Dr. Florence

I first learned about Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James) through the movie, “The Way”. I watched that movie about ten years ago and have wanted to walk the Camino ever since.

Camino de Santiago is a network of routes to visit the Cathedral where the body of Apostle James was buried. There are so many routes across Europe. However, the most famous ones are the French Way and the Portuguese Way.

By map of Mr Manfred Zentgraf, Volkach, Germany – Manfred Zentgraf, Volkach, Germany, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1377930

Before you start your walk, you must visit the pilgrim office or Cathedrals in the city of your starting point to obtain your pilgrim credentials. Credentials are these booklets (pictured below) that you will use to collect stamps.

So, during their walk, pilgrims will collect stamps from restaurants, cafes, alburgues, churches, or other businesses. You must collect at least 2 stamps daily for the last 100 km to obtain your Compostela in Santiago.

So how do you determine which route is best for you? There is no right answer because everyone is different and your Camino is yours to personalize. I suggest answering these questions to help determine what route is best for you.

1. Why do you want to walk the Camino? Is it for spiritual reasons, leisure, or fitness? I am walking for spiritual reasons so I prefer a quiet route conducive to walking alone during the day. I also love water and find the sounds of water to be therapeutic and relaxing, so I was drawn to the Senda Litoral route of the Camino Portugues, walking next to the Atlantic Ocean.
2. When do you want to walk the Camino and how much time do you have? I have 25 days in May so I know I have to finish the Camino in 20 days or less because the 5 days are travel allowance to and from the country as well as possible rest days.
3. Where do you want to start and end your Camino? I want to start at the beginning of the trail so the longer routes are not good options for me. Many people start the last 100 km of the Camino, so 100 km from Santiago de Compostela. I want to walk the whole route so I chose the 280 km Camino Portuguese route. I also looked at the best possible and affordable flight options and flying from Chicago to Madrid was the best deal for me. I used Iberia Airlines and I flew from Chicago to Madrid, Madrid to Porto using points and my tax was paid for by my credit card. So technically, my flight was completely free.
4. Who do you want to walk with? Do you want to walk alone? You never really walk alone on the Camino. You will meet friends that you connect with, however, you may need moments of solitude and that is okay too. People are very understanding when you say, “You can go ahead… I am a slow walker.”
5. How do you want to do your Camino? I saw several pilgrims biking along the Camino. Another option is to have your backpack transported by a travel company so you only have to bring a small daypack. Many pilgrims choose to stay in Municipal Albergues because they are often free, by donations, or at minimal costs 8-12 euros/night/bed. I did a mix of both private and municipal alburgues. I needed to have a good night’s sleep now and then.

At the end of the day, your Camino is yours… pray about it. God will direct your steps.