Five (5) Factors to Consider When Choosing a Route on the Camino de Santiago

There are various "ways" to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. As I continue to plan my journey, the route is one of the first things I am trying to determine - that doesn’t mean that won't change as I work toward my trip or even during my trip. I remain flexible, but I will have a plan. These are things to I considered when choosing my route.

1.      Fitness/condition: It’s important to consider your personal capabilities. I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew, but also, I want this to be a challenge and whatever route I choose I expect and anticipate there will be difficulties to overcome along the way.

As you have read in my other posts, I have overcome quadruple by-pass surgery (5 years agp) and I have just recently had full hip replacement surgery, which in this first week is going very well, and the Camino is a motivating factor for healing and moving forward now that my major health issues have been addressed. But, I am mindful of that and I am leaning toward the shorter routes through Portugal and not the French way which seems longer and a little more arduous.

2.        Time available. How long can I be away without my world at home coming apart. Of course as I plan I am setting aside various weeks in my calendar for about nine months from now. Taking the number of weeks and multiply that time the km per day gives me an idea of the distance I can travel during the time (4 weeks x 6 days/week x 15 km/day = 360 km) and now I need to compare that to the list of routes below. 

See that the equation only considers walking 6 days a week as I think that I will want one day of week as a day of rest. If that works for the almighty it works for me. Also, that give me flexibility as I can walk on the 7th day if I want of I can shorten another day and walk on that 7th day. But I think its wise to figure my total distance with a day of rest in between. 

3             Time of year. The Camino gets many visitors throughout the year so it’s best to consider what time of year you will be engaging in this Journey. I prefer to stay away from crowds but many would welcome a more festive experience with more people in the mix. More people to meet and more people to make the journey easier (maybe). 

Peak Season:

July and August are the most popular months, with the Camino Frances (French Way) being particularly crowded.

Shoulder Season:

May, June, and September offer a good balance of pleasant weather and fewer crowds.

Quieter Months:

April and October are also good options, but be prepared for potentially cooler weather and the possibility of rain.

Winter:

While very quiet, winter (December-March) can be challenging due to cold temperatures, snow, and limited services. 

4  Things to see

Note that there are ways to deviate within each route. For example the Portugal Way has routes along the beach and other trails inland. So its important to consider these “sub-routes” so to speak and compare that to a “things to do” list. 

“Bucket list” - Now I don’t get to europe very often. In fact, I have never been to Europe. So there will be things I want to see and experience while I am in Portugal, Spain and/or France. But that is within reason. I am focused on my goal and the reasons for my trip and my pilgrimage. But I am making a list of things I would like to do and experience along the way. 

 

5.      Difficulty

So probably best to research the elevation gain and drop on each route. Per haps we can do more miles distance if there is less up and down. So it’s important to consider how aggressive we want to be on this journey. Again we don’t want to out do our capabilities, but we are looking forward to a challenge.