Camino de Santiago Routes: From the Portuguese Coastal Camino to the Francés

The Camino de Santiago is a network of ancient pilgrim routes that all converge on one city – Santiago de Compostela. Each route offers a unique mix of challenges and rewards, which makes every journey a personal experience of its own. In this broader article on Camino de Santiago routes we describe all the well-known Camino routes and add more information from two of the caminos we had the chance to walk, including the Portuguese coastal camino.

We’ll uncover the ins and outs of the different routes to Santiago de Compostela and look at factors such as length, distance, altitude and difficulty.

Camino de Santiago routes

In total we’ll look at six routes out of the nine known/official ones. Two of them – the Camino del Norte and the Camino Portugués – we had the chance to walk, and you’ll find our personal experience below.

I’ve added maps to every route. You can open each one and add it to your phone. That said, I don’t think you’ll get lost on the way – thanks to the excellent waymarking, but also thanks to the other pilgrims you can simply follow.

I’ll share all the stages, with the important ones highlighted, via the Gronze.com app, which we used on both of our walks to Santiago.

The Camino Francés: the traditional route

• Distance: Approximately 800 kilometres.
• Duration: Usually 30 to 35 days.
• Difficulty: Moderately demanding to demanding, with varied terrain.
• Start of the pilgrimage: Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
• Highlights: The Camino Francés is famous for its cultural richness, historical significance and the camaraderie between pilgrims. Key sights include the crossing of the Pyrenees and the picturesque vineyards of La Rioja.
• The stages according to Gronze.com

An alternative to this pilgrimage – mainly in terms of terrain profile and distance – can be the Camino del Norte. This route is also portrayed in the film The Way, which I definitely recommend watching.

Camino del Norte: Spain’s northern route

• Distance: Approximately 830 kilometres.
• Duration: Usually 35–40 days.
• Difficulty: Easy to moderately hard. The moment you leave the coast, the terrain gets hillier.
• Start of the pilgrimage: Irún / San Sebastián
• Highlights: Cantabria and its cultural monuments, Gijón, Santander and Bilbao.
• The stages according to Gronze.com

We had the chance to walk this pilgrimage, and it was actually our very first camino. It made us fall head over heels for pilgrim life. You can read the whole story here.

An alternative to this pilgrimage – mainly in terms of terrain profile and distance – can be the first pilgrimage, the Camino Francés. We didn’t walk it, but most people start with this route.

Camino Portugués: the popular Portuguese coastal camino

• Distance: Approximately 650 kilometres.
• Duration: Usually 25–30 days.
• Difficulty: Easy to moderately hard. The moment you leave the coast, the terrain gets hillier.
• Highlights: Lisbon, Porto, Tui, Vigo and Pontevedra.
• Getting to the start: Direct flights from Prague or Vienna.
• Start of the pilgrimage: Porto / Lisbon (depending on whether you want a longer pilgrimage or not)
• Stages of the central route and stages of the coastal route according to Gronze.com

Our second “notch” in our pilgrim careers was precisely the Portuguese coastal camino from Porto. In just under 14 days we enjoyed the beauty of the coastal route and the final climb before entering Santiago. You can read the whole story here.

An alternative to this route is also the Camino del Norte – or rather just part of it. You can fly direct from Vienna to Santander, which shortens your journey significantly. Even so, you’ll still travel a good while along the coast before enjoying the hills and beauty of central Cantabria at the end.

Camino Primitivo: the original pilgrims’ route

• Distance: Approximately 320 kilometres.
• Duration: Usually 10–15 days.
• Difficulty: The route runs mainly among hills and inland.
• Highlights: The vibe of the oldest route to Santiago. The mountains and landscape of the Asturias region.
• Start of the pilgrimage: Oviedo, Gijón
• The stages according to Gronze.com

The Vía de la Plata: the southern route from Seville

• Distance: Approximately 1,000 kilometres.
• Duration: Usually 40–45 days.
• Difficulty: Easy / mildly demanding.
• Highlights: You’ll experience Spain’s huge diversity, from the Andalusian heat to the picturesque beauty of Extremadura and the lush landscapes of Galicia.
• Start of the pilgrimage: Seville
• The stages according to Gronze.com

Camino Inglés

• Distance: Approximately 121 kilometres.
• Duration: Usually 5–7 days.
• Difficulty: Easy
• Highlights: Galicia and the sea.
• Start of the pilgrimage: A Coruña
• The stages according to Gronze.com

Lesser-known routes to Santiago

Few people walk these routes to Santiago – they’re simply not as well known, but they have their value. Especially at times when other routes are less well served out of season. It happens that these routes sometimes pass only through small villages with no open albergues, no other commercial accommodation, no restaurants or even shops.

Camino de Invierno

The first route is the Camino de Invierno, or the winter route. With its infrastructure following larger towns and busier roads, it offers the comfort of snow-free paths and no crowds. On top of that it offers views over the landscape and the comfort of local services.

The highlights of the route are passages through vineyards, river canyons, Roman bridges and a landscape that stretches out like one big pancake into the distance.

Camino Sanabrés

This variant of the Vía de la Plata – the so-called Silver Route – is gaining popularity. At 367 kilometres you can cover the whole route in 10–14 days, depending on your pace and fitness. The route sits somewhere in the middle in terms of difficulty.

We also talked about the camino with Láďa Zibura on our Cestuj s batohem podcast. If you have a moment, tune in to the chat about life and this magnificent pilgrimage. We also recommend Láďa’s book.

Choosing your Camino de Santiago route

Let me throw out a few scenarios you might be living through right now, so you can find yourself in one of them. That could make it easier to decide which pilgrimage to choose.

Before choosing a specific route, it’s good to think about practical backup too – and I don’t just mean boots and a backpack. A pilgrimage across Spain or Portugal means several weeks away from home, often in more remote areas where the nearest hospital can easily be tens of kilometres away. Blistered heels, overloaded knees or unexpected health complications can really throw your plans off, and treatment abroad can be unpleasantly expensive.

So it pays to set off with travel insurance that covers not only treatment but also possible repatriation or lost luggage. Practical tips on how to prepare for such a journey and what not to forget when it comes to insurance are nicely summed up in this article on preparing for a pilgrimage by AXA Assistance.

“It’s my first time. I’m not sure I can do it.”

If you’re walking for the very first time, the Francés is the safest choice. It’s the “Camino motorway”, but that’s exactly why it forgives planning mistakes. A second choice could be the Portuguese route, which has similar features and where you definitely won’t get lost. On the Francés you’ll meet people you’ll share several days with. It’s more of a social experience than a solitary pilgrimage.

“I want fewer people. More peace than festival.”

If you really want quiet, both the Primitivo and the del Norte are strong candidates. But your fitness has to be up to it, because you’ll be climbing hills. You can also walk part of the del Norte and then branch off at Gijón to continue on the Primitivo.

“I only have a week.”

Realistically, count on 20–25 km a day. If you’re going for the first time, it’s an ideal test of whether the Camino grabs you. You’ll cover 20 km with ease – you’ve got the whole day. No work, no rushing. For this scenario I’d choose the Portuguese route from Tui or the Camino Inglés.

“I want a challenge.”

This isn’t just about kilometres. It’s about your head and the weather. The north of Spain, especially in spring and autumn, tends to be rainy. As you may have already noticed, there are only two routes in the north I’d recommend – the Camino del Norte and the Camino Primitivo.

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