The Best Books about the Via Podiensis (Camino le Puy)
This post is about the best books about the Camino le Puy (Via Podiensis). As the Camino to Santiago is getting more popular, there is an an incredible number of books about this famous pilgrimage. Most are about the Camino Frances in Spain though. Very few include the more beautiful Camino le Puy in France.
The Camino le Puy in France, also known as the Via Podiensis, goes from Le Puy-en-Velay to Saint Jean Pied du Port. It is 750 kilometers of spectacular landscapes, great French cuisine and cute medieval villages with plenty of history and culture.
The Via Podiensis is a very different experience from the more crowded Camino Frances. And one that is rarely described in the increasing number of books about the camino. Below you will find the best books about the Via Podiensis.
Memoir books about the Camino Le Puy
Beth Jusino – Walking to the end of the world.
I really enjoyed reading Walking to the end of the World. The book is about a couple that starts their journey in le Puy-en-Velay, hiking all the way to Santiago. I thought it was a well written book. You get a good sense of what walking the Via Podiensis is like as well as the differences with the Camino Frances in Spain.
Conrad Rudolph – Pilgrimage to the End of the World.
Conrad Rudolph is a Medieval Art Historian who wrote a book about his pilgrimage to Santiago from Le-Puy and Velay. It is a nice short book that is much more than only a memoir. As you can expect from a history profesor, his book gives a lot of historical background on the Camino le Puy. But there is also a picture section as well as more practical tips on how to prepare for your pilgrimage.
Keith Foskett – The Journey in Between.
Keith Foskett is a thru-hiker that has released several books about his long distance walks. His first book was about his Camino to Santiago. He gives a detailed account of his journey camping along the Via Podiensis and Camino Frances.
Jenna Smith – A Way The story of a long Walk.
Jenna Smith walked the Camino le Puy to Santiago together with her husband. She published a book of their journey that reads as a travel diary. She has a master in theology so there are also some reflections on religion and why she started her pilgrimage.
William Strobbe – De weg naar Compostella.
William Strobbe started his camino in Cahors, which is midway on the Camino le Puy. It is a short book with a day to day account of his pilgrimage. There is a strong focus on his reflections along the way. As far as I know it is only published in dutch.
Fiction books about the Camino le Puy
Graeme Simsion & Anne Buist – Camino Two Steps Forward.
Two steps forward is the story of Martin and Zoë that both start independent of each other on the Camino Le Puy to Santiago in Spain. I found it a captivating book and loved reading it. Although it is a bit predictable that as Martin and Zoe keep meeting each other they fall in love. there is a sequel called two Steps onward where they walk the Via Francigena to Rome.
Anya Niewierra – Camino.
Camino is as much about the war in Bosnia as it is about the Via Podiensis. It’s a fiction thriller about a woman walking the Via Podiensis from Le Puy-en-Velay to Conques. A very exciting book that is hard to put away. As far as I know it is only available in dutch.
Picture Books about the Camino le Puy
Derry Brabs – Pilgrimage & Roads to Santiago
Derry Brabs released two very beautiful picture reference books that include the Via Podiensis. Roads to Santiago focuses solely on the pilgrimage routes in France and Spain that lead to Santiago de Compostella. The Book Pilgrimage also includes other pilgrimage routes such as the Pilgrims Way in the UK and the Via Francigena in France.
Lonely Planet – A Pied sur les chemins de Compostelle
As far as I know Lonely Planet only released A Pied sur les chemins de Compostelle in French and it is the only Lonely Planet Book about the Camino le Puy in France. It is part travel guide but more a reference work with detailed stories and beautiful pictures.
Lannoo – Pelgrimstochten
Lannoo has published a very nice picture book with the 30 most beautiful pilgrimage routes in Europe. It includes the Via Podiensis as well, but also the Olav Ways in Norway and the Via Francigena.
Guide Books about the Camino le Puy
Miam Miam Dodo.
The French Miam Miam Dodo is the most up to date and useful guidebook on the Camino le Puy. Although it is in French, the detailed maps with where to eat and sleep on the Via Podiensis, speak for itself. Especially the places where to eat, became useful to look up when I was on the road. They publish new guides every year and they are therefore very much up to date. They also have the most elaborate guide on the Cele Valley Hike.
Cicerone.
Cicerone has the only english guidebook about the Via Podiensis. I also used Cicerone on my Annapurna trek and Everest trek in Nepal. I like the maps and all the information, but in this case I preferred the Miam Miam Dodo because it is more lightweight to carry with me.
Rob’s Camino Guide
Rob Forrester from Camino Way of life published an online guidebook that is updated every year. The advantage is that you can store it on your phone. However, I missed the background information and found the maps of the Miam Miam Dodo more useful. I used it mainly for accomodation contact information as it provides easy clickable links.
Lightfoot Guide
Lightfoot Guide: The Lightfoot Guide is more up to date then Cicerone and has very detailed maps, making it impossible to get lost. Another advantage is that they are available as e-books.
Online Resources on the Via podiensis
Apps: The Buen Camino app is a useful app that I used a lot on my camino. It includes both the Camino le Puy and the Camino Frances. Camino Ninja is another app that I personally found less practical, but also has maps and information about the Via podiensis.
Websites: Gronze and Podiensis (french) are two sites that helped me a lot in preparing my hiking trip on the via Podiensis. It helped me to find accomodation and online contact information to make reservations beforehand.
Internet Forums: The Camino de Santiago Forum is a wealth of information about the camino. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the lengthy discussions about the best shoes, socks, backpacks, packing tips, lightweight gear etc. Nevertheless, some of the advice from experienced camino hikers turned out to be very useful.
Facebook groups: Via Podiensis Chemin du Puy & Gr65 Le Puy Route are two facebook groups with lots of pictures of the via podiensis.
Films about the via Podiensis
Saint Jacques la mecque: Saint Jacques La Mecque is a nice movie about three siblings that have to walk the camino together in order to inherit their mother’s wealth. I recognized a lot of scenes from the Camino le Puy and the movie has some funny camino moments.
Compostelle, le chemin de la vie: Compostelle le chemin de la vie is a french movie that follows 3 pilgrims walking to Santiago de Compostella
Compostelle/ Santiago The Camino Therapy: Compostelle is a french movie released in 2026 about a woman that walks the Via podiensis with a troubled teen.
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