Tips to do the Camino
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How long does Camino de Santiago walk is a very frequent question among first-time pilgrims. There is no single answer. First, because the Camino de Santiago is made up of several Jacobean Routes with different lengths. And, second, because each pilgrim decides how far they want to travel and for how long.
In addition, the time to travel the Camino de Santiago must be adapted to the days available to the pilgrim, their physical condition and the type of pilgrimage they want to do.
Despite all these variables, we can give you some basic data that will help in the planning of each Route: how many kilometers / miles does the Camino de Santiago have, how many stages, what is the average number of days...
Average distance: 25km a day at 4km / 2,5 miles an hour
The Camino de Santiago on foot is usually traveled at an average pace of 4-5km/h or 2,5 miles/h. And the distance per day should not exceed 25km (15 miles) or fall below 20km (12,5 miles), although this will depend on the difficulty of the stage and the physical condition of the pilgrim. Thus, the average time each day would be about 5-6 hours, leaving time to rest and soak up the local culture.
Taking these averages as a reference, each pilgrim will be able to calculate how long it takes to travel the Camino de Santiago, depending on their starting point but also on the reasons that lead them to live this experience.
To obtain the Compostela, the document that accredits your pilgrimage to Compostela, the Cathedral of Santiago requires, at least, having traveled the last 100 km (62 miles). For this reason, if the objective is to obtain the Compostela, between 4 and 5 days are enough to complete the Camino de Santiago.
However, if what you want is to live the deepest experience and feel the Jacobean spirit, the veterans of the Jacobean Routes recommend increasing the days to 15, that is, traveling about 300km (186 miles). With this distance and these days you will have the opportunity to discover the diversity of the chosen Way, both at a human, heritage and natural level.
And so that you can fully enjoy the experience and not have to worry about anything else, we remind you that we offer you our backpack transport service. This way you can walk free of burdens and your luggage will be waiting for you when you arrive at the hostel.
How many kilometers /miles does the Camino de Santiago have?
The Camino de Santiago is actually a network of Routes. Each of them with a long history, a unique heritage and a different distance. Let’s see the main Routes of the Camino
Camino Francés Distance. The time it takes to do the Camino Frances is 31 days if you start in Saint Jean Pied de Port. One less if you decide to start in Roncesvalles, the first town on the Route in Navarra. This itinerary has 781 km (495 miles), which takes the pilgrim along one of the most popular routes of the Camino de Santiago. In the case of starting in Somport (French Way through Aragon), the pilgrim would have to travel a total of 937 kilometers (582 miles), which would mean about 33 days on the Route.
Although the Camino Francés begins, as its name suggests, in France, the most popular section is the one that goes from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela, since it covers the minimum distance to obtain the Compostela. The time it takes to travel the Camino de Santiago from Sarria to Santiago is about 5 days.
Camino Portugués Distance. The original starting point of the Camino Portugués is the Portuguese capital. From Lisbon, the Camino Portugues is 465km (289 miles) long and takes about 26 days to complete. However, in recent years it has become more popular among pilgrims to take shorter stretches:
- Camino Portugués from Porto to Santiago through the interior. It has 235km (146 miles) and is usually covered in 11 days.
- Camino Portugués from Porto to Santiago along the coast. It has 293km (182 miles) and 13 days are necessary.
- El Camino Portugués from Tui takes about 6 days to complete, since it is 115km (71,5 miles) long.
- Camino Portugués from A Guarda is 162 km (100 miles) long and the pilgrim takes 8 days to cover it.
Camino Primitivo Distance. It is considered the first Jacobean Route to Santiago and has 225km (140 miles). When starting the Camino in Oviedo, the pilgrim takes about 13 days to complete this Route until they reach Santiago.
Camino del Norte Distance. Cover the entire north of Spain and is one of the longest routes. The pilgrim takes about 35 days to do the Camino del Norte to Santiago, which has about 820km (509,5 miles) from Irún.
Camino Inglés Distance. It was the first Maritime Route to Compostela and has two starting points:
- The Camino de Santiago from Ferrol is 117 km (72,7 miles) long. Time it takes to do the Camino Ingles from Ferrol: 6 days.
- Camino de Santiago from A Coruña: it is 72km (44,7 miles) long. Days needed: 3 days.
Via de la Plata Distance. This route runs through Spain from south to north, following an old Roman road. The starting point of the Vía de la Plata is Seville and to Santiago it is necessary to travel a total of 963km (598 miles), which the pilgrim takes about 38 days to complete. This original route takes the pilgrim to Astorga, connecting the last 11 stages with the Camino Francés.
The Vía de la Plata can be diverted along the Camino Sanabrés upon reaching Granja de Moreruela. In this alternative, the Vía de la Plata takes about 36 days to complete.
We hope that these indications will help you to better plan your Route and calculate how many days you will need. If you want to know more about each of the Caminos or discover more Routes, do not hesitate to visit our section dedicated to Los Caminos.
Buen Camino,pilgrims!
*The image that illustrates this article is of Luis Carlos Ferraz.
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