Camino de Santiago: route guide

The Camino is not one path but a network converging on Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, north-west Spain. The Camino Francés is the busiest and best served, starting at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France and crossing the Pyrenees, Navarra, La Rioja, Castilla y León and Galicia. Its infrastructure — albergues, cafés, water points, luggage transfers — is the densest of any route, which is why most first-timers choose it.

The Portuguese Way runs from Porto or Lisbon, is flatter and shorter, and has grown fast. The Northern Way follows the Cantabrian coast from Irún, with more climbing and fewer beds. The Primitivo from Oviedo is the oldest and hardest of the popular options. The Inglés from Ferrol is the shortest route that still qualifies for a compostela. The Via de la Plata comes up from Seville and is long, hot and quiet.

You do not have to start at a route's official beginning. Most walkers start where their time allows, and the last 100 km of any route is the busiest stretch because that is the minimum distance for the certificate.

A standard day is 20–25 km, five to seven hours including breaks, arriving early afternoon. That rhythm matters more than any specific town: it leaves time to shower, wash clothes, eat and rest before the next day. Guidebooks split each route into fixed stages, but you can walk shorter or longer days and sleep anywhere with a bed.

On the Camino Francés, the Pyrenees crossing from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Roncesvalles is the hardest single day and the one most people remember. Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos and León are the big cities where you can rest, repair gear or take a zero day. The climb to O Cebreiro marks entry into Galicia, and the last stretch through Sarria, Portomarín and Arzúa is the most crowded. Finisterre and Muxía, past Santiago on the coast, are a common extra three to four days.

On the Portuguese Way, the coastal variant from Porto is flatter and cooler but has fewer services; the central route through Barcelos, Ponte de Lima and Valença is better supplied. The Inglés from Ferrol is gentle enough for a first long walk.

April to June and September to October are the best windows: mild days, long daylight and manageable numbers. July and August are hot on the meseta and the busiest on the Francés, with albergues filling by mid-afternoon. Winter walking is possible on the Francés and Portuguese routes but many rural albergues close, daylight is short and mountain passes can be snowbound.

Galicia is wet year-round, so pack for rain whenever you go. Holy Year (Año Santo) years, when 25 July falls on a Sunday, draw much larger crowds and higher prices; the next is 2027. Public holidays and local fiestas can also fill beds in small towns.

Public albergues are the backbone: dormitory beds run by municipalities, parishes and pilgrim associations, typically 10–15 EUR (2026 estimate), first come first served, lights out around 22:00. Private albergues cost 15–25 EUR and often take reservations. Pensions, hostales and small hotels give a private room from roughly 35–60 EUR, and are worth booking in the last 100 km in summer.

You need a credential (pilgrim passport) to stay in pilgrim accommodation. Get one from a cathedral, pilgrim association or many albergues at the start, and have it stamped at least once a day — twice a day on the final 100 km — to qualify for the compostela. Carry a sleeping liner, earplugs and a small towel; many places do not provide them. Luggage transfer between stages is widely available for a daily fee (check current rates).

Train with your loaded pack before you go. Blisters, not fitness, end most caminos, so break in boots or trail shoes over several weeks and carry blister plasters, tape and a needle. A pack of 7–10 kg is the usual target; anything heavier gets left behind or shipped. Two walking outfits, one evening layer, a rain jacket and a hat cover most conditions.

Book the first two or three nights and your flight home, then leave the middle open. Travel insurance should cover hiking and, if you plan to cycle, cycling. Carry a European health card if you have one, plus a basic kit: painkillers, rehydration salts, sunscreen and a refillable bottle. Most towns have pharmacies and ATMs, but small villages may have neither.

The route is waymarked with yellow arrows and scallop shells; in fog or snow, follow the markers rather than a phone shortcut. Tell someone your plan for the day, and walk with others on remote sections.