Camino Francés · stage 3 of 33

Zubiri to Pamplona

Emergence

Distance
20.4 km
Climb
314 m up, 231 m down
Ground
435 to 530 m
Time
5 to 6 hours
Difficulty
easy
Underfoot
dirt, forest, urban
Two maps

Where this day sits on the Camino Francés

Above, the highest and lowest ground of each of its 33 stages. Below, the word each day is given.

TERRAIN500 m1,000 m1,500 mhighest ground · 1,505 m100 km200 km300 km400 km500 km600 km700 kmSaint-Jean-Pied-de-PortSantiago de CompostelaINTERIORStage 1: Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Roncesvalles. Initiation.InitiationStage 2: Roncesvalles to Zubiri. Recovery.RecoveryStage 3: Zubiri to Pamplona. Emergence.EmergenceStage 4: Pamplona to Puente la Reina. Forgiveness.ForgivenessStage 5: Puente la Reina to Estella. Connection.ConnectionStage 6: Estella to Los Arcos. Generosity.GenerosityStage 7: Los Arcos to Logroño. Endurance.EnduranceStage 8: Logroño to Nájera. Rhythm.RhythmStage 9: Nájera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada. Tradition.TraditionStage 10: Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Belorado. Patience.PatienceStage 11: Belorado to San Juan de Ortega. Solitude.SolitudeStage 12: San Juan de Ortega to Burgos. Perspective.PerspectiveStage 13: Burgos to Hornillos del Camino. Threshold.ThresholdStage 14: Hornillos del Camino to Castrojeriz. Emptiness.EmptinessStage 15: Castrojeriz to Frómista. Perseverance.PerseveranceStage 16: Frómista to Carrión de los Condes. Surrender.SurrenderStage 17: Carrión de los Condes to Terradillos de los Templarios. Desolation.DesolationStage 18: Terradillos de los Templarios to Bercianos del Real Camino. Halfway.HalfwayStage 19: Bercianos del Real Camino to Mansilla de las Mulas. Endlessness.EndlessnessStage 20: Mansilla de las Mulas to León. Reentry.ReentryStage 21: León to San Martín del Camino. Departure.DepartureStage 22: San Martín del Camino to Astorga. Romance.RomanceStage 23: Astorga to Foncebadón. Ascent.AscentStage 24: Foncebadón to Ponferrada. Release.ReleaseStage 25: Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo. Lightness.LightnessStage 26: Villafranca del Bierzo to O Cebreiro. Trust.TrustStage 27: O Cebreiro to Triacastela. Descent.DescentStage 28: Triacastela to Sarria. Threshold of Completion.Threshold of CompletionStage 29: Sarria to Portomarín. Impermanence.ImpermanenceStage 30: Portomarín to Palas de Rei. Gratitude.GratitudeStage 31: Palas de Rei to Arzúa. Grief.GriefStage 32: Arzúa to O Pedrouzo. Vigil.VigilStage 33: O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela. Arrival.Arrival

From open-pilgrimages: each stage's highest and lowest ground and its interior theme.

The day

The forest trail gives way to the outskirts of Pamplona and you walk into your first city on the Camino. The contrast is disorienting — from birdsong and river crossings to traffic lights and shop windows. You catch your reflection in glass and barely recognize the person looking back. Three days in and the city feels like a test: can you carry the quiet you found in the mountains through places that do not want you to be quiet?

What pilgrims often meet here

  • Disorientation entering a major city on foot
  • The temptation of comfort — real beds, hot showers, restaurant meals
  • Noticing how different you already feel from the person who started
  • Walking Pamplona's old streets and imagining the running of the bulls

Who are you when you step out of the wilderness and back into the world?

The ground

Beds: high. Water sources: 6. Along the way: atm, pharmacy, grocery, restaurant.

The light

Sunrise and sunset in Zubiri depend on the day you walk.

Plan the light for this stage on Daylight

Walk it with Pilgrim

In Pilgrim's Honor mode you can walk this stage as it is drawn here, and save its maps for days with no signal. The morning opens with this day's word, Emergence, and its story. When you arrive, it asks the question above, and you can answer out loud. Your walk stays on your phone.

Open this stage in Pilgrim

With Pilgrim on your phone, this opens the stage, ready to begin. Without it, you'll see the stage and where to get the app.

Pilgrim on the App Store · pilgrimapp.org

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