Camino de Santiago for beginners: where to start
By Hito · Published 6 September 2026
You want to walk the Camino, but every route seems to call for a different trip. You do not need to settle everything at once. Start with the time you have and how you would like to spend your days.
Count walking days, not just holiday days
Put your outward journey and return journey on a calendar first. What remains is the time you can spend walking. Decide whether you want a night in Santiago too. Arriving and catching a flight a few hours later is quite a different plan from having a day to stay.
If you are travelling with someone, do this together. Talk about early starts, time for visits and the kind of places you want to sleep. Sorting out those expectations at home is easier than changing bookings along the way.
Choose a starting point as well as a route
The Camino is a network of routes, not one walk with a single starting line. Saying you are walking the Portuguese Camino still leaves a lot open: Tui, Porto and Lisbon mean different journeys. Sarria is one possible starting point on the much longer French Way.
| Option | What it means | What to check next |
|---|---|---|
| French Way from Sarria | A section of the Camino Francés ending in Santiago. | How to get to Sarria and divide the walk. |
| Portuguese Way from Tui | The route through Tui and onwards to Santiago. | Your arrival journey and overnight stops. |
| Portuguese Coastal Way | A different approach from the route through Tui; you still need a starting point. | The coastal section you will walk and where the routes meet. |
These are options to investigate, not a ranking of the easiest routes. The official Galicia route pages below let you check their scope. Keep local place names in your notes: they will help when looking up transport and accommodation.
A stage needs somewhere to end
A stage is one day's walk. You can use a published itinerary as a starting point without following it exactly. If you split a day, check whether you can stay at the new stopping point and what that does to the following day.
Write down the start, finish, distance, planned accommodation and a fallback. Our stage planning guide explains how to divide your walking days. An albergue is a hostel; its name alone does not tell you whether it takes bookings or what the sleeping arrangements are. Here is what to ask before booking.
Walking independently: what you need to arrange
Planning your own trip means choosing and arranging the services you need. Check your transport to the start, overnight stops and journey home. If you want luggage transfers, ask the operator whether your dates and accommodation are covered.
You will also come across the credencial, often called a pilgrim passport, and the Compostela, a certificate issued by the Cathedral under its own conditions. They are different documents. Our pilgrim passport guide explains where to check the requirements.
Once those decisions are clearer, work through the Camino packing list. Look at what you already own before buying equipment for a trip you have not quite settled yet.
Sources
Sources checked on 6 September 2026. The itinerary examples are our own. Consult the sources for the route details:
For corrections, write to hola@hitocamino.com.