7 Reasons to Walk the Camino de Santiago

If you are looking for a great and unique Spanish adventure, walking the Camino de Santiago is just the kind of experience you shouldn’t miss. 

This outdoor trek and sacred pilgrimage across northern Spain travels west for 485 miles or 780 kilometers through sweeping plains, lush river valleys, daunting mountains, and so much more.

Below are the top reasons to walk the Camino that got a little something in store for everyone:

It’s an Adventure That Can Change Your Life 

Whether you are religious, spiritual, or secular, walking along the dirt paths of the Camino through the gorgeous wild landscapes and medieval villages is already an amazing journey in itself that brings about transformation and insight into your life. 

It Nurtures Solitude 

In this busy world, self-reflection and solitude may be hard to come by but you can get both at the Camino. You can begin your walk anywhere before Sarria at any time of the year except in summer. The middle of the route before Sarria and after Pamplona have smaller crowds compared to the sections at the end and beginning. 

Earn the Compostela 

To earn the Compostela or the official completion certificate, you need to walk the remaining 62 miles or 100 kilometers. For walkers who wish to do it, the most common starting point is Sarria. You can always walk to Finisterre and Muxia from Santiago de Compostela to earn other official certificates. 

Enjoy the Exceptional Food Scene

The Camino is also the ultimate dream come true for every foodie with its selection of tapas joints, festive local markets, hearty stews, and succulent freshly caught seafood. 

Challenge Your Physicality

The entirety of the Camino has a length of almost 500 miles, reaching 600 miles should you continue all the way to the ocean. However, if you prefer a segment that will perk up your heart rate, you can try the Camino Finisterre, Leon to Sarria, and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Pamplona which all boast mountainous terrain. For a high plateau meseta terrain, you can also walk the stretch to Leon from Burgos. 

Try the Distinctive Wines

There are distinctive wines available at the center of the route to Sarria from Pamplona. In particular, Logroño to Burgos is popular for the hearty Castilians and world-class La Rioja wines. You can even fill your scallop shell with the Bodegas Irache Wine Fountain’s local red wine. This tradition at the Camino is still relatively but is now quickly becoming a classic. 

Be Part of an Interesting History

While the Camino itself is already officially a Christian pilgrimage of more than 1,000 years old, the terrain itself is much older, of course. Humans have been traveling the lands of northern Spain and southwestern France. They left behind signs in the form of painted caves, stone tools, hilltop settlements, dolmens, and prehistoric roads, that soon became medieval chapels and towns. 

There is more that awaits you at the Camino De Santiago that are all more than enough reasons for you to muster up your courage and walk along the route that has been in existence for centuries.