Where to start the Camino Francés

The Camino Francés is 780km from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago. You don't have to walk all of it.

The only official requirement for the Compostela is 100km on foot — or 200km by bicycle. Everything else is personal choice. Which means the question isn't "can I do the Camino" but "where does my Camino begin?"

Sarria is the most common alternative starting point. It sits exactly 114km from Santiago, just beyond the minimum threshold, and the trail from here is well-marked, well-serviced, and genuinely beautiful through the hills of Galicia. If you have one week, Sarria is the answer. The last stretch is busy in summer — Sarria attracts many pilgrims who join just for the final section — but that also means energy, community, and albergues on every stage.

León is another option for pilgrims with two weeks. It sits roughly 300km from Santiago, skipping the Pyrenees and the Meseta but catching the best of Galicia and the final approach. The cathedral in León alone justifies the starting point.

Pamplona gives you three weeks and the full Meseta experience — the crossing that many pilgrims find transformative, even if they dread it beforehand.

And Saint-Jean? That's the full 33 days, the complete arc, the version that gives you the Pyrenees crossing, the long middle, and everything that happens when you've been walking long enough for the Camino to really get to work on you.

None of these is the right answer for everyone. The right starting point is the one that matches the time you have, the body you're in, and the experience you're actually ready for.