Spain: Hike the Camino de Santiago

People travel to Camino de Santiago for varied reasons. Some go there for a pilgrimage tour, others for a cultural and historical tour, and some go there to hike. The Camino de Santiago stretches across Europe and Santiago de Compostela in Spain is the main destination.

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The Camino de Santiago is primarily a Catholic pilgrimage. Visitors from all over the world go to Santiago de Compostela to pay their respects to the remains of Saint James (Santiago) at the basement of the Cathedral. He was one of the twelve apostles who traveled to Spain to worship and when he died, his remains were taken back to Spain. By the 11th century, pilgrimage to this place begun and it is still practiced up to this day.

The Trail

If you are searching for a fit travel activity, follow the trail of the Camino de Santiago and be awed by the beautiful sceneries along the way. Get challenged with the incredible variety of terrains along the way. You will pass through mountains, farm lands, urban dwellings, forests, beaches, and rivers. Be prepared though, because following the path of Camino de Santiago is a very long walk, so it is reserved for those who are fit and active and are in search of an adventure.

Camino Frances Route (The French Way)

This is the most popular route to Santiago do Compostela. Hikers enjoy taking this route because of the beautiful infrastructures that you will pass by along the way. You will begin the long hike going to Spain at St Jean Pied-du-Port.

Camino del Norte (The Northern Way)

If you will travel to Santiago de Compostela, you can take this difficult route which will take you a total of 35 days to arrive at your destination. It will begin at Irun on the border of France and then west to Bilbao, Santander, and Oveido. It is a 510 mile stretch and accommodations are very sparse, but if you are in for a challenge, then this route is the one for you.

Camino Primitivo (The Original Route)

This is a direct route from Oveido to Santiago. The walk is about 180 miles long and it poses a lot of challenges for you will pass by some hills and add to that, the weather conditions.

Camino Portuguese (The Portuguese Way)

Begin your travel at Lisbon and pass through Porto and Pontovedra and on to Portugal. This is a 380 mile long stretch towards Santiago de Compostela, but the terrain is relatively flat all throughout and you will not be greeted by any uphill treks.

Camino Ingles (The English Way)

You can begin your walk either from La Curuna or Ferrol. If you take this route, it would take you about three to five days to arrive at your destination.

Camino de Finisterre (The Finisterre Way)

Trekkers go on with their walk after reaching Santiago de Compostela to the westernmost point in Europe which is Finisterre which is translated as the ‘end of the world’.

Travel like St. James and select from the different routes to Santiago de Compostela.