My partner and I just returned to the US after completing the Chemin d'Arles, and the Aragones to Puente la Reina. This camino is very quiet, and in most areas very beautiful. We had dry weather going over Somport Pass and for the remainder of the camino. We did have some very hot days that made the walk more difficult. We had left very adequate time so we took a full 10 days starting at Somport. Most of the camino is on path, very little on road.
Day 1 Somport to Canfranc Estacion. 7 k. After climbing to the pass the day before we opted to stay at Canfranc Estacion. I'm glad we did. It's a lovely place and I enjoyed the 3 Euro tour of the station, learning the history. They light the station at night in changing colors. We stayed at Casa Marieta and had dinner at one of two open restaurants in town.
Day 2 Canfranc Estacion to Jaca. 28 k, 370 m climbing. Was a pretty long day, with services available at Canfranc and Villanua. Beautiful walk.
Day 3 rest day in Jaca. We took the bus to Juan de la Pena. The bus goes at 9:30, but not every day. The days vary, the tourist office will call and find out if the bus is going. After visiting the monastery, we walked the trail down to the main road and hitched a ride back to Jaca. For those wanting to walk this variant, the trail from the monastery to Santa Cruz de la Seros is very steep, exposed and slippery. The old monastery is stunning and the town of Santa Cruz is beautiful.
Day 4 Jaca to Santa Celia 17 k, 100 m climbing. This is a very easy day, mostly along the river and a little scrubby, not particularly scenic. Santa Celia is a beautiful village with a nice albergue. There is a bar, a restaurant near the campground by the river, and a panaderia with delicious wood oven baked bread. No other services available.
Day 5 Santa Celia - Artieda 34 k, 400 m climbing. This is a beautiful highland walk, with views of hilltop villages. The town of Arres, at 10 k, offers an albergue, but otherwise there are no services until you arrive at Artieda. The albergue at Artieda serves dinner and breakfast, otherwise no other services seem to be available.
Day 6 Artieda - Undues de Lerda 25 k, 580 m climbing. Undues has an albergue with a bar/restaurant. There is also a casa rural with all amenities including kitchen. No other services in the village. The walk is stunning, another stunning highland walk, and partly through forest, passing the ruined town of Ruesta, which has an albergue. The Embalsa de Yesa is visible during large portions of the walk.
Day 7 Undues de Lerda - Sanguesa 14 k, 100 m climbing. There is an albergue in Sanguesa, but it was full. We stayed at the other option, a hotel called Yamaguchi, about 1 k uphill outside town. It's very adequate, and has a restaurant. Sanguesa has some beautiful churches and was a good place to spend an afternoon. There is no foodstore between Jaca and Sanguesa, so we stocked up on food, having used everything in the last 4 days.
Day 8 Sanguesa - Izco 22 k, 585 m climbing. There are no services at Izco, and the albergue was closed, at least for now. We could have walked on to Monreal, but it was very hot. We found a casa rural (listed in the Miam Miam Do Do) in a nearby village and the owner came to pick us up, and returned us to Izco the following day.
Day 9 -Izco - Tiebas, 25 k, 485 m climbing. More stunning scenery. Monreal has an albergue, and is on the way. There is a cafe. Tiebas has 2 albergues. We stayed at Albergue de los Sabios, and found it very nice. The bar/restaurant is across from Sabios. There is no food store.
Day 10 Tiebas - Puente la Reina,21 k, 205 m climbing. This walk took us by Iglesia Santa Maria de Eunate. Well worth a visit.
Challenges on this camino include a real lack of services. You need to plan ahead to know how much food to carry, and which villages have lodging. Tourist offices in Jaca and Sanguesa can advise you, or hospitaleros call ahead to check. Taxis are available, and there is bus service between some places.
Others probably know more about it than me, but it seems to me that this camino might be dying due to a lack of pilgrims. It's nice to have the quiet, but more might travel it if food and lodging was a little more available. Also, the planned raising of the Embalsa will put some of it under water. If more traveled the camino, that decision might be changed. These are only my impressions, I don't know a lot of facts about these issues. We met very few other pilgrims, perhaps 8.
Day 1 Somport to Canfranc Estacion. 7 k. After climbing to the pass the day before we opted to stay at Canfranc Estacion. I'm glad we did. It's a lovely place and I enjoyed the 3 Euro tour of the station, learning the history. They light the station at night in changing colors. We stayed at Casa Marieta and had dinner at one of two open restaurants in town.
Day 2 Canfranc Estacion to Jaca. 28 k, 370 m climbing. Was a pretty long day, with services available at Canfranc and Villanua. Beautiful walk.
Day 3 rest day in Jaca. We took the bus to Juan de la Pena. The bus goes at 9:30, but not every day. The days vary, the tourist office will call and find out if the bus is going. After visiting the monastery, we walked the trail down to the main road and hitched a ride back to Jaca. For those wanting to walk this variant, the trail from the monastery to Santa Cruz de la Seros is very steep, exposed and slippery. The old monastery is stunning and the town of Santa Cruz is beautiful.
Day 4 Jaca to Santa Celia 17 k, 100 m climbing. This is a very easy day, mostly along the river and a little scrubby, not particularly scenic. Santa Celia is a beautiful village with a nice albergue. There is a bar, a restaurant near the campground by the river, and a panaderia with delicious wood oven baked bread. No other services available.
Day 5 Santa Celia - Artieda 34 k, 400 m climbing. This is a beautiful highland walk, with views of hilltop villages. The town of Arres, at 10 k, offers an albergue, but otherwise there are no services until you arrive at Artieda. The albergue at Artieda serves dinner and breakfast, otherwise no other services seem to be available.
Day 6 Artieda - Undues de Lerda 25 k, 580 m climbing. Undues has an albergue with a bar/restaurant. There is also a casa rural with all amenities including kitchen. No other services in the village. The walk is stunning, another stunning highland walk, and partly through forest, passing the ruined town of Ruesta, which has an albergue. The Embalsa de Yesa is visible during large portions of the walk.
Day 7 Undues de Lerda - Sanguesa 14 k, 100 m climbing. There is an albergue in Sanguesa, but it was full. We stayed at the other option, a hotel called Yamaguchi, about 1 k uphill outside town. It's very adequate, and has a restaurant. Sanguesa has some beautiful churches and was a good place to spend an afternoon. There is no foodstore between Jaca and Sanguesa, so we stocked up on food, having used everything in the last 4 days.
Day 8 Sanguesa - Izco 22 k, 585 m climbing. There are no services at Izco, and the albergue was closed, at least for now. We could have walked on to Monreal, but it was very hot. We found a casa rural (listed in the Miam Miam Do Do) in a nearby village and the owner came to pick us up, and returned us to Izco the following day.
Day 9 -Izco - Tiebas, 25 k, 485 m climbing. More stunning scenery. Monreal has an albergue, and is on the way. There is a cafe. Tiebas has 2 albergues. We stayed at Albergue de los Sabios, and found it very nice. The bar/restaurant is across from Sabios. There is no food store.
Day 10 Tiebas - Puente la Reina,21 k, 205 m climbing. This walk took us by Iglesia Santa Maria de Eunate. Well worth a visit.
Challenges on this camino include a real lack of services. You need to plan ahead to know how much food to carry, and which villages have lodging. Tourist offices in Jaca and Sanguesa can advise you, or hospitaleros call ahead to check. Taxis are available, and there is bus service between some places.
Others probably know more about it than me, but it seems to me that this camino might be dying due to a lack of pilgrims. It's nice to have the quiet, but more might travel it if food and lodging was a little more available. Also, the planned raising of the Embalsa will put some of it under water. If more traveled the camino, that decision might be changed. These are only my impressions, I don't know a lot of facts about these issues. We met very few other pilgrims, perhaps 8.
