Is it easy to walk The Camino?

We have to be clear, The Way of St. James is for everyone, but is not easy. Walking for hours evereyday is not easy, but is an experience that everyone can enjoy (even people with disabilities). With a little bit of training and knowing a basic advice everyone can be ready for its first walk on The Way.

What do you need to consider before the start of your walk?

- The popularity of the routes. The French Way is the most popular with 56,88% of pilgrims, followed by the Portuguese Way with the 20%. The other routes (Northern Route, Silver Route, English Route...) represent less than 5% each one. Source: Pilgrims Office 2018 Report.

- The different terrains of The Camino.

• - Dirt Track. This type of terrain represent the 50% of the path in every route. The perfect terrain for hikers, will connect you with nature walking through fields, forests...
• - Country Roads. Crossing or communicating small villages in your way, the country roads are usually quiet and safe.
• - Mountain Tracks. Not everything is going to be flat and the ups and downs of the mountains and hills might present a challenge for some pilgrims, but the landscapes and views from the top are breath taking.
• - Highway. Specially on the entrance of the main cities and towns you will encounter big roads. Make sure you respect the traffic normative to be safe-

- The lenght of your walk per day. The average speed is 4km per hour, what means usually a walking day will between 4 and 6 hours, excluding breaks. Make sure you keep a god speed that is not too slow (you don't want to feel leave behind if you join a group, and you want to walk but still have time to discover the location you arrive that day). or too fast (you don't want to push your body or you will feel exhausted)

- The weather. The ideal weather is a mild temperature, a soft breeze and sunshine, but is not always like that. Pack for every type of climate situation!

Considering all this will give you and idea of how hard will be your route, but it just means that if its a hard path you will just need more time, if the climate is complicated you need to pack properly, if you are not physicalle prepared you just need a few months of training. And do not forget to enjoy this amazing experience.

Contact us for more information about our services in The Way of St. James!