The eastern Pyrenean route to the Camino: about 165 kilometers from the Somport border pass through Jaca to Puente la Reina, where the trail meets the Camino Francés.
The Camino Aragonés is the eastern Pyrenean gateway into the Spanish network of routes. It begins high up at the Somport border pass (1,632 m), where pilgrims from the French routes from Arles and southern France cross into Spain. From there it descends through the valley of the Río Aragón, past Jaca and the cliff monastery of San Juan de la Peña, to Puente la Reina – where it meets the Camino Francés.
At about a week, the Aragonés is short but scenically intense: an alpine opening, deep valleys, Romanesque churches and, at the end, the famous pilgrim bridge of Puente la Reina, where the routes from France converge.
The route is the Spanish continuation of the pilgrim routes that cross France via Arles and the Somport pass.
Ideal if you want a quieter, more dramatic start to the Camino Francés than the crowded beginning in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. If you love mountains, stillness and history and are coming from the French Arles route, this is just right.
Less suitable if you want the full pilgrim bustle right away or dislike elevation: the descent from Somport is long, and some stages are sparsely populated.
From Somport the path drops steeply through the high valley of Canfranc and Villanúa to Jaca, the old capital of the Kingdom of Aragón. The route then follows the Río Aragón through a wide, drier valley.
Over the hills of Navarre it reaches Sangüesa and finally Puente la Reina, where the famous medieval bridge over the Arga marks the confluence with the Camino Francés.
The Aragonés is short (about 6–8 days), but with nearly 3,150 meters of descent it's hard on the knees – the long drop from Somport should be paced well. After that it flattens out. Waymarking and supplies are solid, but thinner than on the Camino Francés.
A little off the path, but worth the detour: the monastery of San Juan de la Peña nestles into the mountain beneath a huge overhanging cliff. It is regarded as the cradle of the Kingdom of Aragón and, by legend, one of the places where the Holy Grail is said to have been kept.
The Romanesque cloister beneath the overhanging rock is one of the most striking places on the whole route.
The Camino Aragonés doesn't end in Santiago but in Puente la Reina – where it meets the Camino Francés. From here it's about another 700 kilometers on the Camino Francés to Santiago de Compostela. Many walk the Aragonés for exactly this reason: as a quiet, mountainous prelude before joining the great stream of the Camino Francés.
The best time is late spring to autumn; snow can lie on the Somport into May. Accommodation is in albergues and small guesthouses. As on all Spanish routes, you'll need a pilgrim's credential (credencial).
Budget roughly €25–40 per day. Albergues usually cost €8–15, plus food. If you stay in guesthouses, you'll pay more.
The starting point is the Somport pass. Get there usually via Jaca or the French side (Oloron-Sainte-Marie).
Albergue A'Noguera
Open season unknown
Albergue de los Padres Reparadores
Open season unknownAlbergue de Peregrinos de Arres
Open season unknownEverything you need for the Camino Aragonés, shipped to your door.
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