From Gata de Gorgos to Luzaide

Monday, July 20, 2026
Spain

📍 Route:
Gata de Gorgos - Luzaide (Varcarlos Motorhome Area)
653 km

We didn't have a set departure time, so we got up leisurely, finished packing everything, and headed towards Luzaide around 9:30 in the morning. The journey was calm. We drove straight through, taking turns at the wheel, so it wasn't too tiring.

It's a beautiful route that took us through Teruel, Zaragoza, Navarra, and a final stretch through the Navarre Pyrenees on a winding road that we made a note of for a future motorcycle trip ☺️.

We arrived at our destination perfectly at five in the afternoon, in sweltering heat. The motorhome area is right in the center of the village, which isn't very large, but it does have a couple of small hotels and a hostel for pilgrims.

Let me explain how we are going to do the trip so you can get oriented. We are going to walk, or at least try to, the French Way of Santiago from Saint Jean Pied de Port with Thorqui, our camper. Tonight we are sleeping in Luzaide, and tomorrow morning a taxi will pick us up to take us to Saint Jean… The first stage of our Camino.

From there, we will walk back to Luzaide, where Thorqui will be waiting for us, so after each stage, we will return “home” to our super comfy bed and our wonderful coffee machine. Every day or every two days, we will move Thorqui a few kilometers to keep her close and provide us with shelter.

Luzaide or Valcarlos is a village in Navarra, the starting point of the Camino through the lands of that province. A town that spreads across the valley in eight neighborhoods inhabited by hospitable people who have adapted to life on the border and still preserve their ancient traditions, with the dance of the Bolantes de Varcarlos being their highest expression.

It is in borderlands, and to get there, it is necessary to traverse the long mountain pass of Ibañeta, hence the number of curves I mentioned earlier 🫢.

We found it especially quiet, perhaps because of the time we arrived. Once settled in, as we usually do, we went for a walk and realized that there wasn't much to see in the center. 

While we were having a drink, a couple of pairs of pilgrims came out of the hostels, we imagined they had just arrived and rested for a while. We also couldn't buy the pilgrim's credential because everything was closed 🤦‍♀️. We found a supermarket to buy some bread and bananas, which are great for regaining energy, and not much else. Since it was very hot, we returned to Thorqui, who was also in the sun, poor thing, and there was no way to cool down the atmosphere.

Once the sun went down a bit and the temperature started to cool, we prepared our backpacks with everything recommended for the pilgrimage. From band-aids for blisters to anti-chafing cream. The trekking poles, which we believe are essential, and mosquito repellent or bug spray in general 🦟🪰. A hat and comfortable shoes that are already broken in are indispensable. We both wear sandals for trekking; we find them more comfortable than closed shoes.

Tomorrow we start walking… 💪. The taxi will pick us up at 7:00 in the morning. We prefer to leave early because of the heat, at least until the days cool down.

We will try to go to bed early, although since it's the first day and we haven't started walking yet, we aren't too tired 🙂.

📸 Photos of the day:

Good night… I’ll keep you updated 😘