Short Camino Routes: Intense Experiences in a Few Days

The Camino de Santiago is not infinite, but it’s almost there. If we think about Spain and even Europe, there are kilometers and kilometers of long Jacobean routes that, to complete fully, require a lot of time. However, there are also “mini-caminos,” that is, the short routes leading to Santiago de Compostela.

If you don’t have much time, want to experience the pilgrimage, and earn the Compostela, you can do it in a week or even less. 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 of the Camino de Santiago

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

The daily routine, with work, family, and other obligations, doesn’t make it easy to do a long Camino de Santiago. Most pilgrims would like to walk the entire Camino Francés from Roncesvalles, but that takes a month, and we don’t always have the time to do this route, the most historic and popular. No worries, fellow pilgrim: walking to Santiago de Compostela in just a few days through an official and short route is possible. Being brief, they all share the fact that they pass through Galicia, the ultimate goal for all Jacobean pilgrims, and you will be able to earn the Compostela.

What if I don’t care about getting the Compostela?

If you want to do a short route of the Camino de Santiago and don’t mind not reaching Santiago to get the Compostela, you can walk a special section of any Jacobean path. In this article, we offer several options, the shortest and most special routes of all the Caminos de Santiago. Let’s go through them!

The Camino de Santiago Francés from Sarria

This is one of the shortest routes of the Camino de Santiago and begins in Sarria (Lugo). With about 110 km, it can be walked in 5 days, but if you’re short on time, you can complete it in 4 or 3 days. On these last 100 km of the Camino Francés, you will enjoy the nature, heritage, and gastronomy of Galicia and earn the Compostela. It also 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’ll enjoy a great pilgrim atmosphere.

Forest of the French Way

If you’re looking for a weekend plan without reaching Santiago, we suggest these two short routes:

• La Laguna de Castilla – Triacastela – Sarria (2 stages / 48 km): in a weekend, you can enjoy the tough but legendary entrance to Galicia through O Cebreiro, a classic among pilgrims on the Camino Francés;
• Astorga – Villafranca del Bierzo (3 stages / 77 km): a long weekend will allow you to experience this final stretch of the Camino Francés in León, with varied landscapes like the end of the Meseta, the Montes de León, and Bierzo.

The Camino de Santiago Portugués from Tui

Another of the shortest routes is the Camino Portugués from Tui (Pontevedra). With about 120 km, it can be walked in 6 days, but if you’re short on time and feel strong, you can complete it in 5 or 4 days. Just like the Camino Francés, these last 100 km of the Camino Portugués offer all the best of Galicia and the Rías Baixas, and allow you to earn the Compostela, as well as the Pedronía in Padrón. Also, a wide range of different accommodations, bars, shops, and services will help you along the way.

Stream on the Portuguese Way

For those who want a weekend with a short but special route without reaching Santiago, we suggest two sections:

• Pontevedra – Padrón (3 stages / 48 km): a beautiful stage on the Camino Portugués through the Variante Espiritual for a long weekend, with a surprise, as the last stage… you can do it by boat!
• Vila do Conde – A Guarda (3 stages / 88 km): enjoy Portugal and Galicia on the Camino Portugués de la Costa over a long weekend with the Atlantic Ocean as your companion, sounds like a great plan, right?

The Camino de Santiago del Norte from Villalba

Another of the shortest routes is the Camino del Norte from Villalba (Lugo). With about 120 km, it can be walked in 6 days, but if you’re short on time and have good legs, you can complete it in 5 or 4 days and earn your Compostela. These last 100 km of the Camino del Norte offer the most rural Galicia, a short, peaceful, and solitary route that will provide many moments just for you. With a wide range of accommodations and services, you will also enjoy a great pilgrim atmosphere in Arzúa, as this route converges with the Camino Francés in the city of cheese.

Landscape on the Northern Way

You can also enjoy the Camino del Norte with shorter routes 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): enjoy a short route with the peculiarity of passing from France to Spain.

Which short routes can I do completely?

If you want to do the shortest and complete Jacobean route, from its start to its finish, we recommend two that will allow you to earn the Compostela.

The Camino de Santiago Inglés

Strictly speaking, the Camino Inglés is the shortest route of the entire Camino de Santiago network. Although there are sections done in the British Isles, it has the peculiarity of being the only one that crosses a single 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 capabilities. Like the others, it offers all the goodness of Galicia, close to the Rías Altas, its cool sea, and a network of accommodations, bars, and services more than enough.

Landscape of the English Way

The Camino Inglés from A Coruña

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

• 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 having walked the remaining 26 kilometers to complete the 100 km in some section of the Camino de Santiago from your area of origin.

The Camino de Santiago Inglés from Ferrol

This other starting point of the Camino Inglés, 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 Camino Inglés from Ferrol allows you to earn the Compostela by walking with no additional requirements.

The Camino de Santiago de Finisterre and Muxía

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

The Camino de Santiago from Finisterre or Muxía

You can start this Camino from Finisterre and must pass through Muxía (or vice versa) to reach Santiago and earn the Compostela. With a total of 120 km, it is a very special route, starting on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

View from Cape Finisterre

The Camino de Santiago to Finisterre and Muxía

Called the Epilogue, this route starts from the Plaza del Obradoiro in Santiago and takes you westward to the End of the World. You can decide to reach Finisterre and earn the Finisterrana, or to Muxía and earn the Muxiana. On the Camino de Santiago to Finisterre and Muxía, you will walk about 120 km and reach that “natural cathedral” that is the vast Atlantic Ocean. Both options have the same route, though in opposite directions, so you will find plenty of 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. You have various landscapes, cultures, gastronomy, and sensations ahead of you on any of the shortest routes of the Camino de Santiago, which you can enjoy alone or with company. If you want to live a brief but intense travel experience on the Camino de Santiago, contact us, and we’ll be happy to help you organize your route. ¡Buen Camino!