Paths from the cities ofTours,Vézelay, andLe Puy-en-Velay meet at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. A fourth French route originates inArles, inProvence, and crosses the French–Spanish frontier at a different point, between the Pyrenees towns ofSomport andCanfranc. This fourth route follows theAragonese Way and joins the French Way atPuente la Reina, south ofPamplona, inNavarre, about 700 kilometres from Santiago de Compostela.
In 1993, the French Way, along with the Spanish route of the Camino de Santiago was inscribed on theUNESCOWorld Heritage List for its historical importance in Christianity as a major pilgrimage route and its testimony to the exchange of ideas and cultures across its length.[2]
Route of the busiest section from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela[1][3]
The Pilgrim's Office in Santiago publishes data regarding pilgrims who got the certificate. In 2024 about 47% of pilgrims (over 235,000) took the French Way. 65% of the pilgrims on the Camino Frances started in Sarria while 14% started in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. 49% of the pilgrims had a Spanish nationality, followed by US-Americans (8.3%), Italians (5.4%) and Koreans (2.8%). The nationalities differ regarding the starting point: In Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port the vast majority of pilgrims (91%) is neither from France nor Spain. In contrast the majority of pilgrims using Sarria as a starting point is Spanish (64%).[4]
94% of pilgrims did the journey on foot and 2% by bike. About 300 pilgrims travelled on a horse and 170 in a wheelchair. Most pilgrims finish their journey in a month between May and September.[4]
