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Who has been on the Camino for more than 12 months? How was it?

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Many (most) of us here would not be able to be there for more than 90 days in a 180 day period.

Then again....which camino are you referring to? There are many routes in Spain and France (and other European countries) that link and end up in Santiago.
Plus...the long route from Canterbury to Rome.

...and there are several members that actually live on the camino.
 
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Alvaro Lazaga Busto is currently walking his 55TH camino. His videos are on YT.

He seems to walk almost continuously along the way. He takes off a month here, a few weeks there, then back on camino along different routes.

In 2014, I meet a Frenchman who lived on camino. He walked back and forth only on CF. How he managed the feat, I know not.

That same year I met an American who lived on the camino as both a pilgrim and a hospitalero.

He did not have a legal right to be in Spain. He said he stayed under the radar by walking then volunteering at many albergues on the way.
 
My last Camino was 373 days total, though that was in four stages -- my fourth and final stage was about 8½ months though.

I am very slow now, which is the only reason why it took so long, though my route was exceptionally lengthy (~5,000 K) and included Santiago > SJPP > Lourdes (I had wanted to walk home, but I reached SJPP on the 1st January last year, and the winter conditions prevented me going further than Lourdes ; if I had reached SJPP a month earlier, it would have been fine and I'd have walked another ~800K to home).

Someone healthy should do about 25-30 K/day average on any very long Camino (most people would quite naturally start to get faster), and 365 * 25 = over 9,000 K ; even just 365 * 20 is over 7,000 K, and that's significantly longer than Jerusalem to Santiago. Personally, at my old very fast speeds, a year's walking would have been about 13,000 to 15,000 K, and honestly about 10,000K would be a reasonable expectation for a full year's hiking ...

So really, the only way for a normal, healthy pilgrim to manage 10,000 K on a single Camino one way to Santiago / Fisterra would be do something like start from home somewhere in North America or wherever, preferably the midwest or further West, walk to a port on the East Coast, get passage to European port very distant from Santiago, then walk on from there. Unless you're walking from home in Asia or something.

In practice (withstanding exceptions like my own), the only pilgrims (and others) who are on the Camino Ways for such lengthy periods of time either living on the Camino full time or, more rarely, are walking Camino after Camino after Camino for non-hobo reasons, though the few that I've met in the latter case most often spend about 6 to 9 months doing that, then winter at home. You do come across the occasional semi-pilgrim oddball, such as one fellow I met on my first day out from home in January 2019 who was walking to Nepal from IIRC Valencia via Santiago and Rome.

The Camino in Winter is OK on major routes like the Francès or the Le Puy routes, and should be OK on the Portuguese, in other cases it would be better in Winter to be in places like Mediterranean France or southern Spain or Portugal and so on.

On the more inland routes that aren't the Francès or the Le Puy, as well as those in Mediterranean France or southern Spain or Portugal, there is very little pilgrim accommodation in Winter (unless you're wealthy enough), and if you need to sleep out and whatever (which will occasionally be necessary, finances regardless), best be where the Winters are warmer.

---

Honestly, unless you have some meaning and purpose for it, or like me some disability slowing you down, there are not many good reasons for spending a year on the Camino. Some pilgrims do take about a year to walk Santiago > Jerusalem or the other way, but in those cases they typically take not rest days, but rest months.

I guess you could do something like a Rome > Cádiz > Faro > Lisbon > Fátima > Santiago > SJPP/Somport > Lourdes > Rome which could take a healthy walker about 9 to 12 months ? Or something like Canterbury > Rome > etc. or another similarly circuitous route ?

I guess that a route comprising every major Christian foot pilgrim sanctuary destination in Western Europe -- so Walsingham, Canterbury, Chartres, Paris, Vézelay, Le Puy, "Arles" (i.e. actually Saint-Gilles), Rome, Lourdes, Manresa, Montserrat, Fátima, Santiago -- plus a Mediteranean route such as Rome > Cádiz for wintering purposes might add up to a year ?

But it really has to be something with both purpose and meaning beyond just "spend a year on the Camino", less it turn into an aimless wandering.
 
I’ve been on Camino since 1969. I’ve just taken the odd break now and again. Winter? Winter is a good time for the southern routes. Agadir to Oujda via Ouarzazate works well.

I may have misunderstood your question. Spending a year in Spain, assuming you have rights under Schengen or the appropriate visa is easy. Spending a year on Camino is going to require some serious planning
 
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It probably has a lot to do with health and fitness too.
My last Camino was 60 days and my body was needing a rest by then.
I've often thought about much longer Caminos but I suspect in reality I would need R&R time along the way. Or walk much shorter days......
To have walked more last time, I would have needed a 7-10 day rest I think.

But it's still a retirement plan at the back of my mind..........6 months would be nice.
I would probably stick to Spain and tick off the various routes.
 
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You could of course buy an albergue and keep it open year round. I admire those who are up to that challenge and of course there are people I have met who do "live" on the Camino. A retired German woman with an income of only 300 euros per month was doing this in 2018 when we served at Grañón in the winter. She had good gear for camping and often stopped at donativos where she could get a meal as well as a bed. In 2018 you could probably do this for 10 euros per day if you were careful with some 5 euro per night albergues being common.
 
Alvaro Lazaga Busto is currently walking his 55TH camino. His videos are on YT.

He seems to walk almost continuously along the way. He takes off a month here, a few weeks there, then back on camino along different routes.

In 2014, I meet a Frenchman who lived on camino. He walked back and forth only on CF. How he managed the feat, I know not.

That same year I met an American who lived on the camino as both a pilgrim and a hospitalero.

He did not have a legal right to be in Spain. He said he stayed under the radar by walking then volunteering at many albergues on the way.
I would love to volunteer but do not speak a lick of Spanish, only english
 
In 2018 you could probably do this for 10 euros per day if you were careful with some 5 euro per night albergues being common.
You couldn't do it for that now, could you? 300 euros might cover your food, but wouldn't cover accommodation any more, would it?
 
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On a dark and rainy night in February, at an albergue in Portugal, I met a woman who had been on Camino for 9-10 months. At the rate she was walking would likely take a couple of months to walk to her home in France. We only met due to heavy rain having driven her indoors as tent was impractical.

After working around the world with her partner for a couple of years, they had decided to settle down to raise a family. But before doing so would complete a Lourdes. On route to Lourdes they decided to continue their pilgrimage to Santiago. In Santiago she decided to continue to Fatima while her partner returned home to prepare for the wedding. In Fatma she decided to walk to Lisbon. In Lisbon .....

In Lisbon, or the Algarve, she decided to walk home. When I met her she was pleased with the experience and had glowing commentary about the Spanish and Portuguese women and men who had been so kind and helpful to her.

She was satisfied that her pilgrimage had been worth the effort. Her partner had accepted a job and prepared for the wedding, but had not waited for her before proceeding.
 
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Yes.
Not because what is happening in Israel now (let's face it, it has always been 'dangerous' in Israel) but what has been going on in the neighbouring countries for a few years.
Yes, that’s what I was thinking - southern Turkey and Syria have been challenging to walk through for some years now. Of course, Israel itself is more volatile than usual at this moment too.
 
It probably has a lot to do with health and fitness too.
My last Camino was 60 days and my body was needing a rest by then.
I've often thought about much longer Caminos but I suspect in reality I would need R&R time along the way. Or walk much shorter days......
To have walked more last time, I would have needed a 7-10 day rest I think.

But it's still a retirement plan at the back of my mind..........6 months would be nice.
I would probably stick to Spain and tick off the various routes.
I have had similar thoughts about dedicating a European summer to maybe walking for 6 consecutive months with the caminos very much top of the list.

Whilst something like the PCT sounds fantastic, it would be tricky for me (European citizen and passport holder) due to various phobias (snakes, bears, heights (not sure if relevant on PCT)), length of stay, insurance costs and so on. I have poor upper body strength too and there would be lots of carry I assume). And a fair bit of preplanning which I don’t like! Plus I am rubbish at ‘outdoors stuff’ and cannot even put a tent up though I would learn if I did a 6 months Camino in Europe.

The infrastructure, costs, weather, and relatively simplicity all make camino walking super attractive and make it something I may do possibly April to September 2025.

I do chop and change my mind all the time though and the fact that I wouldn’t have to do any planning would mean I could change plan at any moment (both a good thing and a bad thing)!

I have done the Frances, Norte and Portuguese (from Porto), so wouldn’t prioritise those, VDLP would be top priority, and then work the others around that. I need to acquire more knowledge about the various walks and routes.

Walking from UK to Spain (obv with ferry across water) to start sounds attractive too!
 
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I have had similar thoughts about dedicating a European summer to maybe walking for 6 consecutive months with the caminos very much top of the list.

You got me doing some 'rough' back of the envelope numbers :rolleyes:

6 months = 180 days roughly.
Minus
rest day 1 in 10 = 162.
maybe three longer breaks of 7 days = 141 walking days.
at my 'easy' average daily distance of 22 kms = 3,100 kms.

I think I would focus on the Spanish Caminos to the South and East.
So in no specific order.

VdlP via Sanabres 1,000 = 2100 remaining
Mozarabe 390 = 1710
Levante 900 = 810
Madrid 320 = 490
Lana 672 = -182

Might need a bit more than 6 months :rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
You got me doing some 'rough' back of the envelope numbers :rolleyes:

6 months = 180 days roughly.
Minus
rest day 1 in 10 = 162.
maybe three longer breaks of 7 days = 141 walking days.
at my 'easy' average daily distance of 22 kms = 3,100 kms.

I think I would focus on the Spanish Caminos to the South and East.
So in no specific order.

VdlP via Sanabres 1,000 = 2100 remaining
Mozarabe 390 = 1710
Levante 900 = 810
Madrid 320 = 490
Lana 672 = -182

Might need a bit more than 6 months :rolleyes::rolleyes:
Ah good work. Your knowledge is far greater than mine so I need to look though all the different options. Outside what I consider the ‘hero’s’, the Frances, Norte, Portuguese, and VDLP my knowledge is extremely low.

I would probably just work to a time limit of say 6 months, and start with a priority list and see how far I could get. I probably wouldn’t plan any rest days ( I tend to do just as much walking on rest days!) but take them and as when required and would maybe take a week break at the end of the Camino.

I am a very slow walker but can cover long distances if I put a ‘full day’ in.

I have pencilled in April 2025 to Sept 2025 as the first opportunity. Long time between now and then but let’s see.
 
Ah good work. Your knowledge is far greater than mine so I need to look though all the different options. Outside what I consider the ‘hero’s’, the Frances, Norte, Portuguese, and VDLP my knowledge is extremely low.

I would probably just work to a time limit of say 6 months, and start with a priority list and see how far I could get. I probably wouldn’t plan any rest days ( I tend to do just as much walking on rest days!) but take them and as when required and would maybe take a week break at the end of the Camino.

I am a very slow walker but can cover long distances if I put a ‘full day’ in.

I have pencilled in April 2025 to Sept 2025 as the first opportunity. Long time between now and then but let’s see.

I tend to plan to 'have' rest days in the overall plan, but not when and where they will be......
Probbaly to many allowed in this case.
Only added some to work out number of walking days and hence overall distance I could cover in 6 months.
Planning is always fun ;)
 
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It probably has a lot to do with health and fitness too.
My last Camino was 60 days and my body was needing a rest by then.
I've often thought about much longer Caminos but I suspect in reality I would need R&R time along the way. Or walk much shorter days......
To have walked more last time, I would have needed a 7-10 day rest I think.

But it's still a retirement plan at the back of my mind..........6 months would be nice.
I would probably stick to Spain and tick off the various routes.
What I've found over the years is that there seems to be a 2½ to 3 months "barrier" that's hard to break through, physically certainly, but psychologically even more so.

When I finally overcame it on the 4th and final stage of my last Camino, it was fairly rough psychologically for a couple of weeks or so, but then my head finally adapted into this new situation of being away from home for so long, and so I adjusted to it as a "new normal".

As to the physical element, your body really does just adjust, so that walk - eat - sleep - repeat just turns into a standard living routine you don't have to worry about, nor even fatigue really except for the necessary rest days, so that you're left to just occupy your mind with itinerary choices, organisational stuff, whatever you might be reading, sightseeing, churches, and so on and so forth, to the extent that you really just import more types and manners of activities you might engage in at home into the Camino rather than your Camino time being special and different to your normal habits, as tends to be the case on shorter Caminos. It's more like living a part of your life on the Camino rather than being something apart from or separate from your normal life.

On Camino, I've never had to rest more than 2 nights in any one place BTW. Your body really does recover more quickly than one might expect, even after several months of continuous effort.

You got me doing some 'rough' back of the envelope numbers :rolleyes:

6 months = 180 days roughly.
Minus
rest day 1 in 10 = 162.
maybe three longer breaks of 7 days = 141 walking days.
at my 'easy' average daily distance of 22 kms = 3,100 kms.
That's a good start, but truth is if you're healthy enough, and you seem to be, your K/day might increase over time and you may need fewer rest days after the second month onwards.

You might IMO be physically capable of 3,500 to 4,000 K ... though psychologically is a different matter.

As to planning in advance, it doesn't really work on these very lengthy ones, because you need to be far more adaptable than usual.
 
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What I've found over the years is that there seems to be a 2½ to 3 months "barrier" that's hard to break through, physically certainly, but psychologically even more so.

When I finally overcame it on the 4th and final stage of my last Camino, it was fairly rough psychologically for a couple of weeks or so, but then my head finally adapted into this new situation of being away from home for so long, and so I adjusted to it as a "new normal".

As to the physical element, your body really does just adjust, so that walk - eat - sleep - repeat just turns into a standard living routine you don't have to worry about, nor even fatigue really except for the necessary rest days, so that you're left to just occupy your mind with itinerary choices, organisational stuff, whatever you might be reading, sightseeing, churches, and so on and so forth, to the extent that you really just import more types and manners of activities you might engage in at home into the Camino rather than your Camino time being special and different to your normal habits, as tends to be the case on shorter Caminos. It's more like living a part of your life on the Camino rather than being something apart from or separate from your normal life.

On Camino, I've never had to rest more than 2 nights in any one place BTW. Your body really does recover more quickly than one might expect, even after several months of continuous effort.


That's a good start, but truth is if you're healthy enough, and you seem to be, your K/day might increase over time and you may need fewer rest days after the second month onwards.

You might IMO be physically capable of 3,500 to 4,000 K ... though psychologically is a different matter.

As to planning in advance, it doesn't really work on these very lengthy ones, because you need to be far more adaptable than usual.
Thank you!! That’s really insightful! I have been wondering what it is like psychologically when walking the Camino becomes the ‘norm’, the everyday experience, as compared to a ‘off the plane, walk, back on the plane’ and then back to ‘normal life’ scenario.

I don’t know how that will be for me. I guess I will start out with the intention of 6 months and then if that becomes too much/boring/mundane I will do something else!
 
The longest I have done is 1 May to 3 July, and I must say I was not ready to go home....although, that said, some of the days near the end felt longer than usual, even though they were shorter. It's almost like our bodies knew we were coming to the end.
 
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I’ve been on Camino since 1969. I’ve just taken the odd break now and again. Winter? Winter is a good time for the southern routes. Agadir to Oujda via Ouarzazate works well.

I may have misunderstood your question. Spending a year in Spain, assuming you have rights under Schengen or the appropriate visa is easy. Spending a year on Camino is going to require some serious planning
1969, thats breathtaking! What an adventure..what adventures you must have had!
 
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That had confused me, too. It had me wondering if he married someone else.😅
When I told the story to half a dozen young ladies, sitting around the patio of an albergue in Baiona, the youngest girls thought it a sad story, but their new friends explained that it was a good outcome in that she had kept walking until her apprehension had been resolved.

After 9+ months, she was heading home while she 'still had my sanity', and her freedom. He had headed home after Santiago and found someone else. A good outcome for all. :)

In a very brief time, while offering to help me with a serious foot infection, she provided great insight into her journey and the wonderful people she had met in both Spain and Portugal. Had it not rained so heavily we would never have met as she rarely stayed in albergues.

She spoke most glowingly of the many Portuguese women who so kindly offered her food, a bed, and odd jobs to help her along her way.

Our paths never crossed again.
 
However tempting it still is, I wouldn't try it again either.
I’ve been dreaming of doing this as well…it “sounds” awesome, then you could celebrate by getting at tattoo at the famous Razzouks Tattoo parlour, in business since 1300.

 
The longest I have done is 1 May to 3 July, and I must say I was not ready to go home....although, that said, some of the days near the end felt longer than usual, even though they were shorter. It's almost like our bodies knew we were coming to the end.
Similar here. My longest Camino was 3rd of May till 20th of July. I loved it, but after arriving in Santiago I didn't want to walk on to Finsterre anymore (which was the original plan). Somehow I felt like I had reached my destination and I also was all of a sudden fed up with albergue life.
 
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1969, thats breathtaking! What an adventure..what adventures you must have had!
William, I’ve always assumed that all of life is an adventure. Meandering the backroads of Spain or Morocco. Hacking it from Barcelona to Dieppe and hoping for a lift in a lorry across the channel (those were the days eh?) Service; Career; marriage; children. Exploring the arse end of nowhere whenever the opportunity arose. Discovering that the world was full of bitter and twisted people just like me and that we all had our reasonable explanations. And slowly getting to understand, with the help of the Beloved and the loved that all will be well.

And so to Camino. That strangest adventure of them all. No need for weapons drill, no night navigation, no slimy politician telling me it was an excellent audit that had come to the wrong conclusion, no audit committee asking if I had sufficient budget ( a laughable question)…Just an imperfectly random bunch of people meandering a random set of paths to a place that has, for each, some significance or none.

Sorry, bit of a meander there. Yes. I’ve had some great adventures 😉
 
William, I’ve always assumed that all of life is an adventure. Meandering the backroads of Spain or Morocco. Hacking it from Barcelona to Dieppe and hoping for a lift in a lorry across the channel (those were the days eh?) Service; Career; marriage; children. Exploring the arse end of nowhere whenever the opportunity arose. Discovering that the world was full of bitter and twisted people just like me and that we all had our reasonable explanations. And slowly getting to understand, with the help of the Beloved and the loved that all will be well.

And so to Camino. That strangest adventure of them all. No need for weapons drill, no night navigation, no slimy politician telling me it was an excellent audit that had come to the wrong conclusion, no audit committee asking if I had sufficient budget ( a laughable question)…Just an imperfectly random bunch of people meandering a random set of paths to a place that has, for each, some significance or none.

Sorry, bit of a meander there. Yes. I’ve had some great adventures 😉
What a beautiful life
Of all the lives lived,all the stories made,among all the stories traveled along side each other on the Way!
 
I have had similar thoughts about dedicating a European summer to maybe walking for 6 consecutive months with the caminos very much top of the list.
There's a recently created walk in Romania that may take up two months. It has been reported that starting in April time spent there will count against the 90 day Schengen limit. There are bear and wolf warnings for the Transilvanica.

 
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Hello pilgrims,
Íve been on the Camino 6 times in the last 6 years, each time approximately 4 weeks.
I do dream of going for a whole year but ím kind of afraid of the winter.
Who has did a pilgrim all year around and what was your experience like?

Ben
Not me but I'd never thought of this, could be a new travel ambition 😂 Like a wayfaring stranger, wandering roaming pilgrim, not sure if the Spanish authorities would appreciate that though or allow it, I think you have to leave the area after a certain amount of months, and then re enter, got to double check that though
 
Many (most) of us here would not be able to be there for more than 90 days in a 180 day period.

Then again....which camino are you referring to? There are many routes in Spain and France (and other European countries) that link and end up in Santiago.
Plus...the long route from Canterbury to Rome.

...and there are several members that actually live on the cami
Not me but I'd never thought of this, could be a new travel ambition 😂 Like a wayfaring stranger, wandering roaming pilgrim, not sure if the Spanish authorities would appreciate that though or allow it, I think you have to leave the area after a certain amount of months, and then re enter, got to double check that though
Well I'm from Germany, so I don't have any restrictions as of that. It doesn't necessarily have to be the Camino, but generally doing a pilgrimage in the winter seems very difficult. That's why I'm interested in others experiences.
 
I'm referring to all caminos in Spain. 1 year would be way too much for just the Frances or Via de Plata. So wandering around Spain doing all sorts of caminos would be amazing. Well I'm gonna start In march that's for sure and let's see what happens. Thx for the reply
 
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Similar here. My longest Camino was 3rd of May till 20th of July. I loved it, but after arriving in Santiago I didn't want to walk on to Finsterre anymore (which was the original plan). Somehow I felt like I had reached my destination and I also was all of a sudden fed up with albergue life.
I can imagine getting tired of albergue life too. Even after a few weeks I'm sometimes tired of it and getting a hotel room isn't all the time isn't in the budget.
I do have a car and a trailer which I could drive down to Spain with, that would be a way of getting good rest sometimes and having my home with me.
 

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