Can I walk a Camino?

I’ve walked with grandparents and grandchildren, parents and children of all ages, school groups, and pilgrims in their 20s, 30s and 40s, right through to people in their 70s and 80s.

I’ve seen a man walking on crutches, and on my 2025 Camino Francés I met a man in a wheelchair doing the route unassisted. I’ve read about a woman who walked with her two children and her blind husband. Last year, I met a young couple pushing their seven-month-old baby in an off-road stroller, and a single mother walking with her two pre-teen boys and a baby.

These stories show that there’s no single type of person who walks the Camino. Your age or circumstances don’t automatically rule it out. The key is to find a route and pace that work for you, and to prepare for the challenges you may encounter. As Thomas the Tank Engine would say: “I think I can, I think I can…”

Some routes and sections are more strenuous than others. A Camino doesn’t have to be an endurance test: many people walk it by adjusting their daily distances, taking rest days or skipping a difficult section when necessary.

• Prepare
  Taking time to prepare can make the walk more manageable. See the Preparation section.
• Listen to your body
  Don’t overdo it. Walk at your own pace. You’ll meet pilgrims who walk faster than you and others who walk more slowly. Some cover 40 kilometres or more a day; others walk just 10 or 15. There are no prizes for arriving first, walking the furthest or spending the most hours on the trail. It’s your Camino; walk it your way.
• Adjust your daily distance
  Guidebook stages are suggestions, not rules. You don’t have to stop where the guidebook recommends if that distance is too far for you. Depending on the route and season, there may be other places to stay. If the terrain is difficult, slow down or plan a shorter day.
• Take rest days
  Make sure you get enough rest. Larger towns along the routes can be good places to pause. Sleep in, enjoy a leisurely breakfast, visit historical sites or sit at a sidewalk café and watch the world go by. There’s no need to feel guilty about taking a day off.
• Plan some shorter days
  I often do this. After a couple of longer days, I’ll plan a 10- to 15-kilometre walk to a place with lots to see, then enjoy the afternoon exploring.
• Skip a difficult section if you need to
  Buses, trains and taxis can help you get past a particularly difficult section. It may feel like “cheating,” but there’s no rule that says you have to walk every step of the way. If skipping a section helps you continue your Camino, it’s a reasonable choice.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll probably say it many more times: it’s important to remember that it’s your Camino. Walk it your way.