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The
Camino de Santiago is an ancient web of pilgrimage trails stretching across Europe, consisting of multiple ‘Ways’ all leading to the tomb of St James the Apostle in Santiago de Compostela, northwestern Spain. Countless pilgrims over the centuries have followed these renowned paths, with thousands of people continuing to do so today, for a variety of reasons.
Peter, one of our Destination Experts, has just got back from walking our two new Camino de Santiago holidays – along the
French and
English Ways – so we’ve caught up with him for his thoughts and highlights.
What does it mean to walk the Camino de Santiago?
Nearly half a million people a year finish a Camino in Santiago now. What the vast majority do (and what we offer our customers) is the minimum of 100 kilometres, which you need to have done to earn your ‘Compostela’ (completion certificate) at the end. You pick up a ‘pilgrim passport’ before you start your journey, and you have to get it stamped in at least twice a day to show how far you’ve walked.
But there is something intangible, and quite special, about arriving in Santiago on foot, knowing you've walked at least 100 kilometres to get there. It's about going on that journey, whether or not it's a spiritual one for you.
What are the main differences between the French and English Ways?
The atmosphere
The French Camino is by far the most popular. Nearly half of all people who finish a Camino in Santiago come in on the French route. You're never far away from anybody else. On some days there’s a café or bar, almost, on average, every single kilometre. And they’re all busy, all buzzing.
The English is so different, carrying a tenth of the traffic that the French Camino does. I walked them back-to-back, and I genuinely saw more walkers, in the first, probably, 15 minutes of the French Camino than I did on the entire English Camino. There are fewer cafés, and you need to plan where you're going to get your pilgrim passport stamped. There won't be many of you doing it, but there's still the feeling of joint purpose – just much more intimate. For me, this route is more appealing to anybody who wants a bit of solitude.
The route
The French Camino is more rural – you feel like you're in the uplands from day one. It’s really pretty and almost a bit Yorkshire Dales-esque, but higher up.
The English Camino starts on the coast but feels quite suburban until you journey into rural Galicia, where there's lots of woodland.
What was particularly noticeable was comparing the two final days. On the English, you don't really feel like you're approaching a major city until suddenly you're there, in Santiago, whereas the French feels quite urban/suburban all the way in – it’s all about reaching the cathedral.
What were your personal highlights?
The monastery in Samos
On the French Camino, our customers spend their first night in a little village called Samos, which has a monastery. It's quite imposing, owned by the monks (apparently very rare), and lovely in the afternoon sunlight. It’s absolutely worth going, even if just to look at it from the lower side.
They offer guided tours (note that not all of these have an English version) and if you show your pilgrim passport, you get discounted entry. It's really quite spectacular inside and at the end of the tour is their pride and joy – the old chapel. It's big, with a huge dome, really beautifully decorated. The monk showing us around said the chapel took them just 40 years to build, working day and night by candlelight. Really impressive and really quite special.
Quiet contemplation in Santiago
In Santiago, there’s a huge square and what I noticed was, dotted around, you would just have people with rucksacks, sitting down on the floor, facing the cathedral façade, doing nothing. They'd finished their Camino, and that was their moment to just sit and reflect. It was almost as if, as far as they were concerned, no one else was around – it was just them soaking in the journey. It's hard not to think, ‘I've done that as well. This is something a bit special here'. Completing the journey in Santiago, I think, is the best part of the whole experience.
What are your tips for people walking the Camino?
• Go light on your footwear. It's not difficult walking underfoot. There's the odd little section that might be a bit muddy, but because they’re such well-used routes, they're designed to be as accessible as they reasonably can be. So, don't take your big, heavy boots – you want to be comfortable, and you need to look after your feet.
• Bring waterproofs – it's called ‘Green Spain’ for a reason. A lot of people, rather than wearing normal waterproofs, just get a poncho that goes over their head and rucksack, but it’s whatever you’re most comfortable with in wet weather. I wouldn’t recommend an umbrella – your arm will get really tired.
• Pack light if you can. You’re moving on every single day; you want your bag to be easy to unpack when you get into your hotel in the evening and easy to pack again that night or first thing in the morning.
• Do pack flip flops or sandals, so you can kick about in those in the evenings. Don’t feel that you need shoes for going to a restaurant because not many people do.
What would you say to anyone unsure about doing the Camino?
Don't underestimate yourself. The days are long and it’s not flat, but there will be so much moral support (particularly on the French and Portuguese Caminos) because there will be plenty of other people in the same boat, who want you to finish. As long as you look after your feet and you can normally walk for a few hours a day, you'd be surprised at how you can actually walk for seven or eight hours a day.
Take your time, pace yourself, and do some walking before you go on the trip. You also might want to think about popping in an extra night where we suggest, just to give yourself that little bit more of a rest.
To sum up, why would you recommend walking the Camino with Inntravel?
It's a walking experience like no other, not just a walking holiday. There is that sense of shared purpose, community, and camaraderie. Every single person you see, almost without fail, as you walk past them, will say ‘Buen Camino'.
With Inntravel, you're having the Camino walking experience, but in a little more comfort than your average pilgrim. The vast majority of accommodation on Camino routes is hostels and dormitories, which isn't for everybody. We're using hotels.
We also give you a day in Santiago, with notes for our own little self-guided walking tour, and more time to pick up your Compostela if there’s a long queue at the Pilgrim Office when you first arrive.
Best way to celebrate completing the Camino de Santiago?
Always have an ice cream.
