I once read a strange book about a pilgrim’s journey through Spain.
Since then, a dream has lived in me—to go to the Camino de Santiago.
And then I bought a plane ticket, and my dream came true.
True, I could not stop; now every year I walk around safe countries to reboot, tone my body and thoughts, meet interesting fellow travelers, and return home happy.
Before the first Camino trip, I went to the mountains. I wandered in the Carpathians, the Alps, and the Himalayas.
But the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route is a special kind of journey.
On the one hand, you have to walk 12–15 miles a day, carrying your backpack on your back.
On the other hand, you do not need to sleep in a tent. A whole infrastructure has been created for pilgrims: every evening there is a place to wash, eat, and sleep on a soft bed.
From my experience, a pilgrimage is fundamentally different from any other journey.
It looks like a trekking route sometimes when you need to overcome the next climb.
Can You Walk the Camino on your own?
Sure!
Many beginners are afraid to go alone, but in general, such a journey is safe to take on your own. Provided that the pilgrim behaves in a civilized manner, the attitude towards the pilgrim primarily depends on this.
The locals are friendly to the pilgrims; wishes of a good journey are heard from everywhere: Buen Camino!
Most pilgrims walk the Camino on their own, without guides or organized tours.
Is it Safe to Walk the Camino de Santiago Alone?
Yes. If you are going on a solo trip, first of all, leave a detailed itinerary plan with your loved one. Someone who can help you if needed.
The second important condition is communication. Communication is necessary to maintain contact with loved ones. Communicate as much as possible that you are doing well and where you are at the moment. Therefore, to support communication, choose from two options: use roaming or buy a local SIM card.
The Camino gives you the opportunity to get closer to the culture, history, and way of life of the country. Walking for miles on the way, you meet different people; you get to know the locals and travelers from all over the world.
And also, when you walk alone along the path, you can get to know yourself better.
Every year, life speeds up. We often do not have time to ask ourselves questions and find answers to them.
Once you try this type of travel, it will be difficult to stop.
Every year, when I reach the final point, I immediately plan the next route.
Can You Walk the Camino Without a Tour or Guide?
Yes, you can walk the Camino without a tour or guide.
All routes are marked, and it is impossible to get lost there.
There are also travel companies that organize the Camino and lead groups with guides.
Everyone chooses their own: to pay a guide and get to know Camino through his prism of knowledge, or on their own, choosing their route, their own pace, with whom to communicate, and how to spend time on the road.
Getting lost on the way is quite difficult; everywhere there are arrows that you can navigate.
You can also download an online guide.
On the websites, you will find main routes, and stages are painted according to mileage and difficulty.
They have all the up-to-date information on open albergos, including a description of each accommodation option, from the number of beds to the fact that there is a washing machine and pots to cook food.
When Should I Go on the Camino?
It depends on the road.
For example, the Portuguese Way is easier to pass in the winter than in the summer months.
In July and August in Portugal, the air temperature reaches 104 degrees. In this heat, it is very difficult to be outdoors all day.
The French route is also year-round, but in winter there is snow in the mountains, so you need to look at the forecasts. But on this route, you can find accommodation at any time of the year.
The ideal time for the Camino is May–June and September–October.
During these months, the weather is most comfortable in the north of Spain, although intermittent rains are not ruled out.
July–August is the most crowded time on almost all routes, as this is the time of holidays and good weather.
But as for me, too many people is a minus; there is no way to be alone with yourself, and there may not be enough places in inexpensive albergos.
Is it Easy to Get Lost on the Camino de Santiago?
No,it is impossible to get lost; all the roads are marked, and you can always ask people for help.
A single Camino is the freedom to choose where and at what speed to go along the path. You can decide for yourself where to stop, what to eat, and with whom to communicate; do only what you like.
Although, in order to stay alone on the road, you need to try hard; dozens of pilgrims are walking in parallel, anyway, and someone will start a conversation. At the end of the journey, friends from all over the world will appear, with whom it will be difficult to part.
Do Many People Walk the Camino Alone?
Yes!
Many people start their Camino alone and end up with someone else.
You constantly run into the same people because you are on the same route.
It’s hard not to start a conversation.
So the first few days I literally pursued the Portuguese man and constantly ended up in the same places as him, and on the fourth day I met a group of guys who had been walking together for fifteen days, although they each started alone.
Initially, I was also going to go all the way alone, but then I decided that our meeting was not accidental and joined them.
So together, we reached Santiago.
There was a moment when I wanted to be alone with myself. I decided that I would go alone for a couple of days, and the guys supported me because everyone on the Camino understands how important it is to be alone with your thoughts.
It’s like in life: everyone on the Camino has their own path, and not someone else is responsible for it but you yourself.
How Much Does It Cost to Walk the Camino?
In two weeks, I spent about €160: €60 for accommodation; the rest went to food.
I mainly bought food in supermarkets for breakfast and snacks on the way (fruits or nuts), but did not save too much.
I could stop for coffee several times a day. I tried to have lunch after arriving at the place; I cooked it myself or went to a cafe where they served the pilgrim’s menu.
It is reminiscent of a set lunch, which includes soup, hot food, sometimes dessert, and a drink.
Its price increases as it approaches Santiago.
In Portugal, you can dine for €5, in Spain for €10. There are no hardships; it all depends on your budget.
What is The Average Age of the Camino?
The average age is between 18 and 45 years old.
Here, you are more likely to meet people with cardio machines than trained athletes, although walking 12 miles a day with a fifteen-kilogram backpack is serious physical exertion.
But that’s the whole Camino in this.
In fact, this is an emotional path, an opportunity to understand yourself, think, strengthen your spirit, and find answers to your own questions.
Which Camino Route is the Most Beautiful?
For me The French route (Camino Frances, 497 miles) is the most beautiful, utiful, popular, and crowded.
The Camino Frances starts in France in the village of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, runs along the northern part of Spain through major cities like Pamplona, Burgos, and Leon, and ends, like all other routes, in Santiago de Compostela.
Today, the Camino de Santiago has hundreds of miles of tourist routes that are walked, cycled, and even horse-ridden every year by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims.
All routes are well marked with yellow arrows or Camino symbols—shells that the pilgrims once wore on their cloaks.
Here are the routes with miles you can walk:
The northern route, the Camino del Norte, runs along the Bay of Biscay. It starts in the city of Irun and goes through the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias, and Galicia. (497 miles).
Portuguese from Lisbon: Camino Portugués (373 miles). Many go half the Portuguese way, starting from the city of Porto (155 miles).
Primitivo, or Camino Primitivo, is called so not because it is simple. On the contrary, the path passes through the mountains, from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela. It is named so because the word “primitivo” in Spanish means “beginning”. This is one of the first routes on the path of St. James (236 miles).
The Silver Way, or Via de la Plata, starts in Saville, runs through Salamanca, and traditionally ends in Santiago de Compostela (597 miles).
The English way, the Camino Inglés, starts in the city of Ferrol (74 miles).
Depending on the route, pilgrims will find a variety of landscapes: the Pyrenees and the Galician hills of the French Camino, the stormy ocean on the Norte, and the endless plains of the Silver Route.
The main thing to remember is that the path is open to all: the strong and the weak, the sick and the healthy, the young and the old. And if you follow it with an open heart, you will certainly succeed.
Buen Camino!