Camino Solo Travel
Before you say, “I could never travel alone,” keep reading. Although traveling with friends and family has its benefits, there is something special about traveling alone. Understandably, traveling by yourself for can be nerve-wracking, but the Camino de Santiago is an ideal spot for your solo adventure. This is why:
Feel Safe and Secure
Spain and Portugal are beautiful and generally safe peaceful locations with great infrastructure, which makes them ideal for a first-time solo traveler. Of course, you will want to use common travelling sense and take the same precautions you take when traveling anywhere – or when in your own hometown. Don’t forget to share your travel dates and plans with people back home.
Meet Like-Minded Pilgrims
Traveling alone doesn’t mean being lonely! There will be plenty of adventurers to connect with along the way. The beauty of the Camino is that everyone is there for a reason, and pilgrims respect everyone else’s reason. Your fellow pilgrims will be happy to meet you, and will understand if you need some quiet time to yourself. Amazing stories will be shared. Lifetime friends and connections will be made.
Connect with Friendly Locals
Many locals have walked the Camino themselves and can relate to your journey. They’re also used to seeing pilgrims, answering questions, helping pilgrims along the way, and pointing them in the right direction. As you pass through small villages, it is common to see water set out for the pilgrims to drink. Fruit and grapes from their gardens are offered for you to enjoy. Sometimes, you may even hear someone calling you from their doorstep to offer you cake or coffee. Accepting those simple gestures of kindness can really brighten your day.
Go on Your Schedule
Ever feel like getting your friends together is like herding cats? It’s even harder to coordinate everyone to travel. If you keep waiting until your friends are free to go on this adventure, you might never get the opportunity.
The Camino allows for many months of great weather from March to October and even into November. You have plenty of time to find a couple of weeks that work for you. July and August tend to be the busiest months on the Way. Consider your timing depending on whether you’d rather spend more time socializing or more time alone.
Travel at Your Pace
When physical activity like hiking or biking is involved, coordination of travel schedules and preferences can become even more challenging. While traveling the Camino alone you can:
- choose how far to go each day
- change your plans when you feel the need to sleep in
- linger at a beautiful view
- take a super long lunch break or skip it altogether
- listen to a birdsong or a babbling brook
- stop in the middle of the day to write a few notes in your journal
You don’t need to check in with anyone else or compromise your needs to suit the group. It’s truly your trip and your journey.
Reconnect with Yourself
While having travel partners is great, you might find yourself making conversation when you’d rather not. You could miss an opportunity to reconnect with yourself. Our daily lives are so busy and demanding as we keep up with the requests of our bosses, colleagues, parents, children, and friends. It’s so easy for anyone in the modern world to feel detached from their own needs and desires, to lose sight of what matters.
When you’re on the Camino, it’s just you and the Way.
Keep It Simple
Traveling with Adventure Camino makes the trip simpler for any type of traveler. Especially as a solo adventurer, knowing we’re there for you will give you greater confidence to make this remarkable journey. We walk our talk, literally – our founder’s first trip to the Camino was as a solo female, so we understand the unique experience of traveling alone.
We hand-pick the best hotels along the way and can provide transportation and custom route planning. You’re traveling alone, but you’re not really alone since you can call us locally 24-hours a day/7 days a week in case of an emergency. We’re here to help you make your solo trip on the Camino de Santiago enjoyable, meaningful, and memorable. Contact us if you have any questions about what it’s like to travel by yourself on the Camino and to get started on your journey.
