The Camino de Santiago is an experience that, if you’ve tried it once, you’ll surely remember with a smile. It’s also addictive, almost like a well-made TV series or movie. As if that weren’t enough, many pilgrims miss it, and there are plenty who repeat it every year and discover new Jacobean routes. If you’re feeling nostalgic for the Camino, as we Galicians say, we have the solution: the most comprehensive list of the best Camino movies. Get your popcorn ready, get comfortable on the couch, and don’t forget your cozy blanket and favorite drink because the show is about to begin. We promise not to give any spoilers, okay?

The Way, one of the best films based on the Camino de Santiago.

The Way, one of the best films based on the Camino de Santiago.

Looking For Infinity: El Camino (Aaron C. Leaman, 2017)

This documentary film offers an intimate view of the Jacobean pilgrim. The film showcases the experiences and words of real pilgrims who, by distancing themselves from modern life, seek purpose in their lives. Developed along the French Way from Saint-Jean-a-Pied-de-Port, the film presents fascinating moments of reflection on fundamental human questions. This is a journey where introspection, self-discovery, and personal reflection reveal the transformative and spiritual effects of walking the Camino.

 

I’ll Push You (Chris Karcher and Terry Parish, 2017)

Three words and a lot of love and friendship are at the heart of this film: “I’ll push you”. This production offers a close and personal look at the lifelong friendship between Justin Skeesuck and Patrick Gray. We had the opportunity to meet them in person and discuss this touching documentary, which explores the unbreakable bond between Justin and Patrick. The story began when Justin, who suffers from a condition that confines him to a wheelchair, watched a documentary about the Camino de Santiago in Spain. It inspired him to the point where he wondered if he could do the Camino in a wheelchair, obviously with assistance. When he mentioned it to Patrick, he responded with those three words, and they decided to traverse the entire French route, facing unique physical and emotional challenges. The film provides an intimate look at this epic journey, highlighting human solidarity and vulnerability.

 

Footprints (Juan Manuel Cotelo, 2016)

This documentary film tells the story of Don Sergio, a priest in Arizona who gathers ten young men to walk the Camino. Their goal is to embark on a pilgrimage of nearly a thousand kilometers from San Sebastián to Santiago de Compostela, following the Northern Way. The film recounts this real journey that took place in 2014, focusing on the religious dimension of the Camino de Santiago. Along the way, the young men experience suffering and fatigue, but it is accompanied by a sense of triumph and joy. In this case, their reasons for walking the Camino are religious, and what drives them is an encounter with God.

 

Die Pilgerin (Philipp Kadelbach, 2014)

In this case, we have a film consisting of two episodes. In the 14th century, Tilla Willinger seeks revenge after her brother Otfried murders their father and conspires to steal his inheritance. After escaping from a forced marriage, Tilla sets off for Santiago de Compostela with her father’s heart, his last and sacred will. Along her journey, she disguises herself as a man and joins a group of pilgrims. On the way, she must not only battle fatigue but also confront her brother and the illegitimate son of her betrothed who pursues her.

 

Walking The Camino: Six Ways To Santiago (Lydia B. Smith, 2013)

This production follows six pilgrims, both young and elderly, who walk the Camino de Santiago. With a backpack, a pair of boots, and an open mind, they are driven by an inexplicable calling and a strong sense of adventure. Each pilgrim wholeheartedly dedicates themselves to their journey to Santiago de Compostela and their personal adventure within. Regardless of their motivation, no one can predict the challenges they will face on their individual paths. A brilliant documentary, often awarded and highly successful in screenings worldwide.

 

O Apóstolo (Fernando Cortizo, 2012)

A recently escaped prisoner attempts to recover the loot he hid years ago in a remote and solitary village. However, what he finds there is a sentence worse than prison. Sinister characters, mysterious disappearances, an eccentric priest, and even the archpriest of Santiago himself are featured in an animated story with elements of horror, humor, and fantasy. This production features the famous voices of Luis Tosar, Geraldine Chaplin, Manuel Manquiña, Jorge Sanz, and Paul Naschy, among others.

 

Onde Está A Felicidade? (Carlos Alberto Riccelli, 2011)

This comedy tells the story of Teodora, who suddenly finds herself unemployed and without her husband. What do you do when the future is a blank page? Accompanied by her friend Zeca and the Spanish woman Milena, Teodora embarks on the most important journey of her life, a trip along the Camino de Santiago. Challenges, choices, and discoveries await her in a story filled with humor, delicacy, and sincerity.

 

La Sinapsis Del Códice (Pablo Iglesias, 2010)

This film follows the adventure of a student who walks the Camino de Santiago to discover who the first female pilgrim in history was. Ana, a film student, becomes fascinated by the story of Gildeberta de Flandes. Therefore, she decides to trace the possible route of this mysterious pilgrim to Santiago with a camera. The film begins in Paris and captures the beauty of the French Way to Santiago de Compostela.

 

The Way (Emilio Estévez, 2010)

This drama is undoubtedly one of the best Camino movies. Tom Avery, a widowed and renowned ophthalmologist, receives the news that his son Daniel has died in the Pyrenees during a storm. Tom, devastated, travels to France and, upon learning that his son was walking the French Way, decides to complete the route in his son’s honor. He not only reaches Santiago but also continues on to the Finisterre and Muxía Way. This film, starring Martin Sheen, as well as the literary works of Paulo Coelho, have been significant promoters of the Jacobean routes.

 

Al Final Del Camino (Roberto Santiago, 2009)

Nacho is a photographer, and Pilar is a journalist. They hate each other. However, they have to pretend to be a couple to do a report on Olmo, a guru who specializes in resolving relationship crises by walking the Camino de Santiago. During a six-day journey through Galicia, they find themselves in all sorts of absurd, delirious, and romantic situations. As the saying goes, anything can happen on the way to the end of the Camino.

 

St. Jacques… La Mecque (Coline Serreau, 2005)

Upon their mother’s death, three brothers discover that they will only inherit her estate if they make a pilgrimage from Le Puy-en-Velay in France to Santiago de Compostela. The problem is that they hate each other and hate walking, but their desire for the money prevails, and they finally set off. They meet their guide in Le Puy-en-Velay, where they discover that they will be walking the Camino in a group with six other people. The journey to Santiago is long, and through splendid landscapes, we witness the mishaps, quarrels, romances, fantasies, and experiences of these nine characters.

 

Tres En El Camino (Laurence Boulting, 2004)

At the dawn of the new millennium, a Dutch social worker, a famous Japanese poetess, and a Brazilian girl completed the Camino de Santiago. Upon returning to their countries, they look back on the memories of their pilgrimage, a journey inward. This film straddles the line between pure documentary and fiction. The director spent four years traveling along the Jacobean route and met three real pilgrims. None of them were professional actors, but Laurence chose them to star in the film. Actor and director Richard Attenborough provides the original narration.

 

La Vía Láctea (Luis Buñuel, 1969)

This is simply an intriguing addition to Jacobean cinema by a master, Luis Buñuel. Two French wanderers decide to pilgrimage to Santiago from the outskirts of Paris. Along their adventure, they encounter numerous characters and experience situations closely tied to religious beliefs. Liberated from time and space, they encounter a series of characters that illustrate the main heresies of humanity.

 

Enjoy the Camino, a cinematic experience

If you haven’t walked the Camino yet, these best Camino movies and documentaries will inspire you and allow you to get to know it. However, until you experience it yourself, you won’t truly understand what the characters in these best Camino movies feel. And if you’ve already walked it but miss it, here are 12 + 1 great Sunday plans until you return to the Camino. Because, just like these best Camino movies, the Jacobean routes are addictive. To be continued!