Short Camino Routes: Intense Experiences in a Few Days

Guide to the shortest routes of the Camino de Santiago, ideal for those who have little time but wish to experience the complete journey. The article highlights the most popular options such as the Portuguese Way or the French Way from Sarria, with details about each route, its stages, and practical tips.

The Camino de Santiago is not infinite, but almost. When we think of Spain and even Europe, there are kilometers and kilometers of Jacobean routes that, to complete fully, require a lot of time. However, there are also "mini-routes," that is, the short routes that lead to Santiago de Compostela.

If you do not have much time, want to experience the pilgrimage, and obtain the Compostela, Viajes Camino de Santiago shows you how to do it in a week or even less. And how? Keep reading, in this article we will talk about the shortest routes of the Camino de Santiago.

Milestone 100 km of the French Way

I don't have much time and I want to do the Camino de Santiago

Day to day, with work, family, and other obligations, it is not easy to undertake a long Camino de Santiago. Most pilgrims would like to walk the entire French Way from Roncesvalles, but that takes a month and we do not always have the time to complete this route, the most historic and popular. No drama, dear pilgrim: walking to Santiago de Compostela in a few days through an official and short route is possible. Being brief, they all have in common that they run within Galicia, the goal of every Jacobean pilgrim, and you will be able to obtain the Compostela.

And what if I don't mind not obtaining the Compostela?

If you want to undertake a short route of the Camino de Santiago and do not mind arriving in Santiago to obtain the Compostela, you can complete a special section of any Jacobean path. In this article, we provide you with several options, the shortest and most special routes of all the Caminos de Santiago. Let's go with them!

The French Way from Sarria

This is one of the shortest routes of the Camino de Santiago and begins in Sarria (Lugo). With approximately 110 km, it can be walked in 5 days, but if you have little time, you can complete it in 4 or 3 days. In these últimos 100 km del Camino Francés, you will enjoy the nature, heritage, and gastronomy of Galicia and obtain the Compostela. Additionally, it offers many facilities to do so: a wide variety of accommodations for all budgets, many pilgrim bars, and countless shops and services. And the cherry on top, you will enjoy a great pilgrim atmosphere.

Forest of the French Way

If what you want is a weekend plan, without reaching Santiago, we propose these two short routes:

• La Laguna de Castilla – Triacastela – Sarria (2 stages / 48 km): in a weekend you can enjoy the tough but mythical entry into Galicia via O Cebreiro, a classic among pilgrims on the French Way;
• Astorga – Villafranca del Bierzo (3 stages / 77 km): a long weekend will allow you to explore this last stretch of the French Way in León, with varied landscapes such as the end of the Meseta, the León Mountains, and Bierzo.

The Portuguese Way from Tui

Another of the shortest routes is the Portuguese Way from Tui (Pontevedra). With approximately 120 km, it can be walked in 6 days, but if you have little time and feel strong, you can complete it in 5 or 4 days. Like the French Way, these last 100 km of the Portuguese Way offer all the goodness of Galicia and the Rías Baixas, and allow you to obtain the Compostela, as well as the Pedronia in Padrón. Likewise, a wide range of different accommodations, bars, and shops and services will assist you on your journey.

Stream on the Portuguese Way

For those who want a weekend with a short but special route, although without arriving in Santiago, we propose two sections:

• Pontevedra – Padrón (3 stages / 48 km): a beautiful stage on the Portuguese Way via the Spiritual Variant for a long weekend with a surprise, as the last stage… you will be able to do it by boat!;
• Vila do Conde – A Guarda (3 stages / 88 km): enjoying Portugal and Galicia along the Portuguese Coastal Way during a long weekend with the Atlantic Ocean as your companion is a good plan, isn’t it?

The Northern Way of Santiago from Villalba

Another of the shortest routes is the Northern Way from Villalba (Lugo). With about 120 km, it can be walked in 6 days, but if you have little time and good legs, you can complete it in 5 or 4 days and obtain your Compostela. These last 100 km of the Northern Way offer the most rural Galicia, a short, quiet, and solitary route that will provide you with many moments for yourself. With a wide range of accommodations and services more than sufficient, you will also find a great pilgrim atmosphere in Arzúa, as this route converges with the French Way in the cheese city.

Landscape on the Northern Way

You can also enjoy the Northern Way with shorter routes and without the need to reach Santiago. We leave Galicia and head to the Cantabrian Sea to savor some sections over a weekend:

• Llanes – Colunga (2 stages / 53 km): many pilgrims remember these two stages as the most beautiful, and we confirm it;
• San Jean de Luz – Zarautz (3 stages / 67 km): you can enjoy a short route with the particularity of crossing from France to Spain.

What short routes can I complete entirely?

If what you want is to do the shortest and complete Jacobean route, from its beginning to its end, we recommend two that will allow you to obtain the Compostela.

The English Way of Santiago

Strictly speaking, the English Way is the shortest route in the entire network of the Camino de Santiago. While there are sections that take place in the British Isles, it is unique in that it traverses only one province in Spain entirely and has two starting points, A Coruña and Ferrol (A Coruña). This short route can be completed in 3 to 6 days, depending on where you start and your walking abilities. Like the previous ones, it offers all the benefits of Galicia, the proximity to the Rías Altas and its fresh sea, as well as a network of accommodations, bars, and services that are more than sufficient.

Landscape of the English Way

The English Way from A Coruña

From A Coruña, with only 74 km of distance, it is the shortest route in its entirety. You can walk this Camino and obtain the Compostela by fulfilling and demonstrating one of the following requirements at the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago:

• If you are from A Coruña, present a certificate of residence and, if possible, have visited one of the Jacobean sites in the city, such as the Church of Santiago;
• If you are not from A Coruña, certify that you have walked the 26 kilometers needed to complete the 100 km in some section of the Camino de Santiago from your area of origin.

The Camino de Santiago English Way from Ferrol

This other starting point of the English Way, the city of Ferrol, would be the second shortest route in its entirety of all the paths to Santiago. With a total of 114 km, the English Way from Ferrol allows you to obtain the Compostela by walking without any additional requirements.

The Camino de Santiago to Finisterre and Muxía

This Camino also offers the shortest routes of the Camino de Santiago. Like the English Way, it has a particularity, as it can be done in two directions. Let's go into detail:

Camino de Santiago from Finisterre or Muxía

You can start this Way from Finisterre and must pass through Muxía (or vice versa) to obtain the Compostela upon arriving in Santiago. With a total of 120 km, it is a very special route as it begins on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

View from Cape Finisterre

Camino de Santiago to Finisterre and Muxía

Known as the Epilogue, this route departs from the Plaza del Obradoiro in Santiago and takes you westward to the End of the World. You can choose to reach Finisterre and obtain the Finisterrana, or to Muxía and obtain the Muxiana. On the Camino de Santiago to Finisterre and Muxía, you will cover about 120 km and arrive at that "natural cathedral" which is the vast Atlantic Ocean. Both options have the same route, although in opposite directions, so you will find sufficient accommodations and services for the pilgrim.

Short routes, intense experiences

Many times, less is more. The Camino de Santiago is very flexible and offers short routes for all walkers. Ahead of you are different landscapes, cultures, cuisines, and sensations on any of the shortest routes of the Camino de Santiago, which you can enjoy alone or accompanied. If you want to experience a brief but intense travel experience on the Camino de Santiago, contact us and we will gladly help you organize your route.