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What to eat between St Jean and Roncesvalles

Damian McGrath

New Member
i am about to start my first Camino and I am very unsure about what to do for food on my first day. What do most people take with them from St Jean for that 25km hike to Roncesvalles?

Thanks to everyone for the wealth of knowledge and experience shared on this forum. Over the last six months, I have learnt more than I could imagine from your reflections.
 
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As Falcon noted both Orisson and Valcarlos have bar/restaurants. However after those stops there is no food until Roncesvalles. Be sure to carry enough water for your hike. As for hiking snacks firm cheese, some fruit and chocolate are good choices. At the monastery of Roncesvalles there are a few bars/restos. In the albergue vending machines sell snacks. However there is no food store as such in the complex.

Buen camino!
 
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Hi ,as Falcon stated and be sure that you have enough water with you .
Wish you a Buen Camino , Peter .
 
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I think a boiled lolly is just a lollipop. That kind of candy is sometimes called a boiled sweet...
 
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Hiking food. Bring chocolate, nuts, raisins, and hard cheese. There is a sandwich shop at the cathedral in SJPdP ... buy a sandwich. I find soft candy such as jujubes indispensable on a wet cold day as a ready source of sugar energy.

Bring something to sit on. Everything is covered in sheep dip.

There is a well stocked store at Burguete for resupply.
 
As advised already, just bring some stuff with you to eat for lunch and snack on. Also, there are no shops in Roncesvalles to buy snacks, etc. Until dinner time, you are on your own.
 
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Do be careful since on a nice sunny day chocolate quickly turns to butter and bananas always become pudding so very quickly. Raisins, nuts, other dried fruit, even pepitas will work. The raisins will give you a jumpstart until the others kick in later.
 
Idiazabel and Txakoli. Maybe some aged jamon.
 
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Hi I did this trip last Sunday. I had breakfast in St Jean Pied de Port, lunch at Orrison (although it was maybe 10am or 11am) I had packed two bananas and some cereal bars to have after this, ended up stopping at the camper Van selling snacks towards the top and had my bananas and cereal bars there where you could get coffee, tea etc
Rita
 
Thanks everyone for the responses.
I wasn't sure if I could eat something at Orisson - do they also sell a bocadillo or somesuch to take on the way?
I will have some trail mix and energy bars - but there's 17kms between Orisson and Roncesvalles - that's a lot of ground.
Again, thanks for taking time to respond.
 
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Buen Camino
 
Buen camino Damian!
 
Hi We will be setting off from St Jean on Sunday 14th and am told that nothing is open on Sundays. Can anyone tell me if Orrisson would be open for hot chocolate and coffee in the morning?
Tam
 
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Barbs said:
Hi We will be setting off from St Jean on Sunday 14th and am told that nothing is open on Sundays. Can anyone tell me if Orrisson would be open for hot chocolate and coffee in the morning?
Tam
Click to expand...
Orrison was open last Sunday for tortilla coffee tea and other bites. Also at the top if the climb there was a food wagon selling bananas snacks tea coffee, not sure are you guaranteed he will be there every day. But Orrison will be open on a Sunday. I picked up some cereal bars and some bananas in Saint Jean from the supermarket in Saturday evening and put them on top of my pack they were good when I needed a snack after Orrison.
Rita
 
I always carry nuts with me, along with a piece or two of fruit and ample water I fine that I am fine until I reach my destination. The meal in Roncesvalles satisfied my appetite.
 
I always carry a package of dark chocolates with me. Also, I purchased a bocadillo at St. Jean, ate half of it there and carried the other half to Roncesvalles. That was all that was needed. What to bring in terms of food and drink is purely personal. Let your past experience be your guide.
 
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We did it last year in September. We found a butcher in SJPDP who sold VERY good dry saucisses. We took 4 with us. They lasted about two days. You can't get the same in Spain!! I remembered a guy somewhere high up in the Pyrenees with a van and nice warm stuff you could buy between SJPDP and Roncevalles. There a few watertaps on the route, but take enough water (or anything else you'd like to drink).

BUEN CAMINO and don't forget : HAVE FUN!!

And we also had our "Emergency Ration" with us : A big bag (500grmms) of Nuts.
 
Last edited:
Again, thank you to everyone for the advice. My mind is much more at peace.

I hop on a plane this afternoon in Australia and in several days time (!!!) I begin my camino.

I am looking forward to it immensely (it should have happened in 2003).
 
Damian McGrath said:
Again, thank you to everyone for the advice. My mind is much more at peace.

I hop on a plane this afternoon in Australia and in several days time (!!!) I begin my camino.

I am looking forward to it immensely (it should have happened in 2003).
Click to expand...
Buen Camino Damian and enjoy your time in Spain!!!
 
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