The Camino de Santiago or the Way of St.James is a network of pilgrimage routes to the tomb of Apostle St. James *Santiago in Spanish) in Santiago de Compostela. Walking the Camino is a lifetime experience. One of the best things about it is that anybody can do it. You don’t have to be an experienced hiker or good athlete to walk it.

Me and Campbell walking the Northern Way of the Camino de Santiago

We have the Camino de Santiago resource page where you can find all our posts dedicated to the pilgrimage. It’s easy to navigate as all the posts are grouped by the topic.

As of March 2025, we’ve completed 11 Camino routes and several connecting and alternative routes. You can find many detailed Camino posts on our Camino de Santiago page. We tried to create the best resource for pilgrims to plan their journey.

Watch our YouTube video about things to know before walking the Camino de Santiago

What is the Camino de Santiago?

The Camino de Santiago is a network of pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela, a city in Galicia, Northern Spain. It’s believed to be the burrier place of the remains of the Apostle St. James. The history of the Camino de Santiago goes back to the 9th century when Spanish King Alfonso II completed the first-ever pilgrimage from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela. Nowadays this route is known as the Camino Primitivo.

Camino de Santiago has many different routes from a short 120 km walk to the long and challenging 1000 km routes. Depending on how much time you have, what you want to see, and how far you want walk you can choose any of the existing routes. Be ware that the Camino is addictive, many people come back again and again after completing the first route.

A statue of a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago

Why is the Camino so important?

The Camino de Santiago is one of the oldest pilgrimage routes in Europe. It has been walked by millions of pilgrims over centuries. The final point of the pilgrimage, the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, is one of the three Christian temples built over the tomb of one of the twelve Apostles. People who walk the Camino for religious reasons see it as the way to seek penance and forgiveness. In old times, it was the main reason for doing the pilgrimage. Nowadays everybody has different reasons and motivations.

If you get overwhelmed at the beginning of your Camino planning and have many questions that need to be answered we created a dedicated post answering many FAQs about the Camino de Santiago.

Many routes of the Camino de Santiago

The Camino de Santiago is not a single route, as some people think referring to the most popular route – Camino Frances. It‘s a network of routes. You can start walking to Santiago from anywhere in Europe but outside the established Camino de Santiago routes it will be difficult to find a good infrastructure for pilgrims; accommodation, route markings, etc.

A map of the main Camino de Santiago routes: Camino Frances, Portuguese Camino, Camino del Norte, Camino Primitivo, Via de la Plata, Camino Ingles, and Camino Finisterre

There are several established routes of the Camino. They start in different places in Spain and Europe and end in Santiago de Compostela.

Camino Frances (the French Way) – the most popular route. In 2024 47% of all pilgrims walked this Camino. The French route starts in Saint Jean Pied de Port, a small French town near the border with Spain. The total distance is 790 km. 65% of pilgrims who completed the route walked the last 100 km from Sarria.

Camino Portugues (the Portuguese Way) – the second popular route. It starts in Lisbon but most people start their walk in Porto or Tui. Total distance from Lisbon is 644 km, from Porto 243 km, 274 km, or 280 km, depending on the route you take, 119 km on the route from Tui. There are three routes from Porto; the Coastal route, the Litoral Way, and the Central route.

The coastal scenery on the Litoral Way of the Portuguese Camino de Santiago

Camino del Norte (the Northern Way) – this route is very beautiful but has a lack of infrastructure for pilgrims especially in terms of budget accommodation. The Northern Way is a great alternative to the French Camino. I’ve walked both and liked the scenery on the Camino del Norte more. The route starts in Irún, a small Spanish town on the border with France. The total distance of the Camino is 825 km.

Camino Primitivo (the Original Way) – one of the lesser-known Camino routes, about 5% of the pilgrims. It’s relatively short, 321 km. It’s considered to be one of the toughest routes due to many steep ascents and descents. The Camino Primitivo starts in Oviedo, Spain.

Via de la Plata (the Silver Way) – one of the longest Camino routes in Spain, about 1000 km. It’s one of the least walked routes, only 2% of pilgrims walk it. It’s not the best route to walk as the first Camino due to prolonged stages and great distance.

Camino Inglés (the English Way) – a shorter route, 120 km. It starts in Ferrol, Spain. 5,5% of pilgrims walk. It’s probably the best option for those who want to get a taste of the Camino before embracing a longer walk.  

There are many lesser-known Camino routes in Spain. All these routes combined are walked by less than 1% of the pilgrims. You can imagine how little infrastructure they have.

There is one special route Camino Finisterre-Muxía, unlike the other routes, it starts in Santiago de Compostela and goes to Finisterre and Muxía, two coastal towns in Galicia. People usually walk it after completing one of the other Camino routes.

You can find more details on route options in our post on the Best routes of the Camino de Santiago.

Breathtaking scenery on the Camino del Norte, one of the most beautiful Camino de Santiago routes

How long does it take to walk the Camino de Santiago?

The time required for completing the Camino de Santiago depends on the route. It can be from 4 days on the Camino de Gran Canaria to 45+ days on the Via de la Plata. The most popular route the Camino Frances takes on average between 30 and 35 days to complete. If you don’t have time to complete one of the longer routes and still want to get the Compostela Certificate you can walk a 100 km on any Camino route.

If you want to complete one of the longer routes of the Way of St.James but don’t have enough time you can split it into parts and walk them over a couple of years.

Where does the Camino start and end?

The starting point of the Camino depends on the chosen route. All Camino routes start in different cities across Spain, some in other European countries. All routes end in one place – Santiago de Compostela. There are only two exceptions: the Camino de Gran Canaria which is on the Canary Islands and the Camino Finisterre-Muxia which starts in Santiago de Compostela.

Santiago de Compostela is a great city with many things to do. If you have a couple of days after finishing the Camino I recommend spending them there.

St.Jean Pied de Port, a small town in France, the beginning of the French Camino de Santiago

How hard is to walk the Camino?

The Camino de Santiago is a challenging route, especially for first-timers who have never done a multi-day walk before. It’s physically demanding to walk on average 20-25 km daily for weeks. Even if you walk one of the shorter routes or do only a 100 km it’s still difficult. I would recommend doing some training for the Camino de Santiago.

On longer routes (from our experience) besides physical exhaustion you can get emotionally burned out. Just imagine getting up every day packing your stuff in a backpack, walking for 6-8 hours, sleeping every night in a different place often in a shared room with strangers. Of course, it’s a unique experience, and the challenges that we overcome form a part of it.

How many hours a day do you walk?

You walk 20-25 km/12,4-15,5 mi per day on average. If you take an average walking speed of 5 km/3,1 mi per hour it’ll give you 4-5 walking hours a day. Add to that an hour or two because you usually stop on the way to drink coffee, eat lunch, etc. Be ready to spend on the road between 6 and 8 hours a day. Some people walk slower some faster. Even on the same Camino route walking time may vary depending on the landscape; in the mountains (due to ascents and descents), you walk slower than on the plains.

Rolling wheat fields in April on the Via de la Plata

What is the best month to walk the Camino de Santiago?

The best months for doing the Camino depend on the route you choose, some routes are great in summer e.g. Camino del Norte, Camino Primitivo – it’s nice and warm, with no rain. On some Caminos, the summer heat is unbearable e.g. Via de la Plata, and the Lisbon to Porto part of the Portuguese Camino – it’s scorching hot, dry with no shadow to hide.

The busiest time for most of the routes is May, June, July, and September. These summer months have the best weather for walking. If you want to escape crowds plan the walk for end of September beginning of October. We love walking the Camino that time of the year. It’s still warm and sunny but less crowdy.

For walking the Camino de Santiago completely off-season between November and March, the French Camino is probably the best. There is more infrastructure, some albergues are open all year round.

Weather-wise winter is not the best time it can rain quite a lot and temperatures drop below 0C. Some mountain passes might be closed.

What do I need for walking?

Anybody can walk the Camino de Santiago. You don’t need any special documents or permits. All you need is a pair of good shoes and a comfortable backpack for the Camino. Of course, you’ll have to do some planning and preparation.

The only special thing you need for the Camino de Santiago is a Credential (pilgrim’s passport) – a small book that contains your information (name, country, birth date, etc.) with special spaces for stamps. IYou collect stamps from albergues, churches, restaurants, and bars on the route. At the end of the Camino you go to the Pilgrim’s Reception Office in Santiago de Compostela with your Credential with stamps. There you can get the Compostela certificate for completing the pilgrimage.

Campbell’s Credential with stamps from different albergues on the Camino de Santiago

How much does the pilgrimage cost?

Walking the Camino is usually cheaper than going on a normal holiday. The cost depends on how much comfort you need. The cheapest way to walk the Camino is;

• to stay mainly in public (municipal) albergues
• to make food
• not to go out a lot

If you stick to these rules your Camino budget will be as little as 25 Euros per person per day.

Camino de Santiago one week cost, per person

• Accommodation – 10 Euro x 7 days = 70 Euro per week, per person
• Food shopping – 10 Euro x 7 days = 70 Euro
• Eating out (optional, you can buy all food in supermarkets) – 10 Euro x 7 days = 70 Euro
• Laundry – 5 Euro, can be divided between 2 or more people
• Other – 10 Euro

Total; 225 Euro pp. per week or 33 Euro pp. per day, plus transport to get to the Camino and back home. For a comfortable walk, I suggest budgeting 35 Euro pp. per day. If you cut off on eating out you can do it for 175 Euro pp. per week or 25 Euro pp. per day.

You can find more details on the cost of walking the Camino including money-saving tips, a detailed explanation of what you can get on 25, 35, and 50 Euro per day, and a comparison of the cost of different routes in our post The cost of walking the Camino de Santiago.

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, the end of the Camino de Santiago

Do I have to carry my backpack?

If you don’t want to walk with a big backpack every day it’s possible to arrange backpack delivery on the Camino. Your backpack gets picked up in the morning from your hotel and dropped off in the afternoon at your next accommodation place. Several companies offer luggage transfer services on the Camino de Santiago. The Spanish post office Correos is the main one, they cover most Camino routes. The price is around 7 Euros per backpack per stage.

Travel insurance for the Camino

Walking like any other outdoor activity involves a risk of getting an injury or losing some of the gear. It’s recommended to have travel insurance for the Camino de Santiago. Though Camino is not a high-altitude hike through remote areas it’s still a physically challenging experience and injuries are quite frequent. It makes the walk less stressful when you know you’re covered in case of any unpredictable emergencies. 

World Nomads travel insurance has been designed by travelers for travelers, with coverage for more than 150 activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more. An incredible sunset at Cape Muxia, the end of the Camino Finisterre-Muxia

How to plan the Camino de Santiago?

These simple steps will help you in planning and preparing for the walk.

Choose which route you want to walk. Don’t be afraid to choose an off-the-beaten-track route, base your choice on what you’d like to see and experience.  

Book your plane, train, bus ticket, etc.

Start training for the Camino.

Check packing recommendations and make sure you have all the essentials e.g. comfortable shoes, a good backpack, etc. Don’t leave shoe shopping till the last moment, you’ll need some time to get used to new shoes.

Get the Credential in your country or check if you’ll be able to get it at the starting point of your Camino route; some albergues, cathedrals, or information offices sell them.

Make a draft of your walking itinerary (stages) based on distances. You don’t have to stick to it but it’s nice to have some sort of a walking plan.

Buy travel insurance that covers the period of the walk.

When you have everything ready pack your backpack and try to walk 10-15 km with it. If it feels too heavy reconsider your luggage and leave unnecessary stuff at home. It’s important to pack light for the Camino to make your walk easier.

One of my main Camino de Santiago tips is don’t stress out – as pilgrims say “The Camino provides”. Everything will work out in the end and you’ll be fine.

The typical scenery on the Camino Primitivo, the Original Way of the Camino de Santiago

Where do pilgrims stay?

Hostels for pilgrims are called albergues. They can be municipal (public) or private. The municipal albergues are run by the municipality with the help of volunteers. Private albergues belong to a person or organization. In high season municipal albergues on the popular routes fill up quite quickly if you want to get a spot you must be there before 1 pm and wait in the queue. Even if you don’t get a spot there will be one or two private albergues where you can stay for 5-7 Euros more.

There are albergues for a donation they can be private or public. They don’t have an established price, and pilgrims donate as much as they want. Donation albergues are only for pilgrims with Credentials, they can’t be booked.

Of course, there are plenty of hotels and guesthouses on the Camino. It works out a lot more expensive to stay in private every night, especially on longer routes. We try to stay in private at least once or twice a week to have better rest.

Municipal albergues

• The average price is 10 Euros per person.
• They are exclusively for pilgrims (you need a Credential to stay there).
• Can’t be booked, first come first serve principle.
• Check-in usually starts between 1 pm and 3 pm.
• Check out by 8 am the next morning.
• Don’t allow to stay for more than one night.
• Usually, have disposable bedding included or for 1 Euro extra.
• Normally have a kitchen, sometimes without utensils or cutlery.
• Usually, they are quite big.

Private albergues

• Price 15-20 Euros.
• Not only for pilgrims but the majority of people who stay there are pilgrims.
• They can be booked in advance through online booking system or over the phone.
• Normally open for check-in from 1 pm.
• Check out before 9 am-10 am.
• Allow staying as long as you want.
• Usually have better facilities than public albergues.
• Disposable bedding is included, some places have normal bedding.
• Usually have a kitchen.
• Normally they are smaller than public albergues.

How do I find albergues on the Camino?

You don’t have to worry about it. The way to municipal albergues is always marked, just follow the arrows and you will end up at the albergue. Most private albergues have indications pointing their way (they want you to find them), some might be slightly off the route but usually, they are located pretty close to the Camino.

In the peak season (May, June, and September) if you want to stay in a specific private albergue (because it’s very nice or somebody recommended it to you, etc.) it’s better to book it in advance.

Find more information on accommodation on the Camino in our comprehensive post Albergues on the Camino de Santiago.

A double private room in a hotel on the Camino A typical dormitory room in a private albergue on the Camino A room with many bunk beds in one of the public albergues on the Camino Frances A backpack queue to the public albergue of Logroño on the Camino Frances Different accommodation options on the Camino de Santiago.

What is the food like on the Camino?

It’s not a problem to find places to eat on the Camino. Most routes, especially the more popular ones, have plenty of restaurants and bars. Menu del Día or Pilgrim’s Menu is the most popular meal. It’s a set menu that includes salad or soup, a main dish (meat, chicken, fish), wine/water/cool drink to choose from, bread, coffee, or dessert. The menu costs 12 Euro on average and it’s usually a big meal. Many restaurants, bars, and private albergues serve it for lunch.

Many bars and cafes offer breakfast. It’s usually a cup of coffee with a sandwich or pastry and a glass of orange juice. In some places, you can find a big breakfast with eggs and bacon but it’s not typical in Spain.

Tapas or pinchos are very popular in Spain. Tapas or pinchos can be anything; a small portion of paella, a little sandwich, a piece of tortilla, etc. Some bars give tapas for free with your drink, and some charge extra, usually 2-3 Euro. Pinchos are typical for Northern Spain (the Basque County, Navarra). You always pay for pinchos, the price is 3-6 Euro.

The main problem on the Camino is if you are on a specific diet e.g. vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, etc. In big cities, you find restaurants serving vegan or vegetarian menus but in smaller places, it might be difficult. The best option is to find a place with a kitchen where you can cook.

The food on the Camino de Santiago is a part of the experience. I recommend trying some of the traditional Spanish dishes and going out for tapas at least once.

How do I find the route?

All established Camino de Santiago routes are well-marked from the start to the end. The routes are marked with yellow arrows and yellow scallop shells painted on sidewalks, tiles, walls, poles, etc. In Galicia, the route markers show the distance left to the cathedral in Santiago.

We rarely had a problem finding the way. A couple of times in big cities we lost the trek because the route sometimes is marked with metal scallop shells on sidewalks, but usually, it’s very easy to follow.

Is it safe to walk the Camino?

I’ve walked four different Camino routes alone and never felt unsafe. I walked out of big cities through so-called industrial areas, through forests, fields, and along beaches. The most unpleasant for me is walking on or along the road. I just don’t like it when I hear a car or even worse a truck approaching from behind but even when I had to walk on the road it never felt like a car would drive over me.

The main “danger” on the Camino is theft, especially in big cities. Don’t leave your valuable stuff unattended anywhere; albergues, restaurants, picnic spots, etc.

Camino de Santiago planning resources

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The pretty half of Stingy Nomads, responsible for all our land adventures (hiking, climbing, walking the Camino) and following them write-ups. Alya loves walking since she was a child, she prefers to walk 1000 km with a backpack rather than to do a 10 000 km road trip (actually any road trip). Alya is a big fan of Latin America, the Spanish language, and dancing. Every time we go away she desperately misses our dog Chile.

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