Is it safe for lone woman?

[Jackiej6]

Hi all... a seed in my head is growing! I’d like to take 35 days off work next year and walk the whole path. I intend to walk on my own with friends meeting me to walk for a week here and there. Is it safe and would I get lonely? I am anticipating meeting others so I don’t think I would be. Not sure where to start so any advice would be great. I would like to raise money for a couple of charities close to my heart but it would be self funded on a budget.

 

[MinaKamina]

Hi Jackie, welcome to the forum and buen camino!

This forum has a section about personal safety, you will find lots of info and tips there:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/personal-safety.162/

 

[C clearly]

Is it safe and would I get lonely?

It is as safe as a walk in your home area. Many women - young and old - walk on their own. From March to October you would encounter many many other pilgrims.

 

[JamesGeier]

I presume you are considering the Camino Frances route, the most popular (there are many Camino de Santiago routes). One can start anywhere along the route. To qualify for a Compostela certificate, you must show that you have walked at least the last 100 kilometers. The "whole path" of the Camino Frances typically means starting at Saint Jean Pied de Port in southwestern France. Other common starting points are Roncesvalles and Pamplona, both in Spain.

And, if you are walking the Camino Frances, you will be with many other people every day. I have walked that route twice, and I was never alone unless I wanted to be. I typically walked by myself the first couple of hours each morning as a sort-of morning meditation. Then I enjoyed the company of people I met, people from all over the world.

Is it safe? I cannot answer that from a woman's perspective, but it has been discussed on this forum many times. From my perspective, I felt safer on the Camino than anywhere; even a little safer than in my yoga-inspired trips to northern Thailand (Chiang Mai). Spain along the Camino Frances is a wonderful place to be - and lends itself well to the inner aspects of the Camino pilgrimage, the meditative and introspective.

Buen Camino!
--jim--

 

[Tony Murray]

Hi Jackie, I think you will be fine. You are more likely to be mugged going to the airport than on the Camino. As other have said -- you will not be alone. Just take the usual precautions and you will be fine.

 

[nycwalking]

I was a lone woman five times. No problems.

Buen camino.

 

[Consigliere]

I was alone in ‘13 & again this year. Let me put it to you this way, I found most women to find walking companions, or friends, much easier than guys! Must be the propensity to be social. Honestly, most lone walkers look for excuses to find time to walk alone at times Wouldn’t worry at all, it’s quite safe, we all look out for each other.

Enjoy.

 

[lt56ny]

Hi and welcome. I would agree AS A MAN that walking any of the Camino ( I have walked4 different camino) is safe. But I am not a woman. I don't think any of us men here (and I know most are well intentioned and caring people) can truly understand the concerns and fears that women have. There is risk in everything that we all do in life, no matter how safe we know the surroundings are. I think it is of the utmost importance to hear from women and what they have felt and experienced when walking in a small group of women or alone.
Last year I was on the Portugues when that woman was attacked near Lisbon. It was a horrible and brutal attack. I was walking with a good friend from college and we are both have adult daughters so of course we were shaken by this news. We met a wonderful Irishman (he also had adult daughters) and a very lovely young woman who was a German Doctor. She knew this woman who was attacked. There was another man who was constantly talking about this woman and how he wanted to help her, get in contact with her and walk with her. He did not know this victim at all. This man really gave me the creeps as I saw him quite a bit (as all 4 of us did) immediately after the attack. if you met this man only once you would have thought he was a kind a caring person. One day after a communal meal this young woman confided in all three "Dads" how she had become afraid of this man. Since our friend knew the victim and was in touch with her, she told us this man was constantly bothering her for information to contact her. We offered some solutions but she said she just wanted to leave the albergue very early the next morning and walk a very long distance ahead of this man. She did not want to make a big deal about it. We told her not to worry and that we would keep him longer and leave the albergue later in the morning to give her a head start. We also told her we would make sure he walked with us and we would have a short day to give her some distance. She was a wonderful, smart and lovely young woman. Sadly but thankfully I never saw her again. We kept this man close to us for 2 days. Walked shorter distances and when he thought about going off to Fatima and staying there for a day or two we encouraged him greatly. He went to Fatima, and thankfully we never saw him again. My friend from Ireland got a message from our Doctor a few days later that she was about 50k ahead of us and feeling safer and much happier!
This is why we need to hear from Women!

 

[celinehenriette]

I walked 2000 km by myself through Europe. I was 26 years old at that time. And I can honestly say that walking with hiking poles with the metal points did help me feeling save. I was bothered by two men on the way, on two different occasions, both in Italy. There was one guy who bought me food and tried to get me into his car. I managed to get rid of him by waving my poles at him. The second time a man came too close while telling me that it was dangerous that I walked by myself, I ran to the nearest bar and waited until he was gone. But out of the hundreds of people I met on the way only those two were not good to me. And I walked a loneley road, I think it will be better on the camino. There are more people to help keep you safe.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Hi all... a seed in my head is growing! I’d like to take 35 days off work next year and walk the whole path. I intend to walk on my own with friends meeting me to walk for a week here and there. Is it safe and would I get lonely? I am anticipating meeting others so I don’t think I would be. Not sure where to start so any advice would be great. I would like to raise money for a couple of charities close to my heart but it would be self funded on a budget.

Hi Jackie , my wife walked alone from SJPdP and she had no problems what so ever .
Wish you well and a Buen Camino , Peter .

 

[CdnDreamer]

I walked the Camino Frances alone in 2015 and felt safe most of the time. I liked to leave late 7:30 ish so some days I seemed to be all alone on the path. But if I felt uncomfortable, I would stop and within minutes other pilgrims would come along and I would walk with them. There are so many pilgrims walking that you don't have to walk alone if an area feels uncomfortable. I also found that I was never given a bed in a room without another female with me.

I preferred the albergues that had communal dinners because it was easier than finding people to eat dinner with every night. And I think they had better food.

It sounds like you would have an interesting time with some weeks on your own, and other weeks with friends. You have lots of time to plan, and research. Buen camino!

 

[WalkingJane]

I walked the Camino Santiago in 2015 mostly alone, and never felt I was in danger. As to alone - I found it helpful and healing to have the time to just let thoughts come and go. A few "issues" rose, and were healed. Everyone is so ready to be friendly if/when one reaches out. I just found it very comfortable.

 

[Kanga]

I’ve walked multiple long Camino alone. Yes, of course I get fearful at times. I have been fearful (a) when having to walk though a herd of cows with young calves on the Camino Madrid (b) uncomfortable (rather than fearful) when walking with a young man who was having a full on mental health breakdown and was delusional - resolved that by turning into the bushes for “privacy reasons” and then walking backwards (c) being awakened in the middle of the night by a cyclist in the bunk overhead who was experiencing the night terrors (he woke everyone). I’ve also had women report a flasher to me and personally encountered the old man near Boadilla who lurches at all women trying to grasp them in an embrace! Which he tried with me but as I knew about him I simply sidestepped and kept him at arms length.
Really, in 17 years of walking Camino - that’s it.

sleeping in But the reality is that the Camino is a very safe place.

 

[Albertagirl]

Is it safe and would I get lonely?

@Jackiej6
I think that your two questions are related. To answer the second one first, you are unlikely to get lonely if you are open to meeting and interacting with new people, as there will be sociable people around you, all more or less engaged on the same quest. However, this is also what makes you vulnerable. A large number of people on a walking pilgrimage with significant amounts of cash are bound to attract people who want to separate them from that cash, or otherwise take advantage of their vulnerability if they walk alone. Be observant. If something about someone who wants to walk with you makes you feel uncomfortable, find another woman or a group to walk with. As a woman walking alone, I had trouble with a male pilgrim on my recent and third camino. I think that perhaps having experienced the openness and friendliness of my first two caminos made me vulnerable. I just expected more of the same from other pilgrims. I won't say not to let your guard down, just to pay attention to situations and to how interactions are going; if you are uncomfortable, get out at once. My first two caminos were wonderful experiences and I hope for more of the same, but the camino is not a perfect paradise. There are still a few snakes around.

 

[Deleted member 32363]

I've had men want to ply me with vino, buy me meals, walk me home to my refugio, one repeatedly told me how they have a private room here (at the dining/albergue place) But never been offended, other than one "stollen" good-bye kiss. Perhaps I'll wear my gold band on my left hand this time. I turn 71 this trip, I'll look at it as a compliment!

 

[Lurch]

2 suggestions...ask for assistance if you think you in need of it and be aware of your surroundings. Basic stuff but important anywhere you travel.

Kalavati. I would be honored to share a meal and wine with you, even walk you back to your abode. But no stolen kisses..sigh..I’m a bit old for you and my wife would not understand at all. I just like the company of ladies. Better conversation and a different perspective than a man usually gets and I likes it.

being a retired cop makes me more protective than most so drink freely companera! Da Lurch is here.

 

[Deleted member 32363]

2 suggestions...ask for assistance if you think you in need of it and be aware of your surroundings. Basic stuff but important anywhere you travel.

Kalavati. I would be honored to share a meal and wine with you, even walk you back to your abode. But no stolen kisses..sigh..I’m a bit old for you and my wife would not understand at all. I just like the company of ladies. Better conversation and a different perspective than a man usually gets and I likes it.

being a retired cop makes me more protective than most so drink freely companera! Da Lurch is here.

: ) < thanks! I'm older than I look... Ha Ha, the name "Lurch" brought back great memories!!