blisters: wear the correct footwear and socks. Keep feet hydrated. Mentholated vaseline in socks is a good way to prevent blisters.
   • Chafing: a zinc oxide-based protective cream stops chafing. Put some oil on the hard part of the shoe.
   • Tendinitis or pulled muscles: plan the stages on the basis of your physical condition. Do warm-ups before starting a stage and do stretching exercises when you finish.
   • Insect bites: avoid using shampoo, soap, perfumed creams and dark-coloured clothes because they attract insects. Use repellents.
   • Diarrhea: do not eat raw food, unpeeled or unwashed fruit, cream-based pastries and – above all – non-drinking water.
   • Tight clothes: vaseline works as a lubricant to stop clothes chafing the skin.
2. Cure
   • How to cure a blister: prick the blister with a needle and thread. Move the thread to drain it. Remove it when all the liquid has come out. Apply Vetadine to dry it faster. To relieve the itching, put a gelatine dressing over the blister when it has been emptied. To continue walking, put a cotton dressing between your sock and foot.
   • Products to relieve shoe chafing: Natusan, special dressings, creams or 'second skin' patches.
   • Tendinitis or lightly pulled muscles: take an analgesic and apply a painkiller ointment several times a day. In serious cases, rest for a few days and even take painkillers.
   • Insect bites: pharmacies sell products to relieve itching and stop wounds getting infected. There are also some home-made remedies that can help: rub the bite with a piece of lemon, onion or half a clove of garlic. A little diluted ammonia soaked in cotton stops itching and irritation quickly and effectively.
   • Bedbug bites: wash the bites with soap and water. If the itching is strong, use an ammonia-lbased calming lotion (sold in pharmacies). In the case of itching that is hard to bear or skin infections, visit a medical centre for treatment. Download a brochure (.pdf 55 kb).
   • Diarrhea: do not eat any food. Drink a lot of liquids and water with salts.
   • Chafing from clothes: apply a damp dressing to the affected area with a mixture of a little olive oil and water. Leave overnight.

Link of interest: Website of the Federación del Camino de Santiago

Up

Carrying luggage

To make the journey more pleasant, the company Jacotrans can transport your luggage along the entire Pilgrim's Way for 7€ per person/day (consult special rates for university students and groups). This service does not mean that you have to reserve accommodation in hostels.

The company also offers other complementary services:

• Sending postcard to the destination (excess luggage, souvenirs…)
• Left luggage service until the pilgrim returns
• Rental of backpacks (3€/day)
• Sale of material: clothing, sticks, water bottles, capes, bicycle spare parts…
• For cyclists: assembly and delivery of the bicycle at the starting point: the pilgrim thus avoids having to take it on trains or buses. Technical advice: in the case of a breakdown, help in repairing the bicycle or advice on the nearest cycle workshop.

You can contact the company by e-mail (jacotrans@jacotrans.com) or telephone:

• Jacotrans Navarra. Tél.: +34 610 98 32 05
• Jacotrans La Rioja. Tél.: +34 636 09 92 99
• Jacotrans Burgos. Tél.: +34 650 45 15 40
• Jacotrans León. Tél.: +34 606 04 98 58

Up

Websites, bibliography, pilgrim's way associations and tourism offices

Before starting the Pilgrim's Way it is advisable to get information to plan your journey, prepare you backpack, clarify doubts or learn about tourist and natural attractions or monuments along the route. There are many sources offering quality information on the route: the websites (translated) enable fast and easy access. There are also books with personal experiences and recommendations, Friends of the Pilgrim's Way Association and tourism offices.

Recommended websites

General information on the Pilgrim's Way

• www.jacobeo.net: includes updated information.
• www.caminosantiago.org: also contains practical advice.
• www.santiago-compostela.net: translated into 12 languages, very illustrative. Several photographs.
• www.caminosantiago.com: tourist information on the Pilgrim's Way.

Specific for pilgrims:

• www.elcaminoasantiago.com: on foot, horseback or by bicyle.
• www.caminodesantiago.consumer.es: routes, hostels, maps and guides you can print (either on foot or by bicycle).

French Route, branches and other routes:

• www.mundicamino.com: covers all the existing routes. Can be bought on-line.
• www.infocamino.com: focuses on the branches of the French Route (gastronomy, legends and stories).
• www.todosloscaminosdesantiago.com: includes all the aspects of the route.
• www.jacajacobea.com: up-to-date informaiton on the Aragon branch.
• www.gronze.com: contains information on all the main routes and advice and practical information for pilgrims travelling on foot.

The Pilgrim's Way for people with disabilities:

• www.ibermutuamur.es/camino_santiago

The Pilgrim's Way for people on horseback:

• www.caminosantiagoacaballo.blogspot.com: shows the stages travelled by pilgrims on horseback, offering practical advice and comments on the accommodation used.

Bibliography

The number of books and guides on the Pilgrim's Way is enormous. Some help the pilgrim, others focus on artistic manifestatoins, legends, gastronomy, etc. Given that the Way is evolving constantly, incorporating improvementsw in the routes, extending services, etc, it is a good idea to consult the most recent editions. When walking, it is advisable to carry a light guide or a map with information.

Practical guides

• El Camino de Santiago en tu mochila. (The Pilgrim's Way in your backpack)
  Publisher Anaya.
  Updated in 2010.
  Useful for walkers and cyclists. The guide has some practical pull-out maps, ideal for holding in your hand as you walk along the route.
• Guía azul Trotamundos. (Blue guide)
  Publisher Anaya.
  Includes practical information on everything you need to make the pilgrimage.
• Michelín Guide to the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago.
  Publisher Michelín. 2010.
  Includes maps and profiles of the stages.

General books

• Camino de Santiago.
  Publisher GR.U.P.O.
  Author: Luis Agromayor.
• Los Caminos a Compostela. El arte de la peregrinación.
  Author: Ramón Izquierdo (2004).
• The Pilgrim to Compostela. Diary of a wizard.
  Publisher Planeta. 1989.
  Author: Paulo Coelho.

Special books

• Codex Calixtinus. Guide of the Mediaeval Pilgrim.
  Translation: Millán Bravo Lozano.
  Centro de Estudios del Camino de Santiago, 1989.

This book, also known as the 'Libro de Santiago', was written by one of the main 'publicists' of the pilgrimage, Aymeric Picaud. The original is kept in the Cathedral of Santiago. The name is due to Pope Calixto II, who appears as the author in many places. It is a complex 12th-century work divided into 5 parts or books:

• Book I: a series of sermons and liturgical texts on St James
• Book II: collection of 22 miracles
• Book III: the transfer of the Saint's body
• Book IV or 'Pseudo Turpín': history of Charlemagne and Roland attributed to the bishop of Reims (Turpín)
• Book V or Aymeric Picaud´s guide: first detailed written guide on the Pilgrim's Way: distances, water, food, churches...

Associations of the Pilgrim's way

The Associations of Friends of the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago are non-profit-making bodies and carry out several worthy initiatives aimed at recovering and promotion the pilgrimage to Compostela and the various routes of the Pilgrim's Way. These associations exist both in Spain and abroad, because the Pilgrim's Way is a universal phenomenon. Download a list of the main Pilgrim's Way Associations (.pdf 52 kb).

Tourism Offices

There are numerous tourism offices along the Pilgrim's Way that provide practical information on tourism: what to see, where to eat, what to do at the end of the stage, etc. Download a list of the main tourism offices on the 'French route' of the Pilgrim's Way (.pdf 50 kb).

In Navarre there is also a special office for attention to pilgrims at Orreaga-Roncesvalles, open Monday-Friday 10.00-13.30 and 16.00-19.30; Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays 10.00-13.30 and 16.00-18.30. Outside normal opening hours, the service for pilgrims is in the Collegiate Church (948 76 00 00).

Up

Practical tips for travelling along the Pilgrim's way

When considering attempting the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago, plan ahead to avoid the unexpected. Below we offer a list of basic recommendations that should be borne in mind before starting out on the pilgrimage.

Getting fit

The route can be walked by anyone, provided that they realise their own physical limits. It is highly advisable to do some light training before setting out, starting off with short walks and then making them progressively longer. Once you have started out, it is important to save energy and avoid exhaustion. Every person has their limits and it is important to find your pace.

Planning

It is a good idea to prepare a 'stage plan', bearing in mind that the most common rhythm is to walk between 25-30 kilometres a day. It is advisable to plan short stages at the beginning so that you get used to walking the distances. Also programme rest days from time to time, perhaps coinciding with the places you would most like to visit. Let your family and friends know your plans and dates so that you can be contacted in the event of an emergency.

Where to start?

A common doubt is where to start the French Route. It is important to remember that the stage from St. Jean de Pied de Port to Orreaga/Roncesvalles is the hardest off all, not so much for the distance as for the great difference in height (more than 1,000 metres). So, for the fittest people it is worth starting the Way in the beautiful town of St, Jean Pied de Port in the French Basque Country. For everyone else, it is advisable to start the route more gently from Orreaga/Roncesvalles.

When to go

The summer guarantees good weather but it is also the busiest time and there could be accommodation problems. During the winter (from October to March) you run the risk of finding rain and maybe even snow. September and May are ideal months because of their pleasant climate and fewer pilgrims along the route. If you come from a colder country, remember that it is important to adapt gradually to the sunshine.

Food and hydration

It is advisable to eat foods that are rich in carbohydrates: bread, cereals, jams, cold meats, pasta, rice, potatoes, biscuits, energy bars, fruit and nuts. It is a good idea to increase the number of meals a day but eat less food each time. If you walk in the morning, breakfast should be big, but if you walk in the afternoon/evening, it is better to eat lightly two hours before starting. Along the route, eat fresh fruit and nuts, which will give you the necessary energy to cover the stage. For the horses, the rider should take feed for half a day. The rest of the feed can be carried in the support vehicle.

You also need to drink a lot of liquid to avoid dehydration, with the drinks preferably not being too col. Do not wait until you are thirsty, because that only happens when the body has already started to dehydrate. If it is very hot, add salt to the water and maybe even a teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda. Be caregul with fountains, streams and rivers along the way. It is important to ensure that the water can be drunk. Take a folding bucket for the horses to drink water.

First aid kit

It is very important to take certain drugs to stop common illnesses (colds, headache or stomach pains, stings, blisters). Scissors, needle and thread to cure blisters, high-protection sun cream, muscle pain cream, analgesics, sticking plasters and foot cream.

Other useful things to take

Some suggesstions of items to take with you, or in the support car: a waterproof cover for the saddle, leggings, a raincoat, a change of clothes, your federation pass (rider and horse), foldable helmet cleaner, electric fencing, tape and rods, hay or straw bales, horse cleaning kit, replacement stirrups, reins, tackle...

Take care of the Pilgrim's Way

It is everyone's responsibility to keep the Way clean by using the rubbish bins and toilets etc. that are located along the route or in the towns and villages. Never leave clothes or shoes behind along the way.

Walk safe and sure

Protect yourself from the sun with high-protection sun cream. Get up early to avoid the hottest hours of the day. If you find high temperatures exhausting, find a cool place to rest and drink plenty of liquids; a litre of water with a teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of bicarbonate will help you recover.

It is important to cross roads in groups and quickly. Check helmets and horseshoes. Carry an emergency kit in the saddlebag and learn enough to be able to deal with any unforeseen circumstances... Enjoy your walking!

Up