Camino suggestions for 2023 for a two-weeks-pilgrimage with a 2 year old

[dd581]

Hello fellow pilgrims,

I am really longing to walk a Camino again. I met my wife five years ago on the Camino and we promised ourselves that we would make a pilgrimage with our children, too.
Our son is turning two soon and I am thinking about a route for our first pilgrimage as a family. After my first Camino I've planned many different Caminos, so I only needed to choose one of those.
The problem is, that they are all way too long. I would love my son to get a Compostela, thus, we need to concentrate on the last part of a Camino. I then thought about the Camino de Invierno, but the infrastructure is not suitable I think to be walking with a small kido. We would prefer a not too frequented camino.

So, I ask you to suggest a route to us, which we could walk around august/september this year. Thanks in advance and I hope I'm in the right sub-forum, as I can only say, that I would like to finish in SdC.

Buen Camino!

 

[Grousedoctor]

I see that you walked the CP back in 2017. Central Route? If so, you might think about walking the Coastal Route up from Porto with your family. Since you mentioned a two week timeframe and wanting a Camino with fewer people but enough infrastructure, the Portugués De la Costa might be perfect for you. We walked it this past April and thoroughly enjoyed our journey that also included the Variante Espiritual.

 

[Molly Cassidy]

Hello fellow pilgrims,

I am really longing to walk a Camino again. I met my wife five years ago on the Camino and we promised ourselves that we would make a pilgrimage with our children, too.
Our son is turning two soon and I am thinking about a route for our first pilgrimage as a family. After my first Camino I've planned many different Caminos, so I only needed to choose one of those.
The problem is, that they are all way too long. I would love my son to get a Compostela, thus, we need to concentrate on the last part of a Camino. I then thought about the Camino de Invierno, but the infrastructure is not suitable I think to be walking with a small kido. We would prefer a not too frequented camino.

So, I ask you to suggest a route to us, which we could walk around august/september this year. Thanks in advance and I hope I'm in the right sub-forum, as I can only say, that I would like to finish in SdC.

Buen Camino!

I'm not sure you will be able to get a Compostela for a 2-year-old. The person needs to be old enough to understand the spiritual nature of pilgrimage to qualify.

 

[David Tallan]

The Portuguese is the first that came to mind for me. With a two year old, you probably want a route with good infrastructure, and by all reports the Camino Frances and the Camino Portugues have the best infrastructure. But in the last two weeks of the Frances, you have mountains to cross, and I suspect you'd rather a route that isn't quite so mountainous with a two year old, either whether you are hoping they'll walk themselves or whether you'll find yourselves pushing them in a stroller (up the mountains).

 

[dd581]

I'm not sure you will be able to get a Compostela for a 2-year-old. The person needs to be old enough to understand the spiritual nature of pilgrimage to qualify.

Oh, really? If so, then we wouldn't be limited to the last kms of the Camino and language wise we could look for something in France or Spain to feel like home and have nicer weather than here in Germany.

 

[dd581]

I see that you walked the CP back in 2017. Central Route? If so, you might think about walking the Coastal Route up from Porto with your family. Since you mentioned a two week timeframe and wanting a Camino with fewer people but enough infrastructure, the Portugués De la Costa might be perfect for you. We walked it this past April and thoroughly enjoyed our journey that also included the Variante Espiritual.

Thank you for that suggestion, I would prefere a camino in Spain or (if I really cannot get a Comostela for our boy) France, as I do feel more comfortable with the languages.

 

[SabsP]

Oh, really? If so, then we wouldn't be limited to the last kms of the Camino and language wise we could look for something in France or Spain to feel like home and have nicer weather than here in Germany.

See this part of the website from the Oficina in Santiago.

Children and pilgrimage. Children who make the pilgrimage with their parents or in groups, and have received the sacrament of Communion, or have the ability to understand the meaning of the spiritual or religious nature of the Way, can receive the “Compostela”. If they are not mature enough due to their young age, they are given a special certificate with their names. In the case of infants or very young children, their names are included on the parent or accompanying adult’s “Compostela”. If you are in any doubt, please contact us at the Pilgrim’s Reception Office so we can look at each individual case.

The Compostela: accreditation of the pilgrimage to Santiago

The “Compostela“, the accreditation of the pilgrimage to the Tomb of St. James.

oficinadelperegrino.com

 

[J Willhaus]

Maybe the Ingles or the last 100 km of the Via de la Plata? I read that the Via de la Plata had declined in the number of Compostelas last year so maybe fewer people, but infrastructure is still good in the last 100 km.

 

[JerryStroebele]

Portuguese. Buen Camino

 

[lt56ny]

I'm not sure you will be able to get a Compostela for a 2-year-old. The person needs to be old enough to understand the spiritual nature of pilgrimage to qualify.

Oh, really? If so, then we wouldn't be limited to the last kms of the Camino and language wise we could look for something in France or Spain to feel like home and have nicer weather than here in Germany.

I have no idea if what Molly wrote is correct. I am also not trying to contradict what she says. I only know that Tom @t2andreo has volunteered at the pilgrim office in Santiago for years. He may know what the exact rule is for a small child getting a compostela is. For all I know Molly knows better than Tom. Just a suggestion.

 

[Kathy F.]

It sounds like you feel comfortable/relieved with the idea of starting one of the Caminos in France. Do it! Since it seems both you and your wife know "it's the journey, not the destination," you have a good idea of your purpose for walking the Camino - a family adventure, not a Campostella. You can get that later.

 

[dd581]

Thanks again for the recommendations! I now have my vacation time set. It'll be between the 2. of September for three weeks. I'm still struggling to make up my mind about which Camino to take. I definitely want to spend time in Spain. Though I would like spend some time in France too, I'm no sure where to cross the border, as I have done that a couple of times in Hendaye/Irun and I'm not sure if the Pyrenees are a good idea with a two year old. I'm sure we can do 20+km but I would rather plan to do 10-15 and I'm not sure if France can offer that. Please definitely correct me if I'm wrong!
What I'm considering right now is doing the last 200ish km of the via de la Plata. Any thoughts on that? Infrastructure, walking along a big carretera or any other memorable things?
Or now that I see it, Camino de Invierno from Monforte de Lemos?

 

[mamteabo]

I also met my husband on the camino and we'll walk the Frances from Astorga to Finisterre with our 3 and 5 year old girls in may.
We'll be on the way with a Croozer Kid for 2. Buen camino to you!

 

[Casserole]

It sounds like you aren’t thrilled with the idea of the CF, but it really is the easiest when traveling with a kid. We did Sarria to SdC in 7 days when our daughter was 2.5 years old. From Vigo/Tui would be another good option.

To keep our kid engaged I bought chocolates that looked like big gold coins. I told her that as we got closer to the “castle” the gold coins would turn to chocolate. That and all the people giving her candy and snacks on the way kept her happy.