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Bering Travel arranges all the most popular walks along the Camino to Santiago de Compostella. On this page you can see all the tours.

You're probably reading this because you're thinking about walking the Camino and I can certainly understand why. There's something almost magical about walking the route that pilgrims have walked for centuries and it's a tantalising thought that here, right here, another adventurous pilgrim has walked, seen the same, thought the same and had the same sore feet at night.

The Camino is many things. There are the many different routes, which I describe in more detail below, but there is also the inner Camino - the inner journey you go through as you walk day after day with the goal of reaching Santiago de Compostela.

 

Which Camino should I choose?

Most pilgrims who walk the Camino walk the last 100km of ‘The French Way’, which is from Sarria til Santiago de Compostela. The route offers easy walking for most people to enjoy. Almost as many people choose to walk ‘The Portuguese Way’, which goes from Porto til Santiago de Compostela. The latter walk along the Camino is a two-week trek vandreferie, so many people choose to only do the last part of the journey from Baiona to Santiago de Compostela. Both versions are a great experience.

Camino Frances – The French route – French Way

Camino Frances is arguably the most famous of the Camino routes and has been featured in countless documentaries and books. The Camino is an ancient pilgrimage route along the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula. The route starts in the red and white city of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and ends in the holy city of Santiago de Compostela.

The Camino Frances passes through fantastic cities and beautiful landscapes, such as the city of Pamplona, famous for the bull run, the famous wine region La Rioja with the city of Legroño, the city of Burgos with its beautiful cathedral, elegant Leon and Ponferrada with the old Templar castle. From Ponferrada, the Camino enters Galicia through the mountains and the picturesque town of O Cebreiro.

The Camino is internationally recognised as a historical symbol of European cohesion and in 1987 the route was chosen by the Council of Europe as the first ‘European Cultural Route’. The Camino and the buildings along the route are also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Although the route from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is very popular, most pilgrims only walk the last part of the route from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela. This is mainly because you need to have walked a minimum of 100km on the Camion (and stamped your pilgrim passport on the way!) to get your pilgrimage certificate in Santiago. This is also one of the most sociable parts of the Camion because you often meet other pilgrims at the tourist offices in the cities and get chatting. There is simply a special camaraderie among pilgrims on the Camino.

If you're travelling by bike, you need to have covered at least 200km to get your pilgrimage certificate and you need to start your trip from Ponferrada. 

Camino Portugues – Den Portugisiske Camino – The Portuguese Way

The coastal version of the Portugisiske Camino

is an incredibly beautiful alternative to the traditional Camino Frances. With the Atlantic Ocean as your companion, this route starts in Porto (itself a UNESCO-listed city) and takes you through charming fishing villages in northern Portugal, such as Viana do Castello and Vila Praia de Ancora before crossing the Minho River to A Guarda in Spanish Galicia.

After entering Galicia, you'll wander into the heart of Rías Baixas, where the famous Albariñho white wines are created. From Baiona to Vigo you can enjoy views of the bay and if you want a rest day on the route, we recommend taking it in Vigo to visit the beautiful Cies Islands.

You'll eventually reach Redondela, from where you head inland and join the original Camino Portugues and from here you'll start to meet more and more pilgrims on the same route to Santiago de Compostela.

It takes approximately two weeks to complete the Portuguese Camino from Porto to Santiago, or one week if you cykler den Portugisiske Camino.

If you only have a week to hike, you can take the shortened route where you walk the last 100km of the Portuguese Camino from Baiona to Santiago.

Along the route, you'll experience the beautiful Atlantic Ocean, the beautiful beaches of northern Portugal and Galicia, taste amazing fish dishes and wine, stay overnight in small fishing villages and fall in love with the beautiful landscape.

Camino del Norte – The Northern Way

This tour goes from San Sebastian to Santiago. The route follows the north coast of Spain from the Basque Country, through Cantabria, Asturias and finally to Ribadeo in Galicia. From Ribadeo, the route heads inland through forests and across fields to Santiago de Compostela. It is possible to take an alternative route leaving the coast at Oviedo, where Camino del Norte meets the Camino Primitivo, which then follows the rest of the route.

Sea also -  Camino del Norte - de sidste 100km til Santiago.

The Camino del Norte starts in the delightful town of San Sabastián, where there are many things to discover - especially if you want to explore Spanish gastronomy - there are many Michelin-starred restaurants in the town. As most of the route follows the coastline, you'll discover charming little fishing villages, swim at beautiful beaches and savour all kinds of fish dishes.

Get inspired at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, stroll past the Royal Palace in Santander, taste Asturias' famous apple cider and travel back in time in Mondoñedo - the ancient royal seat of Galicia.

The Camino del Norte is one of the more challenging Camino routes and we recommend it for experienced walkers and good health.

Camino Primitivo – The original Camino

This is in fact the oldest Camino route. King Alfonso II the Chaste was the first pilgrim ever to walk this route. He walked from Oviedo in Asturias to Santiago in the 8th century. He had a single mission, which was to confirm that it was indeed the remains of St James that lay in Santiago de Compostela.

At the time, Oviedo was the capital of the Kingdom of Asturias and the king's pilgrimage inspired many others to make the same journey to Santiago de Compostela.

Pilgrims on the Camino Primitivo came not only from Asturias and other parts of northern Spain. Pilgrims also came from other parts of the world.

When the capital of the kingdom changed from Oviedo to Leon, the Camino Frances became the main route to Santiago for 11th century pilgrims. That said, many pilgrims still choose to visit the Cathedral of San Salvador in Oviedo, which is its own sanctuary and is said to house the cloth that was wrapped around Christ's head after his death.

Less than five per cent of today's pilgrims choose to walk the Camino Primitivo, but that doesn't change the fact that the route is tough and incredibly beautiful.

Camino Finisterre

Finisterre (Fisterra in Galician) is located on the Atlantic coast about 100km from Santiago de Compostela. Cape Finisterre and the lighthouse have been a destination for pilgrims for centuries.

It was the Romans who named the city ‘Finis Terrae’, meaning end of the world, and they considered it the westernmost point of the Roman Empire. After the discovery of St James' tomb in the Middle Ages, pilgrims began flocking to Finisterre to worship the image of the Sacred Christ and to see the end of the world.

Since then, many pilgrims have taken the route there after reaching Santiago and it is still common for pilgrims to burn their clothes or walking shoes at Cape Finisterre while enjoying the view of the Atlantic Ocean. It's almost a purification ritual or perhaps just a symbolic end to their journey.

Either way, the sunset from the lighthouse is stunning.

The end of the world on the mythical Costa da Morte (Coast of Death) is also considered by some to have housed the Ara Solis, which was/is an ancient altar used to worship the sun. Some say it was treasured by the Phoenicians, others say it was Celtic tribes. It is also at this place that ancient societies (before Christianity) believed that the world of the living and the world of the dead met.

There are plenty of myths and legends to explore at Camino Finisterre.

Although Camino Finisterre is one of the more challenging parts of the Camino (it's called the ‘Coast of Death’ after all), it's also a beautiful walk.

The other routes on the Camino

In addition to the routes mentioned above, there are also the following other routes:

  • Camino Ingles
  • Camino Espiritual
  • Camino Invierno
  • Via de la Plata

 

Stay in hotels all the way

In the old days, it was most common to stay in hostels when walking the Camino. Of course, a lot of people still do that, but it has become more common to stay in small hotels instead.

On our travels, we only use small, specially selected hotels where all rooms have their own shower and toilet. We think this is the best way to experience hiking the Camino.


Packing list for the Camino

The Camino is no different from many other walking holidays. Therefore, you can get a good overview of what you should bring on our ‘13 tips for hiking’. Remember that the most important thing is that you have good trekking shoes or hiking boots that you make sure to break in before the trip.


Jubilee year in 2027

A Jubilee Year is something very special on the Camino. You can read more about it on the page ‘2027 is a Jubilee Year in Santiago de Compostela’.


Pilgrim passport on the Camino

You get your passport stamped in all the towns where you stay overnight and when you have enough stamps, you can get your pilgrimage certificate in Santiago de Compostela. Remember that you must have walked at least 100km on the Camino to get your pilgrimage pass.

Frequently asked questions about the Camino

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On most tours, we have included the pilgrim pass, so it's ready at the first hotel. There are a few tours where it's not included, but it's incredibly easy to buy one. You can often get them at the hotels and you can definitely get them at the tourist offices in the towns along the Camino. The price is around 2 euros.

In the old days, it was most common to stay in hostels when walking the Camino. Today, it's more common to stay in small hotels instead. On our travels, we only use small, specially selected hotels where all rooms have their own shower and toilet.

When most people say ‘Camino’, they mean the Camino Francés, which is 772km long. It can be walked in 36 days, but most people add rest days in the larger cities along the way, making the journey 40 days.

Camino Frances: 772km
Camino del Norte: 825km
Camino Primitivo: 321km
Camino Portugues (fra Porto): 259km
Camino Finisterre: 90km
Camino Ingles: 119km
Via de la Plata: 1000km

Many people walk the Camino alone every year and fortunately, safety is generally very high. Of course, it is possible to end up in dangerous situations on the Camino - just like anywhere else, but we never hear from guests who have experienced this and we have never experienced it ourselves.

Many people walk the Camino in the summer and it works just fine. However, realise that it's hot and depending on how hot it is, you may need to walk early in the morning and bring extra water for the walk.

There may be an issue with the fact that breakfast at hotels typically starts between 7:00 and 8:30. For example, if the hotel doesn't serve breakfast until 8:00am, it might be a good idea to simply skip breakfast and bring it with you or just buy breakfast during the trip.

There are myriad reasons why pilgrims choose to walk the Camino. For some it's a religious pilgrimage, for others it's just an amazing hike and others are on a personal/internal journey to process life. No matter why you choose to walk the Camino, we can almost guarantee that you will return home with an experience of a lifetime.

Yes, you can. You can cycle both the Camino Francés and the Camino Portugues and Bering Travel can also organise these tours for you. Just like on the hikes, we transport your luggage from hotel to hotel.

The Camino Primitivo is widely recognised as the toughest Camino. The route is approximately 311km long and our version is divided into 14 stages. The first week from Oviedo is particularly challenging.

It's always a good idea to do some training for a Camino and the best training is really just walking long walks (preferably 15-20km). That said, how much preparation is needed varies from trip to trip. A walk like Sarria to Santiago isn't particularly hilly, so it doesn't require a lot of preparation, but if you're walking the Camino Primitivo, for example, you'll need to train for it.

This depends on which Camino you want to walk. Here are the most commonly used flight routes for the walks:

Camino Frances - Entire route
Arrival airport(s): Biarritz, Pamplona or Bilbao
Return airport(s): Santiago de Compostela

Camino Frances - Astorga to Santiago
Arrival airport(s): Santiago de Compostela or A Coruña
Return airport(s): Santiago de Compostela

Camino Frances - Sarria to Santiago
Arrival airport(s): Santiago de Compostela or A Coruña
Return airport(s): Santiago de Compostela

Camino Primitivo
Arrival airport(s): Oviedo
Return airport(s): Santiago de Compostela

Camino del Norte - entire route
Arrival airport(s): San Sebastian or Bilbao
Return airport(s): Santiago de Compostela

Camino del Norte - Vilalba to Santiago
Arrival airport(s): Santiago de Compostela or A Coruña
Return airport(s): Santiago de Compostela

Camino Portugues - Porto to Santiago
Arrival airport(s): Porto
Return airport(s): Santiago de Compostela or Porto

Camino Portugues - Baiona to Santiago
Arrival airport(s): Santiago de Compostela, Porto or Vigo
Return airport(s): Santiago de Compostela or Porto

Camino Portugues - Spiritual
Arrival airport(s): Porto
Return airport(s): Santiago de Compostela or Porto

Camino Finisterre
Arrival airport(s): Santiago de Compostela
Departure airport(s): Santiago de Compostela

No, you can't. In general, we would advise against drinking water from the taps in the hotels. You can buy bottled water in many places, including several places along the routes.

On our trips, we always transport luggage between hotels, so on our trips, you just need a daypack which can be anywhere between 22 - 35 litres depending on how much you want to carry. For example, if you're bringing camera equipment/drone on the trip, you'll probably need around 33-35 litres.

We transport luggage between hotels, so here's a list of what you should bring in your day trip backpack.

  • Rain jacket and rain trousers
  • Short trousers
  • Fleece or light jacket
  • Lightweight gloves
  • Cap or headband
  • Rain cover for your bag
  • Sun hat
  • Sunglasses
  • Sun cream
  • First aid kit
  • Pocket knife
  • ID (e.g. passport, health insurance, driving licence)
  • Vouchers (if you need them)
  • Mobile phone (remember to charge overnight)
  • Water bottle
  • Route description for the day/Map
  • Hotel list

This is a subjective question, but we would say that the most beautiful Camino is the Camino del Norte and Camino Portugues. There are certainly beautiful sections no matter which Camino you walk, but these are probably the most beautiful (we think).

It varies from trip to trip, but generally you walk between 15km - 25km per day. When you look at the itinerary, you can see under each day how long the stage is.

Our tours on the Camino

You now receive special conditions when you book a trip.