CaminantesHow much of the Camino is asphalt? Measured on every route
By August Frederik Kramer · Last updated 1 November 2026
Which route are you walking?
On the Camino Francés
29%
on asphalt or concrete: 220 of 769 km
Longest stretch of road: 16.5 km, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to km 16.9, past Orisson.
Asphalt 29%, stone paving 5%, path 62%, not mapped 5%.
One bar per day of our stage plan, each split by what is underfoot. Tap or drag across the days.
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-PortSantiago de Compostela
- Asphalt or concrete
- Stone paving
- Path or track
- Not mapped
- Most asphalt
Day 1, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Roncesvalles: 16.5 km of 25.9 on asphalt or concrete; longest road stretch 16.5 km (Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to km 16.9, past Orisson).
On the Camino Francés 29% of the way is on asphalt or concrete: 220 of its 769 km. The longest stretch of road is 16.5 km, from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to km 16.9, past Orisson. Pick your route, then tap the strip to see what is under your feet anywhere along it.
Which routes have the most asphalt
The Camino Francés is 29% asphalt or concrete, and 62% path or track. Of the other routes we can measure, the share of asphalt or concrete is 64% on the Camino Lebaniego, 64% on the Camino del Norte, 61% on the Camino Portugués, 59% on the Camino Inglés, 55% on the Camino Invierno, 47% on the Camino Mozárabe, 46% on the Camino Primitivo, 44% on the Camino Finisterre and 29% on the Vía de la Plata. The most is on the Camino Lebaniego, at 64%, with its longest stretch of road 19.7 km, from El Collado to Los Pumares.
What the road means for your feet
Add the stone paving of the old towns and 33% of the Francés is a hard surface. That is the part to train for: walk your shoes in on pavement, not only on trails. Our guide to shoes measures what else should decide them, and the blister guide names the descents that do the most damage.
How we measured it
Every 25 m along our GPS track we looked at the way it runs on in OpenStreetMap and read its surface. On the Francés 65% of the way has a surface tag. Where there is none, we went by the kind of way: a road for cars counts as asphalt, a path or a farm track as unpaved. Breaks shorter than 250 m do not end a stretch. On every route here no more than 10% is left unknown.
Ways and surfaces mapped in OpenStreetMap on 1 November 2026, matched to our GPS track for each route. Distances and days are from our own stage plan, the one the route pages print.
Common questions
How much of the Camino Francés is on asphalt?
29%: 220 of its 769 km are on asphalt or concrete. The longest stretch of road is 16.5 km, from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to km 16.9, past Orisson.
Which Camino route has the most asphalt?
Of the routes we can measure, the Camino Lebaniego, at 64% asphalt or concrete.
Is the Camino mostly on roads or on paths?
On the Francés, 62% is path or track, 29% is asphalt or concrete and 5% is stone paving in towns. The rest is not mapped well enough to say.
Keep reading
What to eat on the Camino Francés: seven regions, seven protected names
Tap a region of the Camino Francés and see where it starts on the walk and the one food the EU protects there, from white asparagus to almond cake.
Camino myths, true or false: ten things pilgrims are told, checked
Ten things every pilgrim is told before setting off, from the length of the Francés to the busiest month. Tap True or False and see the number behind each answer.
Water on the Camino Francés: where you can refill, and the longest stretch without
Every mapped drinking-water tap from Saint-Jean to Santiago on one ribbon. Tap anywhere and see how far it is to the next one.
Take it with you
Caminantes is free, works offline, and plans your stages around your own legs rather than a guidebook's.
