The Camino Aragonés: Crossing into Spain via the Somport Pass

Why the Camino Aragonés Is Spain's Best-Kept Pilgrim Secret

While thousands funnel onto the crowded Camino Francés from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, a quieter, wilder route slips into Spain 150 kilometers to the east. The Camino Aragonés crosses the Pyrenees at the dramatic Somport Pass (1,640 m) and threads 165 kilometers through the Aragón valley before merging with the main Camino at Puente la Reina in Navarra. You'll walk beneath 3,000-meter peaks, through Romanesque villages that see maybe a dozen pilgrims a day, and across the eerie Bardenas-adjacent badlands of the Canal de Berdún.

This is the aragonese way in its purest form — historic, physically demanding, and genuinely off the tourist grid.

The Route at a Glance

The classic somport pass camino breaks into six or seven stages, though strong walkers combine some:

• Stage 1: Somport → Jaca (30 km, mostly downhill)
• Stage 2: Jaca → Arrés (25 km)
• Stage 3: Arrés → Ruesta (28 km)
• Stage 4: Ruesta → Sangüesa (22 km)
• Stage 5: Sangüesa → Monreal (27 km)
• Stage 6: Monreal → Puente la Reina (31 km)

Total: roughly 165 km, walked comfortably in 7–8 days, or stretched to 10 with rest days in Jaca and Sangüesa.

Getting to the Starting Line

You'll begin at Somport, the border pass between France and Spain. From Zaragoza, take the ALSA bus to Jaca (about €14, 2 hours), then transfer to the Jaca–Canfranc–Somport bus (€4.50, 45 minutes). Alternatively, the reopened Canfranc International train station — a 2020s architectural showpiece now running scheduled services — puts you within a short shuttle of the pass.

Purists start on the French side in Oloron-Sainte-Marie and cross the pass on foot (adding 3 days). Most pilgrims begin at the Somport albergue, snap a photo at the stone border marker, and descend.

What Day One Actually Feels Like

You leave Somport at first light, breath fogging in the alpine air even in July. The GR-65.3 waymarks — yellow arrows and scallop shells — lead you past the ghostly ruins of the Hospital de Santa Cristina, a 12th-century pilgrim hostel once ranked among Christendom's three greatest.

The trail plunges through beech and pine forest, paralleling the Aragón River. You'll pass Candanchú ski resort, cross the Canfranc valley, and by midday reach the surreal Canfranc Estación — a 240-meter-long Belle Époque railway palace restored as a hotel. Stop for a bocadillo de jamón (€6) at the café.

The afternoon is a knee-punishing 15 km descent to Jaca. Ice your quads that night.

Jaca: Your First Rest Day

Jaca deserves 24 hours. Visit the 11th-century Catedral de San Pedro (€6, includes the Diocesan Museum with one of Europe's finest Romanesque fresco collections) and walk the star-shaped Ciudadela fortress (€6, deer roam the moat). Eat at La Tasca de Ana — order the migas a la pastora and a glass of Somontano red for around €18.

Sleep at the Albergue de Peregrinos de Jaca (€12, municipal, 60 beds, bring your credencial) or splurge on Hotel Barosse just outside town (€110 double).

The Wild Middle: Arrés to Sangüesa

This is where the jaca to puente la reina stretch earns its reputation. After Jaca, you cross the vast Canal de Berdún — a semi-arid trench between the Pyrenees and pre-Pyrenees, with almost no shade. Temperatures can hit 35°C in July afternoons. Start walking by 6:30 a.m.

Arrés is a stone hamlet of 30 residents perched on a hill; the volunteer-run Albergue de Arrés (donativo, around €10 suggested) is legendary for its communal dinner and hospitalero warmth. Don't skip it.

Ruesta is a haunting abandoned village, partially reclaimed by a cooperative that runs a rustic albergue (€10) and a bar serving cold beer and tortilla under fig trees. The shower is cold; the stars are extraordinary.

At Sangüesa, you cross into Navarra. Visit the Iglesia de Santa María la Real — its 12th-century portal is a Romanesque masterpiece rivaling anything on the Camino Francés. Free entry, though a €2 donation is appreciated.

The Final Push to Puente la Reina

The last two stages roll through Navarran wine country and oak forest. You'll pass the Foz de Lumbier gorge (a 1.3 km limestone slot canyon worth the 20-minute detour) and the ruined monastery of Eunate — an octagonal 12th-century church of debated Templar origin, standing alone in a wheat field. It opens 10:30–13:30 and 17:00–19:00 (closed Mondays); €2 entry.

Arriving at Puente la Reina and its six-arched Romanesque bridge, you'll join pilgrims fresh off the Camino Francés. The contrast is jarring — suddenly there are crowds, souvenir shops, and English being spoken everywhere. You'll feel like you've earned something they haven't.

Difficulty and Fitness Requirements

Rated challenging because of:

• Cumulative distance: 20–30 km daily for a week straight
• Elevation: 1,200 m descent on day one; multiple 400 m climbs later
• Exposure: Long stretches with no water, shade, or villages (carry 2L minimum)
• Isolation: Some stages have no phone signal; you may walk 4 hours without seeing another pilgrim

You should be comfortable hiking 25 km with a 7–9 kg pack. Train with 3–4 back-to-back long walks before departure.

Budget Breakdown

Realistic daily costs walking the camino aragones:

• Albergue bed: €10–15 (municipal/parochial); €18–25 (private)
• Pilgrim menu dinner: €14–18 (3 courses, wine included)
• Breakfast: €4–6
• Trail snacks/lunch: €8
• Total per day: €40–55

Full trip including transport from Zaragoza and back from Pamplona: $450–900 USD depending on comfort level.

Booking, Credencial, and Practical Setup

You don't book albergues in advance on the Aragonés — beds are almost always available given the low traffic (maybe 15–40 pilgrims cross Somport daily in peak season, versus 400+ at Roncesvalles). Arrive by 4 p.m. to secure a bunk.

Get your Credencial del Peregrino (€3) at the Jaca cathedral, the Somport albergue, or in advance from Confraternity of Saint James chapters. You'll need it for albergue access and to claim your Compostela in Santiago.

Safety Essentials

• Weather: The Somport crossing can be snowbound into late May. Check conditions before starting.
• Water: Refill at every village fountain. The Canal de Berdún stage has a 12 km dry stretch.
• Emergency: Dial 112. Guardia Civil mountain rescue covers the Pyrenean sections.
• Feet: Blisters are the #1 route-ender. Change socks at lunch, use Compeed at the first hot spot.
• Solo walkers: Perfectly safe, but tell someone your daily plan — cell coverage is patchy.

Insider Tips Only Locals Know

• Skip Somport, start in Canfranc: The first 8 km out of Somport are along a busy road. Many veterans bus down to Canfranc-Pueblo and start walking there — no shame, better trail.
• The Ruesta communal dinner: Ask if you can help cook. The cooperative that runs it welcomes participation and it's the trip's best meal.
• Order *ternasco*: Aragón's milk-fed lamb is a regional specialty. Try it at Restaurante Lilium in Jaca (€22).
• The Wednesday Jaca market: If your rest day falls on Wednesday, hit the market for local cheese (queso de Ansó) and jamón de Teruel.
• Cash matters: ATMs disappear between Jaca and Sangüesa. Carry €150 in cash for the middle stages.
• Continue to Santiago: From Puente la Reina, most pilgrims push on 700 km to Santiago de Compostela — another 4–5 weeks. Plan your leave accordingly.

When to Walk

June and September are ideal — daytime highs of 22–26°C, cool nights, wildflowers or golden stubble fields, and fewer than 20 pilgrims per stage. Avoid July–August afternoons (heatstroke risk in the Canal de Berdún) and December–April (snow at altitude, most albergues closed). May can still see snow at Somport; October brings gorgeous light but shorter days.

Cross the Somport Pass on foot and you'll understand why medieval pilgrims called this the camino aragones — the way of grit, silence, and sky.