A Quiet Voice, A Growing Community
175,000+ community across platforms 150,000+ podcast listeners
Camino de Santiago wooden signpost showing the Francés, Portugués, del Norte, Primitivo, and Vía de la Plata routes, with a woman hiker looking out over a village and green hills.

Letter One · Preparing for the Camino

Camino Chronicles: Which Camino Route Should I Choose?

Explore the routes. Find the one that fits your season, your why, and your heart.

Hey you, it's me.

If you ask the internet one question about the Camino de Santiago, it's this one:

Which route should I walk?

Usually the conversation starts with, Which Camino is the prettiest? Which one is the easiest? Which one is the most popular?

Those are fair questions. They just aren't the questions I think matter most.

I think choosing a Camino starts somewhere deeper.

Because the Camino isn't one road. It is a network of routes, and each one asks something different of you. The terrain changes. The crowds change. The weather changes. The services change. And the experience you have can look completely different depending on the road you choose.

But here's the honest truth for me, and maybe for you too.

I didn't really choose my route. It chose me.

When the Camino called, I'll be honest, I didn't know much about the different paths. I just knew the sea was calling my name. I had thirty-one days, and I wanted to experience as much of it as my body would let me.

Here's something about chronic illness that nobody talks about. Once you take a big trip, you don't always get to go back. You just never know. Long travel is hard on me, and harder every year in midlife. So I don't plan for someday. I embrace every moment I can while I'm actually there.

So my route chose me, the coast, the Camino del Norte. And once it did, I learned what all the routes really are. So let me walk you through them the way I wish someone had walked me through them, from the gentlest to the most demanding, so you can find the one that fits your body, your days, and your heart.

1. The Camino Portugués: the gentle one

If you want beauty without the biggest mountains, this is the kind path, and it's the second most walked route for good reason.

Camino Portugués

Best for
first-timers, gentler bodies, and ocean lovers, especially the Coastal variant.
How busy
popular and growing, social but not as packed as the Francés.
Terrain
the flattest of the major routes, easy underfoot.
The vibe
laid-back, green, seaside and vineyards, easygoing.
Landmarks
Porto's bridges and old town, the medieval streets of Ponte de Lima, the river crossing at Tui, and lovely Pontevedra.
Services
reliably good, plenty of towns with lodging, pharmacies, laundry, and cafes.

2. The Camino Francés: the classic

The most famous route, the one from the movies, and the one most people picture. If you want company, support, and the full pilgrim experience, this is home base.

Camino Francés

Best for
first-timers who want people around, and anyone chasing the classic Camino.
How busy
the busiest by far, more than half of all pilgrims. In summer, beds fill by early afternoon.
Terrain
the most varied, the Pyrenees on day one, Rioja vineyards, the flat silent Meseta, then Galician hills.
The vibe
social, energetic, a moving community. You are rarely alone.
Landmarks
Roncesvalles, Pamplona, the great cathedrals of Burgos and León, and Cruz de Ferro.
Services
the best served of any route, pharmacies, laundry, lodging, and even spa towns along the way.

And here is the moment you may already know. This is the route with the scene from The Way. At Cruz de Ferro, the iron cross at the highest point of the Francés, pilgrims lay down a stone they carried from home, often with a burden, a name, or a prayer attached to it. You leave it at the foot of the cross and walk on lighter. Whatever you believe, there is something powerful about standing there among all those stones, each one carrying someone's story. If that scene is part of why the Camino is calling you, the Francés is your route.

3. The Camino del Norte: the coast (my route)

This one is mine. The northern route hugs the coast along the Bay of Biscay, with the sea beside you almost the whole way.

Camino del Norte

Best for
those the ocean is calling, and walkers who want fewer crowds and don't mind hills.
How busy
moderate, busier near the Basque cities, then genuinely quiet after Santander.
Terrain
rolling and hilly, constant ups and downs along the coast. Tougher than it looks.
The vibe
rugged and breathtaking, salt air and green hills, a quieter, more independent walk.
Landmarks
cosmopolitan San Sebastián, Bilbao and its Guggenheim, wild beaches and cliffs, Santander, and the green Asturian coast.
Services
good near the cities and coastal towns, with a little more planning in between.

4. The Vía de la Plata: the long road

The longest of the major routes, running all the way up from Seville in the south. This is for the pilgrim who wants deep solitude and a real challenge.

Vía de la Plata

Best for
experienced walkers who want quiet, distance, and history.
How busy
the quietest of all. You may walk for hours without seeing another pilgrim.
Terrain
long and exposed, arid plains and old Roman roads, with big gaps between towns.
The vibe
solitary, historic, and spacious. Not for the faint-hearted.
Landmarks
Seville, the Roman ruins of Mérida, golden Salamanca, and Zamora.
Services
sparse, with long stretches between towns. Hot in summer, cold in winter. Carry water and food.

5. The Camino Primitivo: the original (the hardest)

The oldest route of them all, the original way, starting in Oviedo, and widely considered the most physically demanding.

Camino Primitivo

Best for
fit, experienced pilgrims who want mountains, solitude, and a true challenge.
How busy
quiet, one of the least crowded routes.
Terrain
the toughest, with steep mountain ascents through Asturias and high passes.
The vibe
wild, remote, and spectacular, a hard-earned beauty.
Landmarks
Oviedo's cathedral, the demanding high-mountain Hospitales route, and Melide, where it joins the Francés for the final stretch.
Services
the most remote, with fewer beds and shops in the mountains. Plan ahead.

There are others too, the short Camino Inglés from Ferrol, and the walk out past Santiago to Finisterre and the sea. But these five are the ones most people choose between, and the five on that signpost.

The season changes the route

One more thing worth knowing, because the time of year can make or break a route.

I go deeper on timing in another letter, so if the when matters most to you, read the best-time letter next.

Where to map your route

When you're ready to map it for real, these are the resources I lean on:

Before you choose, ask yourself one more question. Am I planning the Camino I actually need, or the Camino I think I'm supposed to do?

Here is what I most want you to hear. There is no wrong route. The best one is the one that fits your body, your days, your season, and your why. Some people study every option and choose with a spreadsheet. Some of us just follow the thing that's calling and trust that the right road will meet us. Both are holy. Both get you to Santiago.

My sea chose me. Maybe yours will too. Or maybe you'll pore over every route until one feels like home. Either way, don't let the choosing keep you from the going.

Which route is calling you? Tell me. I love hearing where people's hearts are pointing.

Buen Camino.

Don't quit in the quiet.

I love you.

Just stay sweet out there ~ Jenn

P.S.

This is Letter One of the Camino Chronicles, my Preparing for the Camino collection. You can find everything that is live at the Hub.

If you are looking for a midlife companion, let me walk with you. lavishlifeliving.com

The deeper we dive, the sweeter it gets.

Come find me on Instagram @justjennboard.