Camino de Santiago 2025

Medium-hard day with 13 miles and 2400’ ascent / 2100’ descent with steep ups and downs all day through the woods, and rewarded near the end with sea cliff views and a beach.

People we’ve met on the Camino Norte are doing it for 1) Religious reasons 2) Adventure 3) Challenge or some combination. There are people in their 1) 20s and 2) 60s who are mostly doing the whole route, then 3) 30-50s generally doing part of it in 2-3 weeks. About half are doing the Camino alone. and the majority of those are women.

We’ve met about 40+ people but have only gotten to know a few well enough to ask Why. Here is a sample:

Tom - 65, retired petroleum engineer. 3rd Camino. American, Traveling alone. Religious / Adventure.

Steve - 62, a Catholic deacon, American, traveling alone. 3rd Camino for Religious and Adventure reasons.

Angela and Hanna, both 28, German, work in Sustainability for a global German window company, 2 week vacation, for Adventure and some challenge - but took the bus on the torrential rain day.

Marcie and Cindy - late 50s American, traveling together for mainly religious reasons.

Bethany - 31, American but lives/works in Spain. Has been struggling with depression and thinks nature/walking will help. Was worried about being alone but someone told her Jesus is walking with her and she seems comforted by that. Wants to get a small Camino Shell tattoo at the end because this represents her comeback from the edge of suicide.

Lien (pronounced Lynn), 34, Brugge Belgium/Flemish, diabetes nurse, 2 week vacation. She was doing it because her mother had done it for years with troubled teens and she wanted to try it.

Ryan, 28 American, Washington DC lawyer. 2 weeks. For Adventure, not religious but born Catholic. Might come back again. Amazed at the people doing it.

Gabrielle, 31 French Canadian, works in IT for a major bank in Montreal. Doing it for Challenge (ultra distance runner) and for religious reasons.

Brigetta, early 60s Swedish. She is walking it for Saint Bridgette who did the Camino in the Middle Ages. She is one of the rare religious Catholics living in Sweden which she says is growing.

Elise, age 35, French, doing 2 weeks. She is doing it for her father who is sick and who took her on the Camino when she was 12. She is also doing it to clear her head and put some difficult things behind her. Spiritual but not religious. Musician who plays traditional French music in Brussels.Read more