008: What is the Camino de Santiago?
It's more than just a walk across Spain.
“You just can’t describe it to people who haven’t done it,” my father said to me as we walked together along the Camino de Santiago.
But I’m going to try anyway.
The Camino de Santiago is a network of pilgrimage trails, more than 1,200 years old, leading to Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain—where the remains of the apostle Saint James are supposedly entombed.
Its roots are in religion, but today it has grown into something much bigger.
It welcomes people from all walks of life and for all kinds of reasons—people of all faiths or no faith at all. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people from around the world walk on its various routes. Some have a goal to reach Santiago de Compostela, while others walk only a portion. The reasons they walk? Those are as varied as the people themselves.
The Camino Is...
A Place Where Everyone Is Welcome
It is walked by people from different countries, cultures, and belief systems. Very few arrive entirely ready and 100% sure of what their journey will be like—and those who do soon find themselves surprised by the unexpected. Some arrive unsure if they can make it past the first week. Others of us are in between — with just enough confidence to get us on the trail yet still unsure of what the days, weeks, months will hold for us. Yet all of us find a place to rest our heads for the night—a 4-star hotel, family-run pension, a hostel. We share the journey—meeting people we would have never met in any other time or place in our lives.
Open All Year
The Camino can be walked in every season. From May to September on the most popular routes there will be no shortage of companions. In the quieter months, there will be significantly fewer people and some accommodations may be closed, but the routes are “open” and available to those seeking a more contemplative and solitary experience. The Camino is always here, waiting for you.
A Transformative Experience—But Not in the Way You Expect
People often set out hoping for a revelation, a life-changing moment. Sometimes, they get one. More often, the realizations are slow and unexpected. As a 73-year-old friend and fellow pilgrim Lois said to me, “You can’t plan an epiphany.” But there is a rhythm you find when walking with only one goal (to get to tonight’s destination) that frees your mind to explore your thoughts for extended periods of time. Or to have long conversations with someone you may never meet again—or someone who may become a life-long friend. Like most trips, the most meaningful memories are things you never could have predicted.
A Long Walk—But Not Just About Walking
Yes, you walk. But the Camino is not just a hike. It is the camaraderie developed over shared meals, the unlikely friendships, the incredible generosity and kindness of strangers. There are certainly challenges. My friend Lois, when asked to describe the Camino, always starts with this: It’s HARD. There may be blisters and times of wondering why you’re there—even after a dozen Caminos I still have mornings when I wake up on yet another Camino route and ask myself why I’m still doing this. But then you walk out into the cool morning air, the light of the sun slowly illuminating the sky before the sun itself has even appeared. You look around at the fields or forest, the animals grazing, or the city streets starting to awake, and you think, “This. This is why I’m here.”
Who Walks the Camino?
I have met so many different kinds of people along the Camino. Here are just a few:
A Belgian man who had once walked the Camino with his wife and wanted to do it again when he retired—this time from his home in Belgium, with a donkey. Then his wife asked, “Why wait until you retire?”
A Korean man grieving the loss of his partner to suicide. I was the first English speaker he met on a less-traveled route. I have been honored and humbled that people have felt comfortable enough to share personal and painful stories with me.
A 16-year-old girl from New Zealand, unschooled, traveling with her mother and dreaming of studying perfumery in France. Their “joie de vivre” inspired me on a particularly challenging day.
A third-generation German baker who has woken up at 3 AM for years. I shared only a few hours with him and was left wondering if he’d change his rhythm on the Camino or be out on the trail at 3 am?
A Catholic priest from Alaska who walks long before the sun rises — it was summer and, being from Alaska, he couldn’t handle the heat of walking during the day. So by 9am he was at his destination, enjoying a cup of coffee. But he faced the sun a little longer on his last day so that we could walk into Santiago de Compostela together.
Why Has the Camino Grown in Popularity?
As our world has gotten faster, the Camino has managed to keep its slower pace. In this world of non-stop access to bite-sized bits of entertainment on endless loops, the Camino offers a chance to slow down, be outside more than inside, live more simply, connect more deeply.
Various countries have their movies and books about the Camino that, when released, trigger a whole new set of people to begin their journey.
The book I’m Off Then for the Germans, later turned into a movie.
The movies The Way and Six Ways to Santiago for the Americans and other English speakers.
The TV show Korean Hostel in Spain for the Koreans.
The movie Saint-Jacques. . . La Mecque for the French speakers.
And as the popularity of the Camino has grown, more and more have heard about it from a friend who walked it—who can’t quite explain it but says, “Just go.”
The Unexpected Parts of the Camino
“People at home think I’m crazy to do this,” one pilgrim told me. She wasn’t the only one.
It is not easy for people to take a week or two or more away from family, friends, and other commitments. It’s not always easy for those in our lives to understand why we want to do this. This is not exactly a “sit on the beach with a book” vacation. It’s not always going to be easy. How often have any of us walked 12-15 miles in a day and then done it again the next day and the day after that? How often do our trips to foreign lands have us coming back with blisters?
Yet more and more come each year. For an experience unlike any they’ve had before. For hours long uninterrupted conversations or countless days walking alone. Or walking beside others in silence, sharing an experience that will be hard to explain once we’ve left this place.
So, What Is the Camino de Santiago?
It’s a journey people embark on for different reasons, from different places, with different expectations.
It’s unlike anything you’ve ever done before.
It’s a place where strangers become friends, where stories unfold in the rhythm of footsteps, where transformation happens quietly, almost without you realizing it.
My father is right—it’s incredibly hard to describe the Camino to people who haven’t done it.
But consider this your invitation to answer the question “What is the Camino de Santiago?” for yourself, from your own experience, by coming here to Spain and setting foot on the path.
Love,
Rebecca
What I’m Watching:
I’m now a firm believer that one can learn a language without textbooks and worksheets. I’m not fluent, but I can have hours-long conversations with strangers on the Camino thanks in no small part to the videos from DreamingSpanish.com. Learn about the concept of “comprehensible input” here. They have hundreds of free videos on topics of interest to adult learners—which is how I started.
(Note: I am writing this out of genuine appreciation for the site—they have no idea who I am and I make no money from promoting them!)
And What About You?
Are you thinking of walking the Camino de Santiago? Share your plans with us!
Have questions I can answer in an upcoming post? Let me know by leaving a comment.
🥾Ready to start planning your Camino?
Rebecca Weston
Camino Planning & Preparation Guide (for People 45+)
Rebecca@TheCaminoCalls.com
Your Camino adventure should feel exciting, not stressful — here are some ways I can help you get ready:
Watch Camino Conversations for practical tips and advice from my guests who have done the Camino (or more than one!).
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🥾 Walk With Rebecca: 7-day hybrid Camino walks — 3 days guided, 4 days independent, private rooms, preparation classes, and optional check-ins. Click here to be the first to be notified about my next trip.Rebecca Weston is an American who walked her first Camino in 2012.
About me: I’ve walked more than a dozen Caminos since my first in 2012. I’ve spent many days volunteering along the trail, and if I’m not walking one now, I’m planning the next—and would love nothing more than to help you plan yours, too. Originally from the US, my husband and I spent the last 4.5 years living in Spain—most recently on one of the Camino routes.
Sounds like a wonderful step out of time into an intentional relationship with self, spirit, and community. Thank you!
I've walked 10 times on the Camino, and arrived in Santiago 8 times of those, and like your description of the Camino Rebecca. And yes, properly describing it is difficult as the Camino will be many things to many people. It's also addictive 😉