The crunch of boots on gravel, the thud of a walking stick on the turf, the scent of eucalyptus or topped lavender drifting through the morning air – these are the sensations of the Camino de Santiago. Every year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims follow these ancient routes across Spain and Portugal, each with a story as individual as the road beneath their feet.
Some come for faith, others for freedom or the revitalising effects of getting away from it all. Some seek healing after loss, while others simply want to test themselves physically. Whatever the reason, one thing is certain: no one finishes the Camino unchanged!
Join us as we look at why people walk the Camino and what you could hope to gain. And while you’re with us, please browse our Camino Trips.
Why Pilgrims Walk The Way…
According to the Pilgrim’s Office in Santiago, more than 300,000 people complete the Camino each year. Many more walk only a section at a time. Ask a dozen pilgrims why they started, and you’ll get a dozen answers.
Some say they were drawn by tradition — the echo of a medieval pilgrimage that still feels sacred. Others wanted a break from routine, to rediscover what matters when life is reduced to a backpack, a map, and the road. One traveller told the BBC, “The Camino became a moving meditation — every step let something go.”
It’s this mix of physical challenge and quiet reflection that makes the Camino so compelling. The route welcomes all kinds of people, from devout believers to secular wanderers, and weaves their stories together into a long, unbroken thread that stretches across centuries. Journeys don’t get more epic than this! (If history is part of the draw for you, we recommend the Classic French Way.)
The Veteran Pilgrim: Guy Thatcher
When Canadian army officer Guy Thatcher first set out on the Camino at age 65, he wasn’t sure what he’d find. Featured in The Guardian and later in his book A Journey of Days, Thatcher described his 800-kilometre walk as a lesson in humility and humanity.
He met strangers who shared food, offered shelter, or simply smiled as he passed — small gestures that carried immense weight on long, lonely days. For Thatcher, the journey marked a new chapter in life after retirement. It showed that the trail isn’t just for the young or the fit; it’s open to anyone willing to take the first step.
The Mother Walking for Healing
Cultural anthropologist Nancy L. Frey has spent decades studying the Camino and the people who walk it. In her book Pilgrim Stories, she recounts the experience of a mother who took to the trail after losing her son. Grief, she wrote, became her silent companion at first — but the rhythm of walking, and the quiet compassion of fellow pilgrims, began to ease its weight.
The mother never described the Camino as curing her pain, but rather transforming it. Her story captures something essential about the pilgrimage: it offers time and space to breathe, reflect, and heal — without judgment or distraction.
The Modern Seeker
Even Hollywood has felt the pull of the Camino. The 2010 film The Way, written and directed by Emilio Estevez and starring his father Martin Sheen, was inspired by their own time along the route. While fictional, it drew heavily from real pilgrims they met — people walking after divorce, retirement, or loss.
Sheen has since said that what moved him most wasn’t the scenery but the sense of community among strangers.
Lessons from Camino Pilgrims
Though their backgrounds may differ, pilgrims often share a common discovery: that simplicity reveals what truly matters. Days on the trail are stripped down to essentials — food, rest, companionship, and the steady rhythm of walking. The Camino reminds us that progress isn’t only measured in miles. It’s found in the quiet conversations, in the moments of generosity, and in the patience that comes from taking life one step at a time.
Your Story Awaits
Whether you walk one stage or the full route to Santiago, the Camino will meet you where you are. It doesn’t demand perfection — only presence. Every pilgrim begins with questions, and most finish with a deeper understanding of themselves and others.
Perhaps that’s why so many return again and again. Each walk becomes a new story, shaped by the landscape, the weather, and the people met along the way.
When you’re ready to begin your own chapter on the Camino, we’d be honoured to walk beside you. Join one of our Camino Experiences, meet fellow pilgrims from around the world, and see what stories the trail has in store for you.
