One of the most common questions when we think about doing the Camino de Santiago is how long it takes to do it and where to start from. Day to day obligations, limited vacation time and other reasons condition our calendar, and many of you wonder if it is possible to do any of the routes of the Camino de Santiago in 1 week. Well, we have good news, dear pilgrim, yes it is possible, and in addition, they allow you to get the pilgrim’s certificate, the Compostela.
In one week, pilgrimage experience and Compostela
If you only have a few days to spare, you can enjoy the pilgrimage experience by doing one of the last stages of the Camino de Santiago. With a minimum of 100 km traveled and arriving to Santiago de Compostela by any of the official pilgrimage routes, you will enjoy a unique experience. There are many and varied, all within Galicia, although only some of them will offer you more facilities when organizing your pilgrimage adventure. Do you want to know which ones they are? Keep reading, we will answer your questions about how to do the Camino de Santiago in a week.
The French Way in a week
In the city of Sarria (Lugo) begin the last 100 km of the French Way, the best route of the Camino de Santiago and the one that more pilgrims walk every year. In 2022 there were more than 132,000 pilgrims who walked from Sarria to Santiago, to give you an idea.
From Sarria to Santiago there are approximately 110 km of road, a distance that allows you to get the Compostela. With a division of 5 or 6 stages or days, you will walk an average of 20 or 25 km per day. The profile of the route is accessible to all ages and does not offer great difficulty, even if it is your first time: if this is your case and you are wondering what is the best Camino de Santiago for beginners, no doubt this is it.
On the Camino de Santiago from Sarria in 7 days you can enjoy a large number of services; bars, restaurants, souvenir stores and a wide range and types of accommodation for all budgets, both in the countryside and in the towns at the end of the stage, some as beautiful and with as much history as Portomarín and Sarria itself.
Why choose the French Way?
You will be surprised by green fields, beautiful forests, cool rivers, authentic Galician villages and maybe even some “gaiteiro” (bagpipers) to liven up your walk. If you are lucky, you will walk accompanied by herds of cows in some sections, but you might also meet some “meiga” or witch, but what is certain is that you will find a great pilgrim atmosphere.
A feeling of freedom will allow you introspection, reflection, joy and disconnection from your daily routine, which makes it the best Camino de Santiago. In addition, you will have the opportunity to taste Galician delicacies, such as the famous Melide octopus or Arzúa cheeses.
Don’t worry, you won’t get lost, it’s a perfectly signposted Camino with the typical “mojones” (that’s the name of the typical signs, not what you are thinking now!) You will also find yellow arrows and scallop shells, which will indicate that you are on the Camino de Santiago and will guide you to your goal as a pilgrim, Santiago de Compostela. This is, without a doubt, the easiest Camino de Santiago.
The Portuguese Way in one week
On the border with Portugal is the city of Tui (Pontevedra). In this city you can start the last 100 km of the Portuguese Way, the second most popular route, traveled in 2022 by more than 30,000 pilgrims.
You have 120 km ahead of you that can be completed in 6 stages. With an average of 20 to 25 km per day, it is an easy Camino de Santiago, not very demanding in terms of relief. It offers all types of accommodation suitable for all budgets, plus a host of bars, restaurants, souvenir stores and lots of pilgrim atmosphere. As you can see, in this sense it is a very similar route to the French Way from Sarria, with the advantage that you will always be very close to the sea. Who doesn’t fancy a dip on a beach in the Rías Baixas?
And what does it have to offer?
Galician gastronomy will continue to be one of the great attractions, highlighting in this case the oysters of Arcade, the peppers of Padrón and the exquisite and fresh Albariño wine. If you are lucky and do the Portuguese Way from Tui between August and September you will even be able to do a little grape harvesting with the local population.
If you have already done the last 100 km of the French Way, this route is a good option to get to know this area of Galicia, with its great heritage, such as the Cathedral of Tui and the Church of the Pilgrim Virgin in Pontevedra, as well as its beautiful estuaries. When you get to Santiago you can get your Compostela, as well as the curious Pedronía in Padrón, the Jacobean certificate that recalls the arrival of the remains of the Apostle to Galicia.
The Northern Way in one week
We also propose the last 100 km of the Camino del Norte from Vilalba (Lugo). This route was walked by more than 20,000 pilgrims in 2022, and has the advantage of not being a very busy one, which will offer you a lot of tranquility and introspection in your walk.
In the Camino del Norte in 7 days, with a profile of 6 simple stages, you will walk an average of 20 or 25 km, a total of 118 km between green Galician pastures. As for gastronomy, you will be able to taste the famous capon of Vilalba or the exquisite cheeses of the area. In addition, you will find a rich heritage, where the Monastery of Sobrado dos Monxes stands out.
In the last stages, as icing on the cake, you will meet the pilgrims of the French Way in Arzúa, and after the calm of the first stages you can enjoy the magical pilgrim atmosphere. When you arrive in Santiago, you will feel the joy of obtaining the long-awaited Compostela.
The English Way in one week
The English Way from Ferrol (A Coruña) is not yet one of the most popular routes, but beware, it is on it. It is a road that is beginning to be traveled by many pilgrims for its great attractions, and in 2022 more than 24,000 did it.
This route, originally walked by pilgrims coming from the ports of England, you will easily do it in 5 or 6 stages, a total of 114 km. Of course, the math works, and you will be able to get the Compostela.
Ferrol is a seafaring city with an impressive military heritage born in a strategic estuary. Not only this, but other beautiful Rías Altas, such as Pontedeume and Betanzos, will delight your eyes. As always in Galicia, the gastronomy will make you salivate; clams and scallops in Ferrol and, above all, the famous Betanzos omelette, if you like it with undercooked egg.
For bicycle lovers
If pedaling is your thing, in one week you can also do the Camino de Santiago with your bicycle, which allows you to do at least twice as many kilometers per day as a pilgrim on foot. You can get the Compostela in one week, doing a minimum of 200 km on your two-wheeled companion.
We suggest the French Way of St. James from León, with 310 km in 6 stages. This section will offer you several types of landscapes: the Castilian plains, the green mountains of León, the vineyards of El Bierzo and, after the mythical ascent to O Cebreiro, the border of León with Galicia, all the good things that this region has to offer.
We can also highlight the Portuguese Way from Oporto, which offers two official variants and that allow to obtain the Compostela; by the interior, with 250 km, and by the Atlantic coast, with 255 km. In these routes of the Camino de Santiago in 5 days you will enjoy the Portuguese and Galician culture, heritage and gastronomy. In addition, you will cross mythical rivers such as the Douro and the Minho and enjoy the company of the Atlantic Ocean always on your left.
If you have a week off and you don’t know what to do…
Doing the Camino de Santiago in a week is possible, don’t make excuses. Moreover, if you have more time and want to enjoy it and squeeze it even more, we can customize the experience and even organize the Camino de Santiago in 7 stages or more.
So now you know, in this post we offer you many options and starting points to do the stages of the Camino de Santiago in 7 days, from Sarria, Tui or any starting point you want. Enjoying the Camino de Santiago is easy, more than you can imagine, and we encourage you to do it in 1 week, a few days of your life that you will never forget.
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