{"id":41906,"date":"2024-01-17T10:58:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-17T18:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=41906"},"modified":"2026-02-19T19:13:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T03:13:39","slug":"how-to-hike-the-camino-de-santiago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/travel\/how-to-hike-the-camino-de-santiago","title":{"rendered":"How to Hike the Camino de Santiago"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James, is an epic Catholic pilgrimage to the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela, where St. James the Greater\u2019s remains are thought to be located. The hike isn\u2019t only for the pious, however. While there are many religiously significant stops along the way, a wide array of international trekkers enjoy the pilgrimage route every year. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Camino is actually a network of trails, and its most popular route, the Camino Franc\u00e9s, spans from the city of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port at the base of the French Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trail has been walked since the early ninth century\u2014hosting kings and queens, Roman armies, and legions of Catholic pilgrims\u2014but in recent years it has attracted an increasingly diverse crowd. After a brief dip during the early days of COVID-19, over <\/span>446,000 hikers<\/span><\/a>, known as \u201cperegrinos,\u201d or pilgrims, completed the trek to Santiago in 2023. If anything, the right of passage has gained popularity since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, as travelers and hikers alike reprioritize their health and wellness. The New York Times <\/em>even declared 2023 “The Year of the Long Walk<\/a>.”<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople are drawn to the Camino because of its staying power,\u201d says Beth Jusino, author of <\/span>Walking to the End of the World: A Thousand Miles on the Camino de Santiago<\/span><\/a><\/em>.<\/em> \u201cWalking the Camino is a chance to intentionally slow down and move at a human pace, to join a history that\u2019s so much bigger than any of us individually.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crossing the rugged Pyrenees and spanning undulating plains before winding through lush hillsides, the Camino de Santiago is a unique window into the Iberian Peninsula\u2019s historical, natural and cultural beauty. All that said, if you\u2019re planning to tackle the Camino de Santiago, there\u2019s a lot to keep in mind: You’ll want to consider logistics and places of interest as well as finding the best route for your budget, time frame and fitness level. In this guide, we\u2019ll cover: <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n