All ways lead to Santiago

French, Portuguese, English, Primitive, Northern, Winter… We go through all the Camino de Santiago routes one by one to help you find the one that fits you best.

The different Camino de Santiago routes are familiar ground for the seasoned pilgrim, but anyone considering their first pilgrimage is faced with a list of names and no idea where to start. French, Portuguese, English, Primitive… which one suits you best? Let's walk through them one by one.

Pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago

All roads lead to Santiago

The name Camino de Santiago doesn't refer to a single route but to a network of itineraries setting out from very different points across the peninsula and Europe, all converging on the same destination: the tomb of the Apostle in Santiago de Compostela. Only the Camino to Finisterre and Muxía breaks that rule, because it begins where the others end.

Each has its own character. Some are sociable and busy, others solitary and demanding; some hug the coastline while others cross mountains or endless open plains. Choosing well isn't about picking the prettiest one, but the one that fits the days you have available, your fitness level and what you've come looking for.

Boots, flowers and a Camino de Santiago waymarker

Camino Francés: where to begin

If this is your first time, our recommendation is clear: start with the Camino Francés. It sets out from Saint Jean Pied de Port, on the far side of the Pyrenees, and covers thirty-three stages to Santiago, crossing Navarre, La Rioja, Castile and Galicia.

It is the quintessential route and, for that reason, the busiest one, which means it offers infrastructure that no other can match: hostels, guesthouses, restaurants and services of every kind at every turn. Nor do you have to walk the whole thing. If you have a week, the usual starting point is the Camino Francés from Sarria, which covers the final stretch and is by far the most sought-after section of any Jacobean route.

Woodland and river on the Camino Francés from Sarria

Camino Portugués: the second busiest

The Camino Portugués begins in Lisbon and works its way up the country, crossing the basins of the Tagus, Douro and Minho before entering Spain at Tui. Its twenty-seven stages have a gentle profile and allow you to discover Portugal and Spain in a single trip.

Few walk it in full. Most set out from Porto or, more commonly, from Tui: the Portuguese Way from Tui covers the final stretch and is the second most requested option after Sarria. It crosses the province of Pontevedra from south to north through small villages and green landscapes, and historic Jacobean sites such as Padrón.

Pilgrims walking

Coastal Portuguese Way: walking beside the Atlantic

Of all the Jacobean variants, the Coastal Portuguese Way has grown the most in recent years. It leaves Porto and follows the ocean along seafront promenades, beaches and fishing villages before joining the central route once in Galicia.

It shares the gentle profile of the inland Portuguese Way but changes the landscape entirely: here your walking companion is the Atlantic. If you're torn between the two, the question is simple: do you prefer villages and countryside, or sea and horizon?

Portuguese windmills on the Coastal Portuguese Way

Spiritual Variant: the route of the Traslatio

The Spiritual Variant of the Portuguese Way branches off the main route at Pontevedra to take in the monastery of Armenteira and the Ruta da Pedra e da Auga as far as Vilanova de Arousa. There something happens that no other camino offers: pilgrims board a boat to sail the Arousa estuary following the Traslatio, the posthumous sea voyage of the Apostle's remains, past the stone crosses that form the world's only maritime Way of the Cross.

It's worth knowing that this is not an official route and does not on its own qualify you for the Compostela, though it does count when combined with the stages of the Portuguese Way. It takes four days and ends at Padrón, where it rejoins the main path towards Santiago.

Boat on the Arousa estuary

Camino Inglés: the shortest of the official routes

The Camino Inglés links Ferrol with Santiago in five stages, following the route taken by pilgrims who arrived by sea from the British Isles and northern Europe and disembarked at the Galician ports.

It is the shortest complete official route in existence and still exceeds the hundred kilometres required for the Compostela. That makes it a very appealing option for anyone with a week available who would rather walk an entire camino from start to finish than the closing stretch of a longer one.

Pilgrim on the Camino Inglés

Camino Primitivo: the oldest of them all

The Camino Primitivo begins in Oviedo and is, according to tradition, the first route ever walked to the tomb of the Apostle James, the one followed by King Alfonso II when news of the discovery reached him. Its fourteen stages cross the Asturian mountains and enter Galicia through Lugo, with its Roman walls.

It is the most demanding of the northwestern caminos. Serious climbs such as Puerto del Palo and a profile that rarely lets up make it a route for those seeking a challenge as well as scenery. In return, it is among the most beautiful and authentic there is, and those who walk it tend to speak of it as something apart.

Pilgrims in a forest

Camino del Norte: the Cantabrian Sea for company

The Camino del Norte links Irún with Santiago across thirty-six stages hugging the Cantabrian coast, crossing the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia. Before reaching Santiago it joins the French Way during the final Galician days.

It passes through popular areas and doesn't lack accommodation options, yet it remains less crowded than its quality would suggest. The constant elevation change makes it harder than the map implies: there are no great mountain passes, but there's no respite either. Those without a month to spare usually set out from Vilalba or Ribadeo.

Pilgrim on the Camino del Norte

Camino Sanabrés: through the Ourense mountains

Beyond the cooking of the villages that line the Jacobean routes, the Camino also brings monuments and legends our way. A good example is the Camino Sanabrés, the final section of one of the two branches of the Vía de la Plata. Starting at Granja de Moreruela, its thirteen stages cross the Sanabria region and the Ourense mountains.

It's a quiet camino, with few services along some sections and stages exceeding thirty kilometres, so planning ahead and carrying supplies is advisable. Those with less time usually set out from Ourense to cover the final hundred kilometres.

Pilgrim on the Camino Sanabrés

Vía de la Plata and the Mozarabic Way

The Vía de la Plata sets out from Seville and climbs the old Roman road through holm oak groves, dehesas and olive groves. It is the longest and most solitary camino of all, with thirty-eight stages, long days and scattered villages. An itinerary for those seeking introspection rather than company.

The Mozarabic Way, meanwhile, has several starting points in Andalusia: Málaga, Granada, Jaén, Córdoba and Almería. They all converge around Mérida, where the Mozarabic Way merges with the Vía de la Plata to continue northwards.

Vía de la Plata and Jacobean routes in Andalusia

Camino de Invierno: the alternative to O Cebreiro

The Camino de Invierno was born of practical necessity: medieval pilgrims reaching Ponferrada in the cold months avoided the climb to O Cebreiro, impassable under snow, and sought a lower route following the Sil valley.

That layout survives today across ten stages crossing the regions of Valdeorras and the Ribeira Sacra, through terraced vineyards, river canyons and monasteries. It is among the least travelled caminos and one of the most beautiful, though accommodation is limited and it calls for planning well in advance.

Pilgrim walking alone

Camino to Finisterre and Muxía: the epilogue

Lastly, the Camino to Finisterre and Muxía, the only one that doesn't end in Santiago but begins there. Its five stages lead to Cape Finisterre and the Muxía coast, what the ancients took to be the end of the known world.

It doesn't grant the Compostela but the Fisterrana and the Muxiana, and it is the natural close to any pilgrimage: walking a few days more until the Atlantic opens up before you and you understand why this place was sacred long before pilgrims existed.

The Camino to Finisterre and Muxía rewards you with scenes such as Cape Finisterre

The last hundred kilometres and the Compostela

There's a reason names like Sarria, Tui, Ferrol, Lugo, Ourense or Vilalba come up in every conversation about the Camino: they are the points where each route crosses the hundred-kilometre threshold.

To obtain the Compostela you must walk at least the final hundred kilometres on foot or on horseback, or the final two hundred by bicycle, along an official route and with religious or spiritual motivation. You'll need your Credencial stamped at least twice a day along the Galician section. This is what makes it possible to experience a complete Camino in a single week, without giving anything up.

Compostelas and credentials

On your own or with an organised trip?

Both approaches are equally valid and the choice comes down largely to how much time you want to spend on logistics. On your own you have total flexibility, but you also handle booking every night, finding alternatives when a hostel is full and carrying your pack on every stage.

With an organised trip you simply arrive and walk: accommodation is booked, the itinerary is designed around the days you have available and group trips include luggage transfer between stages. Meals are arranged separately in both cases. You can see how it works on our organised trips.

We've spent more than ten years accompanying over 30,000 pilgrims, and if there's one thing we've learned it's that sorted logistics are most appreciated from the third stage onwards, when your legs start having their say.

Pilgrims before the Cathedral

Find your Camino

Whatever the difficulty of each stage and whichever route you choose, every camino will bring you different emotions and experiences that will stay with you for the rest of your life. Because the camino isn't walked: the camino is lived!

If you already know how many days you have but you're still unsure about the route, we'll help you work it out. Design your Camino and see the price instantly, with no obligation and free cancellation up to 15 days beforehand.