How fit do you need to be to do the Camino?

The best approach, especially at the beginning, is to get out and start walking (or cycling if you plan to cycle the Camino). If you are walking the Camino, you're going to want to build up to being able to walk 20km a day comfortably.



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The main physical challenges are the multiple days walking; even fit people will hit the 'wall' at some stage. The hardest day of the Camino is on the first day of the French Way, where you have to cross the great mountain range of the Pyrenees over the Napoleon Pass.

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Aim to pack as light as possible for the Camino de Santiago, bringing only essential items. A suggested guide is to plan to carry no more than 10% of your body weight (so if you weight 150 lb, plan to carry no more than 15 lb).

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People of all ages walk the Camino de Santiago! The average age of walkers is probably closer to 60 than it is to 20! If you are in good overall health and able to walk on uneven surfaces, you will most likely be able to walk the Camino, or at least certain sections.

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It's said that the oldest person to ever walk the Camino de Santiago was 93 years young (she walked it with her 60 year old daughter!). Thus proving you are never too old to walk the Camino! Having said that, there are some advantages of using a Camino tour company that will help seniors accomplish a Camino pilgrimage.

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I think more people would lose weight than gain it whilst walking a camino. You are using so many calories each day that it is difficult to replace them all with food. Most years I have started my camino several kilos over weight and generally lose around 6-8 kilos.

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We would recommend that you do not pack a pillow for the Camino de Santiago. We don't think you will need a pillow, unless you're planning to wild camp of course. All albergues and guest houses will have pillows.

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Most pilgrim budgets fall in the $30-60 (€25-50) per day range, meaning a 30-day walk would cost $900-1800 (€750-1500).

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The hardest day of the Camino is on the first day of the French Way, where you have to cross the great mountain range of the Pyrenees over the Napoleon Pass. You must hike 26km to get to the first stop, but you are awarded with a stay in the stunning monastery town of Roncesvalles and two days later Pamplona.

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Public bathrooms are not frequent on the Camino de Santiago. But, cafes, restaurants and bars are frequent, you may find one or two during the day, and these all have bathrooms that customers can use.

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The main physical challenges are the multiple days walking; even fit people will hit the 'wall' at some stage. The hardest day of the Camino is on the first day of the French Way, where you have to cross the great mountain range of the Pyrenees over the Napoleon Pass.

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Yes, the water is drinkable all along the Camino, and with sections receiving runoff from the mountains above, it's also delicious spring water. In many towns and villages, they will have public fountains usually in the main square where walkers can fill their packs or bottles.

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Mornings on the Camino This was mainly around 6-7am with a quick half hour to brush teeth and get ready for the day before setting off. Most Pilgrims stay in an albergue or hostel, where they'll have access to a shared kitchen to prepare breakfast if they want.

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Daily distances on the Camino de Santiago are between 20 km and 25 km. The average walking speed of an adult is 5 km/3 mi per hour. If you walk at that pace it'll take you 4 to 5 hours of walking per day.

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5 reasons to do the Camino de Santiago
  • Doing the Camino de Santiago for religious reasons. Pay respect at the tomb of Santiago the Apostle. ...
  • Doing the Camino de Santiago for spiritual reasons. ...
  • Doing the Camino de Santiago as a tourist. ...
  • Pilgrimage to share your time. ...
  • Doing the pilgrim route as a sport.


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The difficulty of your first day will largely depend on where you start. For example, the French Way (Camino Francés) begins in the Pyrenees at St. Jean Pied de Port, presenting a challenging uphill climb on the first day. On the other hand, the Portuguese Way (Camino Portugués) starts with a gentler, flatter terrain.

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