Summary

Many know the Camino de Santiago, the Way of St James, as a 1200 year old pilgrimage route from the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela in western Spain. Many don't know that there are many Caminos to Santiago besides the best-known, most heavily traveled path, the one featured, for example, in the Martin Sheen film "The Way". All are village-to-village long distance rotues traversing a wide variety of landscapes, mountain ranges, waterways and coasts,  fascinating cities and ancient localities that have offered hospitality to walkers for a thousand years or more. This trip on the Camino Baztán takes about 5 days (plus a day at either end to enjoy the cities of Bayonne and Pamplona) and would be great for those who have walked the main route and would like to have a quieter and more physically challenging experience on a less frequented route. 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: accommodations 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. The Baztan Way joins the main Camino de Santiago at Pamplona, so one could continue westward toward the cathedral cities of Burgos, León and Santiago as desired. Another option is to take public transport to vibrant Bilbao, home of the famous Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Gehry (photo). I myself will be heading to San Sebastián to pick up the Camino del Norte, which runs along the cliffs and beaches of the Atlantic coastline on its way to Santiago. Happy to have company on that section too.

Directions To Trailhead Parking Lot

Trip begins at Bayonne, France on the evening of October 5, meeting point TBA. The local airport is Biarritz (BIQ); Bordeaux Airport (BOD) is 2.5 hrs by train from Bayonne. San Sebastian airport (EAS) is about 2hrs away. Return flights can be booked from Pamplona, Bilbao or San Sebastian. High speed trains connect all these Spanish cities with Madrid and Barcelona.