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Spectacular Canfranc Estacion!

Vacajoe

Traded in my work boots for hiking ones
Time of past OR future Camino
Frances, Portuguese, Aragon, Norte, SJWayUK, Nive
Visited the long-awaited restored train station at Canfranc Estacion and I must say that it’s truly a jewel. Sure, some elements were removed and will be missed, but only purists will notice. They saved what they could, copied what they couldn’t, and have successfully created a beautiful space out of what has been an eyesore for decades.

Rooms run about 200€ and the bar/restaurant isn’t cheap, but it’s a one-of-a-kind place (at one time it was the largest train station in Europe). Best part is that Renfe is running two trains a day to/from there and the ride from Zaragoza via Huesca is a real treat.

Canfranc Estacion is also a great spot for starting your Camino Aragonés when the weather closes the Somport pass (or take a bus up to the summit and start from there). Plus you can stay at the nearly new donativo in Canfranc Pueblo, just an easy one hour downhill walk. It’s open April 1-Oct 31.

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Visited the long-awaited restored train station at Canfranc Estacion and I must say that it’s truly a jewel. Sure, some elements were removed and will be missed, but only purists will notice. They saved what they could, copied what they couldn’t, and have successfully created a beautiful space out of what has been an eyesore for decades.

Rooms run about 200€ and the bar/restaurant isn’t cheap, but it’s a one-of-a-kind place (at one time it was the largest train station in Europe). Best part is that Renfe is running two trains a day to/from there and the ride from Zaragoza via Huesca is a real treat.

Canfranc Estacion is also a great spot for starting your Camino Aragonés when the weather closes the Somport pass (or take a bus up to the summit and start from there). Plus you can stay at the nearly new donativo in Canfranc Pueblo, just an easy one hour downhill walk. It’s open April 1-Oct 31.

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I was reading about this place and the restoration work! There's also some kind of major scientific research they're doing deep in the rock of the mountains around there. I am planning to start in Somport in early May. Was planning on spending the night in Jaca and then taking the 8:30 a.m. bus up to Somport and only walking to Canfranc Pueblo that day, since it's my first day and I want to make sure I don't overdo it. And I am probably going to need to stop a lot just to take in the scenery and take pictures -- that will take a while! So maybe lunch or coffee or something in this station that day. Can't wait!
 
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drinks and free pintxos were all we could afford!
We’ve enjoyed many Paradors and other ‘swanky’ hotels in this way. We hope to stay in the albergue but will be sure to have a stop of some sort at the hotel. Last time I was on the Aragones, in September 2019, renovations were still underway but nonetheless a glorious building with a fascinating history ❤️

Thank you for the photos
@Vacajoe 🙏

9EE3DBC2-CFC5-4252-9399-219AE38C80B4.jpeg
 
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The science experiments are conducted in the old train tunnel that has been out of service for decades. Unfortunately, they are not accessible except with special permission or a rare tour. There is an eventual hope that it will be re-established so that trains can reach the station from France as it originally operated.

If you plan to walk this route, I suggest taking the train to Canfranc Estacion (from Zaragoza-Huesca-Jaca) and then the local bus to Somport. We have many pilgrims that start their day arriving at Somport and then enjoying the walk to Pueblo, stopping for lunch at Estacion. They have rerouted the Camino just after Somport, keeping you lower on the mountain and shortening the distance by a few kms. If you see the old path, I highly recommend it as it stay further from the highway and closer to the old Franco border defense bunkers.

The bar at the new hotel is lovely (two bars, actually!) and worth a visit so that you can see more than the hotel lobby.
 
The science experiments are conducted in the old train tunnel that has been out of service for decades. Unfortunately, they are not accessible except with special permission or a rare tour. There is an eventual hope that it will be re-established so that trains can reach the station from France as it originally operated.

If you plan to walk this route, I suggest taking the train to Canfranc Estacion (from Zaragoza-Huesca-Jaca) and then the local bus to Somport. We have many pilgrims that start their day arriving at Somport and then enjoying the walk to Pueblo, stopping for lunch at Estacion. They have rerouted the Camino just after Somport, keeping you lower on the mountain and shortening the distance by a few kms. If you see the old path, I highly recommend it as it stay further from the highway and closer to the old Franco border defense bunkers.

The bar at the new hotel is lovely (two bars, actually!) and worth a visit so that you can see more than the hotel lobby.
What about footing and signage on the old route? And how would I know it if I see it? Do you know if it would be possible to spend the night at the albergue in Pueblo, take the morning bus up to Somport, walk back to pueblo, and spend a second night there? The bus from Jaca (where I was planning on spending that night) goes through Pueblo anyway, and that albergue looks to be a great little place.
 
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I would suggest taking the 0825 or 1200 bus from Jaca to Somport and then walking to Canfranc Pueblo. The albergue at Pueblo is designed for pilgrims walking the Camino and allows only single night stays with very few exceptions (illness, injury, weather).

If you have a guide or phone app, it likely has the old route on it versus the new one that was signed-posted last year. The old route is far superior if the weather is nice, but can get muddy in bad weather. The old flechas are in place, but it’s easier to see the new ones and follow those on the new path. Either way works, but the old is a bit higher on the hillside and passes by more ruins (and it’s a bit longer, too).
 
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I would suggest taking the 0825 or 1200 bus from Jaca to Somport and then walking to Canfranc Pueblo. The albergue at Pueblo is designed for pilgrims walking the Camino and allows only single night stays with very few exceptions (illness, injury, weather).

If you have a guide or phone app, it likely has the old route on it versus the new one that was signed-posted last year. The old route is far superior if the weather is nice, but can get muddy in bad weather. The old flechas are in place, but it’s easier to see the new ones and follow those on the new path. Either way works, but the old is a bit higher on the hillside and passes by more ruins (and it’s a bit longer, too).
Thanks. I figured the single-night stay policy would be in place there, too, but thought it was possible that on a less-traveled route, they'd maybe allow it. The Jaca bus at 8:25 is what I was planning before it started occurring to me that maybe Pueblo would be possible as a night-before stay. So I'll just go back to that plan! I have Gronze, but am not seeing any references to an older path option there (maybe there's some tab I haven't tried). There is a variant at Villanua it talks about. But I'll just get there and see how it goes.
 
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At Villanua you have a choice of which side of the river and highway to walk on - both are good in different ways. Gronze’s map is pretty basic and doesn’t really show the route, but the Buen Camino app only shows the old route. Maps.me and Map.cz show both alternatives (the old way labeled GR11 where it splits from the Camino path near Candanchu). Essentially, stay East of the highway as much as possible versus walking on the west side and close to that roadway.
 
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