Spain · Camino de Santiago
Villages on the Camino de Santiago
Medieval bridges, pilgrim villages, Gothic cathedrals and stone pallozas: the most beautiful places on the French Way, from the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela, to walk, cycle or visit at your own pace.
Updated 20 October 2026 · How we make our guides
Navarre and La Rioja
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SpainRoncesvalles
The collegiate church at the foot of the Pyrenees where many pilgrims start the Camino in Spain.
What to see in Roncesvalles - Spain
Puente la Reina
The Romanesque bridge where the Ways meet, with a main street full of pilgrims.
What to see in Puente la Reina -
SpainEstella
Romanesque churches, the palace of the Kings of Navarre and the wine fountain of Irache.
What to see in Estella -
SpainSanto Domingo de la Calzada
A henhouse inside the cathedral, a reminder of the miracle of the hen that crowed after being roasted.
What to see in Santo Domingo de la Calzada -
SpainNájera
The monastery of Santa María la Real, with the pantheon of the kings of Navarre.
What to see in Nájera
Castile and León
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SpainBurgos
The Gothic cathedral, a World Heritage Site, one of the great stops on the Camino.
What to see in Burgos -
SpainLeón
The cathedral of stained glass and the collegiate church of San Isidoro.
What to see in León -
SpainAstorga
Gaudí's episcopal palace next to the cathedral, and cocido maragato.
What to see in Astorga -
SpainCastrillo de los Polvazares
A Maragato village of cobbled streets and reddish stone houses.
What to see in Castrillo de los Polvazares -
SpainMolinaseca
The medieval pilgrims' bridge over the river Meruelo, at the entrance to the village.
What to see in Molinaseca -
SpainPonferrada
A huge Templar castle beside the river Sil, in the capital of El Bierzo.
What to see in Ponferrada -
SpainVillafranca del Bierzo
Churches, a castle and houses with coats of arms among the vineyards of El Bierzo.
What to see in Villafranca del Bierzo
Galicia
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SpainO Cebreiro
Pallozas and a pre-Romanesque church where the Camino enters Galicia.
What to see in O Cebreiro -
SpainSarria
The town from which many pilgrims walk the last hundred kilometres.
What to see in Sarria -
SpainPortomarín
A fortress church moved stone by stone to the top of a hill.
What to see in Portomarín -
SpainSantiago de Compostela
The cathedral and the Praza do Obradoiro, the end of the Camino.
What to see in Santiago de Compostela
Frequently asked questions
What are the most beautiful villages on the Camino de Santiago?
On the French Way, highlights include Puente la Reina, Estella, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, Castrillo de los Polvazares, Molinaseca, Villafranca del Bierzo, O Cebreiro and Portomarín.
How far do you have to walk to get the Compostela?
At least the last hundred kilometres on foot or on horseback, or two hundred by bicycle; that is why many pilgrims start in Sarria.
When is the best time to walk the Camino?
May, June and September usually have good weather and are less hot than July and August; in winter fewer hostels are open.
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More travel ideas
- The most beautiful villages in Galicia
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Reviewed 20 October 2026. Dates and seasonal warnings: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.
Cover photo: Zarateman (CC0), Wikimedia Commons.