Which Camino is the hardest?

Out of the seven main Camino de Santiago routes I'd say the Via de La Plata is the toughest route. First of all because it's the longest route. Second, because distances between towns are very long sometimes you walk 20-25km though nothing which means you have to carry a lot of water and some food with you.



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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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Following our Camino Portugués guidebook's itinerary, you could walk from Lisboa to Santiago in 26 days averaging 24km/15 miles a day. Many pilgrims walking the Camino Portugués start from Porto and can complete the trip to Santiago in just under two weeks at a similar daily distance average.

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The Camino Frances (French Way) is the most popular Camino route. As per its name, this route starts in Saint-Pied-de-Port and crosses the French-Spanish border in the Pyrenees.

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Via de la Plata: the longest one Best for Finding solitude. This is one of the quietest Camino routes and it passes through the fewest settlements. This is the route to take if you really want to get to know Spain. It runs for an epic 620 miles from its southern to its northern tip.

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Via de la Plata: an epic trail Most pilgrims however pick Ourense city, 100kms from Santiago, as their starting point to experience the last stretch of the route, one of the most beautiful and lush. This Camino de Santiago route is best for you… if you are in search of a quiet and rural trail.

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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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Many pilgrims who have never set foot on a pilgrimage route are afraid of getting lost along the way. The truth is that orienting yourself on the Camino de Santiago is quite simple, even for beginners. It's unusual to get lost.

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Most (walking) pilgrims follow a fairly direct path to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, but mountain biking the Camino gives you more time to explore trails less travelled and small villages outside the popular walking routes.

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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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Introducing the Camino Inglés, the Shortest Camino Route The Camino Inglés, or the English Way, is the shortest Camino walk. Its name stems from the medieval English pilgrims who would arrive by boat at the northern Spanish ports before making their way to Santiago de Compostela.

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The busy months between May and August are the most crowded on Camino routes. It's worth remembering that the most numerous nationality on the Camino are from Spain and therefore their public holidays in this country also coincide with the busy times on the Camino de Santiago.

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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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Total Trip Costs Most pilgrim budgets fall in the $30-60 (€25-50) per day range, meaning a 30-day walk would cost $900-1800 (€750-1500). If you don't already have hiking gear, new gear could easily cost $300-600 (€250-500) if you need to get new footwear, backpack and sleeping bag.

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