"I want to travel the Camino de Santiago in a week, is it possible to do it?" We tell you which sections of Jacobean routes are best suited to you if you only have 7 or 10 days to live this experience.
These are our tipsTraveling the Camino de Santiago is a totally personal experience that you must live for yourself. Many times the hardest thing is to go for the first time, and to encourage you to take the step, it is worth remembering that the time you dedicate corresponds exclusively to you (nobody should be distributing pilgrim cards). We do not all have the time or the free days that we would like to walk the Camino de Santiago for a month, or directly we want to try investing just a few days walking until we reach the Plaza del Obradoiro and do the Camino in a week
If you have plenty of time to dive thoroughly into the Camino de Santiago, you can take a look at our guides on the main Jacobean routes. If you only have one week, do not worry, here are some useful tips on how to do the Camino de Santiago on foot in 7 days, the sections you should choose, the physical preparation and the total time you will need.
Surely you have heard that the pilgrims who travel the Camino de Santiago prepare by walking during the weeks prior to their departure to take physical background. Training is also essential for you, even if you only invest 7 days of your time and with much more reason if you do not exercise regularly; Of course, if you were wondering, you do not need special physical conditions to go through it.
In our daily life it is not usual for us to walk around 25 kilometers per day in consecutive days and for that reason we have to get used to the body little by little to enjoy the Camino to the maximum without setbacks. To do this you must walk at least five days a week in the weeks prior to your departure to the Camino de Santiago, much better if it is with the footwear that you will use in your pilgrimage. More details about the preparation needed to make the Camino de Santiago
Although it is obvious, it is worth remembering that if you have planned to walk for a week while we arrive in Santiago, at that time you have to add what you need to arrive from your city of origin to your starting point and later, when you finish, the Travel from Santiago to your home. Therefore, you have about 10 days in total adventure to really spend 7 walking (the extra day would be a great idea to use it to stay in Santiago and enjoy it on your arrival at the Cathedral).
The experience that you are going to take when making the Camino de Santiago in 7 days could be labeled as initiation, because although you will enjoy 100% of the Galician section to Santiago de Compostela, there is much more magic to discover. Investing 15, 20 or 30 days, something that we encourage you to try in the future, you will discover incredible journeys in which to walk without so much massification, thousand-year-old localities and landscapes, like those of the Pyrenees, which is worth living for oneself and Not that they tell you.
If you have been informed about the Camino de Santiago, you may have heard about the 10% rule; this refers to the weight of your backpack should never exceed 10% of your total weight, which is worth both to make the Camino in a week and to spend much more time. In most cases the weight should be between 6 and 7 kg for men and 4 or 5 for women, a weight that you have to occupy only with what is essential for your trip; believe me, your back and your feet will appreciate that you go as light as possible.
If you want to deepen on what you should take with you of luggage, you can get more information on this content on what to carry in your backpack to the Camino de Santiago.
Most pilgrims choose the months of spring and summer to make the Camino de Santiago in a week and mostly choose the French Way to cross it, as it is the route that has more services and enjoys a greater influx all year. However, it is not the only route at your disposal; There are dozens of them distributed throughout the geography, such as the Portuguese Way, the English Way, the Northern Way or the Primitive Way (just to name a few).
If you set out to do the Camino de Santiago for the first time and what you want is to try your first bite of the Jacobean experience, the French Way is going to make it easy for you; It is difficult to get lost, you will find a wide range of accommodation throughout Galicia (open during most of the year) and you will live with many other pilgrims. If you want to spend a week on the French Way, you can start from Villafranza del Bierzo or from Pedrafita do Cebreiro to Santiago de Compostela in 8 or 7 stages.
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Another great option to do the Camino de Santiago in a week walking is the Portuguese Way from Tui, the second election in number of pilgrims and that once entered in Galicia runs through the magnificent province of Pontevedra from south to north. You can also choose the Camino del Norte (preferably in months with good weather) from Baamonde or travel the Camino Primitivo from the city of Lugo. The combinations are multiple, all of them recommended to make a short Camino de Santiago on foot; What varies is the number of pilgrims that you will find on the road and the variety of services at your disposal.