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Slow walking the Camino de Santiago is a once in a lifetime adventure, and in this Camino Frances Guide we explain exactly how we did it!
If you’re feeling the call to walk the Camino you’re in the right place! In this complete Camino Frances Guide I’ll share how to slow walk the Camino de Santiago, the cost of walking the Camino, the Camino Frances stages reimagined for a slow walk, and the best albergues on the Camino Frances (albergues are the dorms where people walking the Camino can sleep each night).
I’ll also cover some of the most important gear, including the best walking shoes for the Camino! AND I’ve even included a free, downloadable Camino Frances packing list!
What is the Camino Frances (the French Way)?
The Camino de Santiago is a 500 mile historic walk across the country of Spain. The Camino is best known as a Catholic pilgrimage, but, interestingly, as I researched the Camino I learned that the walk pre-dated Christianity by hundreds, maybe even thousands of years!
The Camino Frances is the original, and most popular Camino de Santiago route, and it is the route we will be sharing about in this guide.
Why slow walking the Camino is a great choice
The Camino Frances meanders through incredible historic towns, passes through some of the most popular food and wine areas in Spain, and is dotted with castles, museums, cathedrals, and more! There is SO much to experience on the Camino, and taking it slow will allow you to visit all the sites you want to see.
The “typical” Camino Frances itinerary takes 35 days to complete, and does not include any rest days. When I looked at that itinerary I immediately knew I would want to take much longer than 35 days to complete the Camino.
I also knew that I wanted to walk all the way to the ocean of Spain, which is where the Camino used to end in pre-Christian times. This adds about 50 miles of walking to the end of the route.
When it was all said and done, Tom and I walked the Camino Frances all the way to the ocean, and then down the Spanish coast for another 20 miles. It took us 47 days, and we documented our experience with daily videos. (If you’d like to watch a full length documentary of our Camino experience you can click here)!
I’m so very grateful that we chose to take our time on the Camino, because we had SO much fun visiting castles, museums, and literally stopping to smell the flowers as we walked.
Cost of Walking the Camino Frances
One of our biggest questions before we began walking the Camino was how much it was going to cost?!! Tom walked the Camino Frances back in 2016, and things have changed a LOT since then. So I kept pretty close track of our expenses in order to give you a good idea of costs on the Camino Frances nowadays.
I would plan to spend 50-60 euros per day per person on your slow Camino. Keep in mind this number does not include air travel to and from the Camino, which can vary widely depending on when you buy your tickets.
Camino de Santiago Accomodation Cost
Most pilgrims (people walking the Camino) stay in albergues along the way. Much like hostels, albergues have dorm rooms with bunk beds, communal bathroom facilities, and depending on the albergue they may also offer a communal kitchen, laundry facilities, and even a few private rooms.
A bed in a dorm room in an albergue usually costs 10-15 Euros, and often that will include a very light breakfast of coffee and bread.
Private rooms, if offered, are usually around 40 euros, and usually include a double bed or two twin beds.
There are also plenty of hotels along the Camino, and those vary widely in price. We occasionally booked hotel rooms for our rest days, and we usually payed 50-60 euros per night for those.
Camino de Santiago Food Costs
The cost of food on the Camino Frances will depend on how often you choose to eat in a restaurant and how often you choose to buy your own food from the grocery store.
On the Camino Frances you will always be able to find a “pilgrim menu”. This is generally a 3 course meal that includes bread, wine, soup or salad, a main entree, and a dessert. The main entree is often meat-based with some sort of carbs on the side.
A pilgrim menu usually costs 10-15 Euros and the quality of these varies dramatically. Some are excellent and filling, while others are very mediocre. I recommend reading reviews of the food as often as possible, and making decisions about whether to eat a pilgrim menu or cook your own food based on those reviews.
Tom and I ate pilgrim menus every evening on our Camino, and while they were mostly very good, there were several nights I would have preferred to purchase my own food at a grocery store instead.
Groceries are reasonably priced in larger towns and cities along the Camino. However, in very small towns you may find grocery prices are high enough to make the pilgrim menu a better value.
In general, if you are buying your own food at the grocery store, you can feed yourself for the entire day for 10-15 euros.
Another place where you will likely purchase food is at bars in the morning. In Spain bars open early to serve coffee and a traditional dish known as tortilla de papa. This is a baked egg and potato pie that is filling and delicious! You can purchase a cafe con leche (coffee with milk) and a tortilla de papa for 3-5 euros.
You may also want to enjoy a beer or a glass of wine at the end of your walk each day, and you can expect to pay 2-4 euros for that.
Most days Tom and I spent 3-5 euros each on a coffee/tortilla, bought some trail snacks for 3-5 euros each, had a glass of wine or beer for 2-4 euros each, and then ate a pilgrim’s menu for 10-15 euros. So our typical food cost per day was 18-29 euros per person per day.
Miscellaneous Camino de Santiago Costs
The good news is that you won’t be spending money on much other than accommodations and food on the Camino Frances! There are, however, a few miscellaneous expenses you may want to budget for.
Possible miscellaneous expenses include: toiletries, museum/cathedral admissions (there is usually an inexpensive “pilgrim rate” for these), gear purchase or replacement as needed.
These expenses won’t come up daily, but they will come up! So it’s good to work a small cushion into your budget for these things. If you’re slow walking the Camino you will definitely want to visit some of the incredible museums and cathedrals along the way! You may also want to splurge on a restaurant meal or tapas crawl, so budgeting 60 euros per day per person will allow for those expenses.
FINAL BREAKDOWN:
Accommodation (per person per day): 15 Euros
Food (pp pd): 29 Euros
Miscellaneous (pp pd): 5-16 Euros
TOTAL DAILY COST PER PERSON PER DAY: 50-60 Euros
The Camino Frances Stages Re-imagined for a Slow Walk!
The traditional itinerary for the Camino de Santiago Frances Route is described in “stages”. Each stage is 1 day of walking, and the traditional stages are very physically challenging.
On Tom’s first Camino he followed the traditional stages pretty closely and had a wonderful experience! AND, when we were planning our Camino together he mentioned repeatedly that he wished he had taken much more time to slow down and experience the many sites along the way.
Something that I noticed about Tom’s first Camino (from a distance because I wasn’t there with him) was that he experienced a lot more physical pain, and a couple injuries when he followed the traditional stages.
All of this led us to plan a MUCH longer Camino than the traditional stages call for!
Below I will share our exact itinerary walking the Camino Frances in 47 days (which included the walk from Santiago to Muxia on the Spanish coast, and then the walk down the coast to Finisterre), and each day I share our Camino de Santiago albergue recommendations!
If you’d like to see videos of each of these days you can watch our Camino Documentary on Youtube!
Important Note: We did not pre-plan this itinerary! We only planned our first 2 nights, and then as we walked we planned a couple days ahead. You COULD follow this itinerary if you’d like, but I think the Camino will be far more magical if you use this as a loose guide, and plan your own walk as you go.
Day 1: St Jean Pied de Port to Refuge Orisson (8km)
We began our Camino with what I considered a “warm-up” day. The walk to Orisson is short but extremely steep. Since it was our first day on the Camino we were still getting used to our backpacks, stopping frequently to make small adjustments for comfort, and it was a very cold and rainy day.
When we arrived at Orisson I was SO grateful that we had reserved beds there several months earlier, because it was not going to be possible to walk up and get a bed, AND Orisson was gorgeous!
We sat in the common area drinking hot tea and making a plan for our next few days.
NOTE: The Camino has gotten much more popular in recent years, and I would recommend that you pre-book your beds up to Pamplona. After Pamplona there are enough accommodations that you can pre-book as you walk, or even just show up in a town without reservations.
Day 2: Refuge Orisson to Burguete (19km)
This was a very long and tiring day for me, and I was glad that we stopped at Orisson rather than trying to go straight from SJPDP to Burguete.
The day begins with a LONG uphill climb into the Pyrenees Mountains, and then the second half of the day is a long, steep descent down to Roncesvalles.
Most pilgrims stop at Roncesvalles for the night, which is just a 15km walk from Orisson. We chose to walk on to Burguete because when we arrived at Roncesvalles the check-in was overrun with pilgrims, and they were not sure if there were going to be enough beds for everyone.
Since we had not pre-booked beds we decided we’d head on to Burguete, and we were so glad we did because later that day many pilgrims arrived in Burguete saying Roncesvalles had to turn lots of pilgrims away.
We stayed at a private albergue called Lorentx Aterpea and it was very clean and comfortable!
Day 3: Burguete to Larrasoaña (25km)
This was one of the hardest days on the whole Camino for me personally. When we started walking out of Burguete I was already so sore and tired from the day before, and the last half of this walk includes a lonnnnng, steep descent over an uneven, rocky trail.
By the time we reached Zubiri (where most pilgrims stop for the night) I was absolutely exhausted and barely able to think straight. We stopped for a sandwich and lemonade in Zubiri, which gave me just enough energy to face the last few kilometers to Larrasoaña.
Note: After this tough day I realized I was NOT eating enough to fuel this much exercise. After this day I began carrying a variety of high-fat, high-sugar snacks to keep my energy up as I walked!
Larrasoaña was a GORGEOUS town! We stayed at Albergue San Nicholas where we had one of our favorite pilgrim meals of the whole Camino.
Day 4: Larrasoaña to Pamplona (16.5km)
The first half of this day was a beautiful walk through the countryside. However, once we reached the outskirts of Pamplona we found ourselves walking a long way on concrete sidewalks that were really hard on our feet and knees.
We stayed in a hotel in Pamplona instead of an albergue so we could have some privacy, and because we wanted to take our first rest day and explore Pamplona!
Note: It would have been better if we’d pre-booked our stay in Pamplona. Most hotels were fully booked, so we had to take a room that was a long walk from the city center.
Day 5: Rest Day in Pamplona
On our first rest day we had a lot we wanted to accomplish! After our first few days of walking we realized that we needed to remove some items from our packs and ship them ahead to Santiago where we would pick them up (Casa Ivar has offered this service for many years, and we highly recommend them).
After visiting the post office we explored the fortress in the center of Pamplona, walked around the city’s historic center, and ate some delicious tapas!
We met some of our new pilgrim friends for dinner in the city center, and went to bed early so we would be well rested to begin walking again!
Day 6: Pamplona to Puente La Reina (23km)
The walk out of Pamplona, much like the walk in, involved a lot of roadside walking. Once we were out of town, though, the walk became very pretty, passing through rolling hills.
In Puente la Reina we stayed at our first parochial albergue. Parochial albergues are run by the Catholic church. They tend to cost less, have LOTS of beds, and the facilities vary widely.
Albergue de los Padres Reparadores had a large common area both inside and outside, and it was close to many food and shopping options in town.
Puente la Reina was a gorgeous medieval town with beautiful architecture, and I’m glad we stopped there for the night.
Day 7: Puente la Reina to Estella (21km)
There is a steep (and lovely) climb after leaving Puente la Reina, and this day was a pleasant, pretty walk.
In Estella we stayed in a private albergue, Alda Estella Hostel, which was clean and right in the center of town. The facilities in this albergue were very nice, I’d recommend it.
Day 8: Estella to Los Arcos (22km)
We walked through a few small and beautiful towns.
In Los Arcos we stayed at Albergue de la Fuente- Casa de Austria. This albergue had great reviews, and we could immediately see why- they really knew what pilgrims need at the end of the day!
You could sign up for a short massage here, and this was the first albergue where we experienced a cold water pool to put your feet in! Tom and I sipped cold beers while we soaked our sore feet in icy water, and it was absolutely heavenly.
I did make a note, however, that the breakfast here was not worth the price (you could purchase it as an add-on when we were there).
Day 9: Los Arcos to Logroño (28km)
This was a LONG day, and when we walk the Camino again I will try to break this day into 2. Not only was the milage high this day, the final portion of the walk was on hard sidewalks along a busy road, and by the time we reached the hotel we’d reserved we were in rough shape. This was also the day that Tom’s shin first began bothering him!
Logroño is a wine/food lover’s paradise! It’s located in the famous La Rioja wine region, and there is an alleyway of tapas bars where you’ll receive a delicious tapas with every glass of wine you purchase.
We took a rest day in Logroño and both nights there we went on tapas crawls! The wine and food were incredible!!
Day 10: Rest Day in Logroño
We spent most of this rest day resting because we were so beat up from the previous day’s walk. After putting our feet up most of the day we did get out for a long tapas crawl with many of our new pilgrim friends.
Be sure to try the churros and chocolate in Logroño! It’s a cup of thick, melted chocolate that you dip hot fried churros in, yummmmmm!!!
Day 11: Logroño to Ventosa (19km)
This was the first day that we broke off more completely from the typical Camino stages, and really began to slow down. Most pilgrims continued on to Najera here.
The walk to Ventosa was beautiful, and after taking the turn to Ventosa (it’s about 1km off the main Camino) we found ourselves on the “Ruta de Arte”, where many artists had installed art installations along the walking path!
Ventosa is a beautiful village with a few cafes, a very nice albergue (Albergue San Saturnino), and a meadery where we were lucky enough to get a private tour! This was some of the best mead we’ve ever had.
Day 12: Ventosa to Azofra (16km)
We stayed in the municipal albergue in Azofra, and I highly recommend it! All the rooms are double rooms, which meant Tom and I got our own private room (a rare treat for us)!
The facilities in this municipal were very good, with a large kitchen, large common area, and a big foot pool where pilgrims can soak their sore feet in clean, ice-cold water.
If you are leaving early in the morning from Azorfa there will not be any bars or shops open, and it’s a long walk to the next town. This resulted in us going without our morning coffee, which was rough, so plan accordingly if you require coffee like we do!
Day 13: Azofra to Grañon (18km)
It was a beautiful walk from Azofra to Grañon. In Grañon we had a very unique experience staying in the Hospital de Peregrinos de San Juan Batista, a donation-based albergue inside an old church.
Here pilgrims stay in the church tower, eat a large communal meal that is cooked communally, and attend a special ceremony for pilgrims. We appreciated the experience very much.
Be aware that you will be expected to help with the communal meal, and you will be expected to attend the pilgrim ceremony if you want to stay here. Additionally, since this is a donativo, the quantity of food per person is quite small so you may want to supplement with snacks.
Day 14: Grañon to Tosantos (20km)
Many people stop in Belorado, just before Tosantos, or in Villambistia, just beyond. We stopped in Tosantos due to a highly rated albergue/bar there called Los Arancones Albergue & Bar.
Sadly, at the time of writing this article, Los Arancones appears to have closed, so you may want to continue on 2 more kilometers to Villambistia.
Day 15: Tosantos to Burgos (46 km by bus)
This was the one section of the Camino that we skipped, simply because Tom had a bad shin splint that required medical attention. We hopped a bus in Tosantos that took us into Burgos, where we got medicine for Tom’s shin and took a couple days to rest.
Many Camino guides recommend that you take a bus into Burgos from the previous town (Castañares) due to the uncomfortable road walking required to reach the center of Burgos. On our bus ride in we were grateful not to be walking that last stretch into Burgos!
Day 16: Burgos to Hornillos del Camino (20km)
Hornillos del Camino is a very popular stopping point, and becomes a bit of a bottleneck point after Burgos. For this reason I recommend you call to book your bed here the day before you arrive, or at least in the morning when you start walking towards Hornillos.
We stayed at an albergue called Hornillos Meeting Point, and we really enjoyed it. The pilgrim dinner was a delicious home-made chicken paella, and serving sizes were large. The albergue itself is clean and very well maintained.
Day 17: Hornillos del Camino to Castrojeriz (20km)
On the way to Castrojeriz you’ll pass by the ruins of the monastery of San Anton. This is a fascinating place to look around, and a small donativo albergue is still available here. Keep in mind there is no power in this albergue, and it is extremely primitive. Looks like a very cool experience to stay there!
We stopped for lunch at the ruins, and then continued the gorgeous walk to Castrojeriz, where we booked a hotel room for 2 nights so we could take a rest day.
Castrojeriz was one of my absolute favorite towns on the Camino. The ruins of an ancient fortress tower over the town on a tall hill. We took a rest day here so we could climb up to the fortress and explore.
Walking around Castrojeriz feels like going back in time, and the town seems to be a bit of an artists enclave as well. We discovered several art installations and galleries as we explored the town.
Day 18: Castrojeriz to Boadilla del Camino (19km)
We stayed at the Albergue en El Camino, which is also a hotel and restaurant. The pilgrim dinner here was very good, and we appreciated the chance to chat with lots of fellow pilgrims.
The albergue itself is clean, well maintained, and has beautiful outdoor seating areas along with a pool.
Day 19: Boadilla del Camino to Villalcazar de Sirga (18km)
This is one day I will change when we walk the Camino again. Villalcazar de Sirga did not have many facilities, and I was not very impressed with the Don Camino Albergue, where we stayed. The dinner at Don Camino was sufficient, but nothing special, and really the only option in town. Everything in the albergue felt overpriced.
The next time we walk the Camino we will walk the extra 6km to Carrion de los Condes, where there are many facilities, and the albergue there has high reviews.
Day 20: Villalcazar de Sirga to Calzadilla de la Cueza (23km)
We stayed in Albergue Camino Real and although this albergue gets very good reviews, we were not very impressed with it.
Since Tom is a retired firefighter we tend to notice fire hazards, and this albergue felt unsafe. They have crammed far too many bunk beds into two rooms with just one tiny staircase exit. The hospitalero was friendly, and we would have enjoyed our stay if there were about a third less beds in the dorm rooms.
This is another place where we will shift our itinerary when we walk the Camino again. Instead of stopping in Calzadilla we will continue on to Ledigos and try one of the albergues there.
Day 21: Calzadilla de la Cueza to Sahagun (23km)
It is worth stopping in Sahagun just to experience the Albergue de la Santa Cruz. Housed within a beautiful monastery, the volunteers here meet you with a welcome drink when you arrive and explain what to expect during your stay.
There is a lovely pigrims mass followed by a communal dinner here every evening, and the private rooms are very affordable. We really enjoyed our stay at this lovely albergue!
Day 22: Sahagun to El Burgo Ranero (17km)
There is a municipal albergue in El Burgo Ranero that receives great reviews, but cannot be reserved ahead of time. We wanted to be sure to get a bed, so we left Sahagun very early, and arrived in El Burgo Ranero in the early afternoon.
There was a small line for the municipal albergue (Albergue de Peregrinos Domenico Laffi) when we arrived, but by nighttime the albergue still had a few open beds.
This albergue had a lot of character, and the hospitalero was very friendly and helpful. The roof of the albergue is thatched with straw and huge exposed wooden beams, which we found really interesting. There is also a wood stove for cold nights if you are visiting in fall or winter.
Day 23: El Burgo Ranero to Mansilla de las Mulas (19km)
We took our time on this walk, because it was a very pleasant tree-lined path.
In Mansilla de las Mulas we stayed in Albergue Gaia, which is well-reviewed and usually full. If you’d like to stay there I’d recommend reserving at least a day ahead. The albergue was clean, comfortable, and they offered a nice breakfast in the morning.
Day 24: Mansilla de las Mulas to Leon (19km)
There was some roadside walking on this day, and it was important to follow the yellow camino arrows carefully in order to avoid some of the road walking.
We were excited to arrive in Leon and do some sightseeing! Leon is home to some beautiful cathedrals and museums, and it’s a very walkable city.
Day 25: Rest Day in Leon
We rented a private room in Hostal Residencia Alvarez for our 2 night stay in Leon, and I highly recommend this hotel! The owner is so friendly and helpful. He gave us maps with recommended restaurants to try, and was happy to point us in the direction of anything we needed.
We spent most of this rest day wandering around Leon, eating delicious food, and visiting museums. Be sure to see the Catedral de Santa Maria and the Casa de los Botines. The latter was designed by Gaudi!
Day 26: Leon to Villar de Mazarife (18km)
The Camino splits just after Le Virgen del Camino, and we chose to take the scenic route. In general, we recommend taking the scenic route whenever possible on the Camino!
We stayed at Albergue Casa de Jesus in Villar de Mazarife, and we would recommend it. This albergue offers a decent pilgrim’s meal, as well as a bar that is frequented by pilgrims AND locals. There are also a few nice common areas to sit and relax with a glass of wine.
Day 27: Villar de Mazarife to Santibañez de Valdeiglesias (19km)
If you’d like to take the scenic route on this day, you will turn towards Villares de Orbigo after passing through Hospital de Orbigo. We almost always choose the scenic route and, once again, would recommend it!
In Santibañez we stayed at a lovely little albergue called Albergue Camino Frances Pura Vida. This albergue was clean, comfortable, and offered a very good pilgrim’s menu in the bar/restaurant. We enjoyed chatting with the woman running the albergue, and would definitely stay here again on a future Camino!
Day 28: Santibañez to Astorga (12km)
We chose to walk a shorter distance this day, because we wanted to give ourselves time to explore Astorga without taking a full rest day.
On the walk to Astorga we came across a beautiful place called La Casa de los Dioses, a sort of rest stop for weary pilgrims. There were assorted snacks and drinks available by donation, lovely little sitting areas, a labyrinth, and plenty of flowers. We stopped here for about a half hour.
Once we reached Astorga we visited the Cathedral, and the Palacio Gaudi Astorga (designed by Gaudi!).
We stayed at Abergue de Peregrinos, the municipal albergue. This albergue was not fancy, but it was housed in a very old, stone building with windows opening onto the cobblestone streets below.
One thing to note- there are VERY few outlets in this albergue, and we had to use an extension cord to plug in Tom’s CPAP breathing machine, so if electricity is essential to you, keep that in mind.
Day 29: Astorga to Rabanal del Camino (20km)
Once you leave Astorga you are officially done with the Meseta and heading into the final third of the Camino Frances! You will quickly begin to notice the elevation gain as you enter forested, hilly terrain.
We chose to stop in Rabanal del Camino because it is home to a nightly service where monks sing ancient chants in the local church. This was an experience worth having, and I’d recommend it.
We stayed at Albergue La Senda, and while it was certainly clean and well kept, it also felt crowded, and the hospitalero seemed extremely overwhelmed, making it difficult to ask questions.
On a future Camino we would instead choose to stay in the Refugio Guacelmo, a donativo albergue run by monks. We heard wonderful things about it, and it was very close to the church where the monks sing each night.
Day 30: Rabanal del Camino to Riego de Ambros (20km)
Today we passed by the Cruz de Ferro, a famous, ancient, and siginificant point on the Camino. The tall iron cross here has been a stopping point for pilgrims throughout history. It is traditional to leave a stone that you brought from home here at the cross.
I was surprised by the emotional effect this day had on me. Cruz de Ferro truly felt like a place where I left my old, pre-Camino self behind. We spent some time sitting in the field near the cross, reflecting on our Camino up until that point.
We stayed at Albergue de Riego de Ambros and would recommend it. Each bunk bed is in a walled off area, allowing for a lot more privacy than most albergues. Also, the albergue is in a beautiful, old Spanish home. The pilgrim dinner was good, and one of the more social pilgrim dinners we’d encountered.
Day 31: Riego de Ambros to Ponferrada (12km)
The walk into Ponferrada involves a lot of roadside walking, which tends to be much harder on the body than trail walking. Because of this, we were grateful that we only had 12km to walk!
We also planned a shorter walk on this day so that we could take our time exploring the Knights Templar Castle (Castillo de los Templarios). The castle is huge, and there are many interesting museum exhibits inside.
We rented a private room in Ponferrada at Hotel El Castillo, which is located just across the street from the Knights Templar Castle. This hotel also has a restaurant with very good food.
Day 32: Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo (25km)
Villafranca is a lovely town with mountain views and cobblestone streets. A small river runs through town, and we found a spot where we could put our sore feet in the icy river water. Soaking your feet in cold water is one of the most heavenly experiences on the Camino!
We stayed at Ablbergue El Castillo, a highly rated albergue that was just lovely. The albergue was clean, comfortable, and had a beautiful garden area where we sat in the sun.
Day 33: Villafranca del Bierzo to Las Herrerias via scenic alternate (22km)
Very few people choose to take the alternate, scenic route to Pradela, because this scenic route involves a big, steep climb that can be avoided by taking the main Camino route.
With that said, we chose to take the scenic route and it was gorgeous! Yes, the climb was tiring, but at the top of the mountain, in the small town of Pradela, we discovered an albergue/restaurant with absolutely delicious chestnut bread and chestnut liquor.
On a future Camino we would like to stay at Albergue Lamas in Pradela.
In Las Herrerias we stayed at Albergue las Herrerias, which was clean and included breakfast in the morning. This albergue is highly rated, but we were not overly impressed by the service or the facilities. If you are a vegetarian, however, you may want to stay here in order to enjoy the vegetarian pilgrim’s meal they offer each night.
One thing to note: The only sinks in this albergue were shallow bathroom sinks, which made it difficult to fill water bottles.
Day 33: Las Herrerias to Filloval (25km)
This was a big day of walking! As you leave Las Herrerias you will immediately begin the biggest ascent of the Camino Frances up to O Cebreiro. However, if you started your Camino in St Jean don’t worry- you will be in such amazing shape by this point that this climb feels much easier than smaller hills you encountered at the beginning of the Camino.
We stopped in Filloval, one of the teeny tiny towns in the hills. However, it appears that the albergue in Filloval is no longer operating.
Day 34: Filloval to Sarria (22km)
Enjoy this day of walking, because once you reach Sarria the Camino changes dramatically, and becomes MUCH more crowded and touristy.
We stayed at Albergue Barillo in Sarria, and while it was clean with nice facilities, I wouldn’t recommend it. It seems like an albergue that is used primarily for large tourist groups traveling together, and so it felt like a big, empty warehouse when we stayed there.
We did eat a FABULOUS meal in Sarria at Restaurante O Chanto. The menu in this restaurant was delicious, with king prawns and iberico pork.
Day 35: Sarria to Portomarin (22km)
This day felt like quite a shock as we began to experience the last 100km of the Camino. This final stretch to Santiago is suddenly full of tour groups, school groups, and just SO many new pilgrims.
In order to receive an official Compestela from the Catholic Church (the certificate showing you walked the Camino) you must walk at least 100km, which is why the population explodes on the last 100km of the Camino.
We stayed in Albergue Pasiño and enjoyed it. This albergue is in the middle of town and very close to restaurants. Portomarin is a cute town that is fun to explore.
Day 36: Portomarin to Palas de Rei (25km)
The Camino goes through some very nice forested areas on this day, and we really enjoyed our walk.
Palas de Rei is a busy town with many restaurants and shops. The Camino crowd really concentrates in this crowd, so be prepared for a loud, boisterous atmosphere!
We stayed at Albergue Castro, which we really liked. There’s a good restaurant on the ground floor, the droms have nice, big lockers, and the beds have privacy curtains.
It was here at Albergue Castro that we had our first experience with Camino “partiers”, tourists who walk only this last stretch of the Camino, and who stay up late partying each night. A group of partiers came into our albergue very loudly, very late at night.
After this experience we decided to be more careful about our stopping points on the way to Sarria, and we chose to stay strictly off-stage.
Day 37: Palas de Rei to Boente (21 km)
This day we discovered a trick to avoid the crowds on the final stretch of the Camino- start walking late! The large groups all head out between 8 and 9am, and by happy accident we got a late start out of Palas de Rei, around 9:30am.
As we walked we realized we were hardly seeing any other pilgrims! So we started walking late every morning on the way to Sarria, and it made our final days to Santiago MUCH more pleasant.
In Boente we stayed at Albergue Boente and I would highly recommend it. There is a nice bar and restaurant with a good selection, and there’s a cold pool where you can soak your feet (by now you know how much we love those)!
Day 38: Boente to Salceda(19km)
The walk to Salceda crosses a busy road several times. It is very important to pause at each crossing to be sure there is no traffic!
In Salceda we stayed at Albergue Turistico de Salceda and we loved it! There is an excellent restaurant and bar onsite where we ate an excellent pilgrim’s meal and drank a bit too much beer, oops 🙂 This albergue also has a pool with jets that massage your tired feet.
Day 39: Salceda to Lavacolla (17km)
We had a light sprinkling of rain today, one of the only rainstorms we encountered on our entire Camino! Luckily, there are many bars and restaurants along this walk, and we tucked into one for lunch and let the rain pass by.
In Lavacolla we stayed at Albergue Lavacolla and were very happy with it. There is a nice garden area where you can relax, and we ordered pizza delivery from a local pizzeria as a treat to celebrate our final night on the official Camino Frances! (we did continue on to the Spanish coast, however, so keep reading)
Day 40: Lavacolla to Santiago (10.3km)
We did it!!! We made it to the cathedral in Santiago! We completed the Camino Frances!!!
Hoenstly, reaching Santiago was much more emotional than I anticipated. I’m even crying a bit as I write this, because even the memory of reaching the cathedral is quite powerful.
Once you’ve taken pictures in front of the cathedral head to the pilgrim’s office to get your compestela (official certificate of completion of the Camino). You will need to have your pilgrim passport with proof you walked at least 100km.
We stayed 2 nights in Santiago so we could celebrate with a delicious meal and a night out dancing to local Irish music.
I was not very impressed with the hostel we chose, and it was a long walk out of the city center, so I won’t mention it. What I do recommend is that you find an albergue, hostel, or hotel near the cathedral. It will likely be one of your most expensive stays on the Camino, but it’s well worth it!
Day 41: Rest Day in Santiago
I highly recommend that you take a rest day in Santiago so you can tour the cathedral, visit the many tourist shoppes, and eat some of the wonderful food on offer in this city that is TEEMING with pilgrims!
The atmosphere in Santiago is very celebratory, and we chatted with so many pilgrims while we were there.
Our favorite activity at the cathedral was a guided tour of the cathedral roof! Yes, you get to climb up to the roof and get a bird’s eye view of Santiago!
Day 42: Santiago to Negreira (21km)
We left Santiago to head towards Muxia on the Spanish coast, because in ancient, pre-Christian times the Camino continued all the way to the ocean!
There is still an officially marked Camino that goes from Santiago to Muxia, and to Finisterre, and you can walk it in whatever order you would like. We chose to go Santiago-Muxia-Finisterre, and then we took a bus back to Santiago from Finisterre.
In Negreira we stayed at Albergue “San Jose”, and while it wasn’t anything to write home about we did get a private room which we very much appreciated.
Food was a bit tricky to find in Negreira and if we were to do this camino again we would buy groceries and cook in Albergue San Joses large kitchen.
Day 43: Negreira to Lamelas (22km)
In Lamelas we stayed at an albergue called Albergue Santa Marina which is connected to Bar Gallego. This is NOT in the town of Santa Marina, which you will pass through on your way.
This albergue had excellent food, a great bar, and we would definitely stay again. The only downside was a shortage of plugs in the large dormitory.
Day 44: Lamelas to Dumbria (23km)
It is on this day that you will pass the “Great Divide” where the Camino forks in two directions- towards Muxia or Finisterre. You will find that the vast majority of pilgrims head to Finisterre so the walk towards Muxia becomes even more quiet and peaceful.
The municipal albergue in Dumbira is very nice, very modern, and does require a pilgrim passport in order to check in. There is also great food in town, just a short walk from the albergue.
Day 45: Dumbria to Muxia
We walked alone almost this entire day, because there were so few pilgrims on this route. When we reached Muxia we were so glad we chose this Way, because the trail ends right at the ocean, and we took our shoes off and walked straight in.
Standing ankle deep in the ocean I realized that we just walked border to border across the ENTIRE country of Spain. Pretty awesome.
We stayed in a hotel called Muxia Mare in Muxia, and it was very nice. We also treated ourselves to a seafood feast at one of the excellent waterfront restaurants.
This day felt very special, and still we had two more days of walking to reach Finisterre.
Day 46: Muxia to Lires (15km)
You could walk to Finisterre from Muxia in one day, but we chose to break it up into 2 days so we could enjoy the Spanish coast.
Lires is an adorable seaside town with excellent food and gorgeous sea views. We stayed at Albergeue As Eiras where we enjoyed a private room with an ocean view, well worth the cost! The food and rooms here were very good,
Day 47: Lires to Finisterre (13km)
As we neared Finisterre both foot and auto traffic really picked up! Finisterre is a bit of a zoo, so be prepared for that. I HIGHLY recommend a visit to Muxia over Finisterre if you have to choose one.
Finisterre has plenty of tourist shops, restaurants, and activities, but it does not have the deep, authentic feeling we experienced in Muxia. If you can visit both, that is definitely the way to go!
In Finisterre we walked out to the point that was, for much of European history, considered the end of the world. On the day we visitied it was so foggy you could not see beyong the rocky point, and it felt eery, as if it really could be the end of the world.
This was our final day of the Camino! After this we bussed back to Santiago, and from there we bussed to Porto, Portugal where we spent a week eating tapas, drinking port wine, and celebrating our completed Camino Frances!
Camino de Santiago Gear and Packing List
When you walk the Camino you want to carry as little weight as possible while still having everything you need. This can be tricky, and probably the most important part of planning your walk!
If you’d like to download our free Camino de Santiago packing list, click here!
Below I’ve listed some gear that we used on the Camino that we highly recommend. If you click the links and purchase any of this gear we will receive a small comission with NO additional cost to you. It’s an easy way to help us keep writing blog articles like this one!
Our Packs:
Shoes:
Misc. Gear:
Camino de Santiago FAQ
How do I avoid blisters on the Camino Frances?
This is one of the most-asked questions about the Camino, and for good reason! Blisters can slow down, or even end, your Camino, so avoiding them is SUPER important.
Tom and I never got blisters on our entire Camino, here’s how:
We wore lightweight trail runners instead of hiking boots.
We wore silk sock liners inside of Darn Tough Merino Wool socks- the silk liner protects your foot from rubbing against the inside of the sock, and the merino wool socks breathe and do not hold moisture.
If we felt an itchy spot on one of our feet (this is how blisters feel when they are forming, but not yet painful) we immediately stopped walking and put a small blister bandage on the spot (even if it was not a true blister yet)!
Do I need to speak Spanish to walk the Camino Frances?
No! AND it is respectful to take the time to learn some basic travel Spanish before you begin the Camino.
Tom and I do speak some basic Spanish, and we found that making an effort to at least attempt Spanish was very appreciated by the locals.
With that said, most albergue owners speak at least some English, and other pilgrims can help with translation as well, so don’t let your lack of Spanish keep you from walking the Camino!
Should I walk the Camino Frances solo?
We met LOTS of solo walkers, both men and women, and none of them were alone for very long! The Camino is a great place to meet people and make friends.
Tom walked his first Camino “solo”, but, in reality, he made a group of close Camino friends who he still keeps in touch with.
If you’d like to walk the Camino solo, we definitely recommend you go for it!
We are currently planning to slow walk the Camino Frances again in Spring of 2026! Thank you for reading, and perhaps we’ll see you there!
