Need reasons to do the Camino de Santiago in 2023? In this article, we give you 6! Read to the end to get inspired. After all, it's 260 kilometers from Porto to our destination, if you don't take the wrong route. So you've got the motivation and commitment for the mission ahead. Let's go?
There's no shortage of reasons to do the Camino de Santiago in 2023, even though it's a challenge for many pilgrims. Before the route begins, they realize that they have to prepare for a number of situations, such as packing their backpacks, buying transport tickets and sometimes booking accommodation beforehand.
All these little obstacles can take a little of the will out of future walkers. So here are 6 reasons to do the Camino de Santiago in 2023. Read them in the most difficult moments, after the journey and even during the walk, and you'll see that the process becomes easier!
1) It's a physical and mental challenge.
Who doesn't like a challenge? Like a game, on the Camino de Santiago, you're always reaching new goals and trying to go further. However, whatever your physical condition, a walk of this size is difficult. Not only do you have to walk several kilometers a day (some people even do 50 a day), but you often have to do it with the sun blazing down on you and blisters on your feet.
The best advice is: The journey adapts. You can walk, cycle or even run the entire route - or even a combination of the three. Imagine someone who's not very good on a bicycle and decides to cycle the whole way. It's a new adventure that forces us to be better every day.
The important thing is to be committed to your purpose and never exceed our limits, be they physical or mental.
2. It's a religious moment for many pilgrims.
Not all pilgrims are religious people, but the Camino de Santiago has a historical aspect linked to Christianity. You can read our article on the history of the route, here. Even agnostics and atheists say they feel something inside them when they make the journey. Whether it's the journey, the company or the feeling of mission accomplished, arriving in the capital of Galicia and the destinations that take you there will impress anyone. It's a place of self-discovery, of your limits and your ambitions, and it's only natural to feel so many emotions along the way. A kind of magic leads to a passion for the route.
3. An outdoor gym that's much cheaper.
Some of us, including the writer, spend many hours sitting at a desk in front of one or more computer screens. So the Camino de Santiago is a way to escape the routine and, in the process, achieve the much-needed 10,000 recommended steps (don't worry, you'll do many more, every day).
Walking, cycling or running 25 kilometers per stage is an exercise that will get anyone going. If your goal is to lose weight, then you're on the right track, and a day of walking will lead to the loss of enough calories to stop you worrying about that heavy lunch.
4. Doing the Camino de Santiago is a new way of doing tourism.
In 2023, there's plenty of tourism. Some people prefer to spend a few days relaxing on the beach, others go to the Swiss Alps (or Serra da Estrela) to have fun in the snow. Pilgrims bring together the best of the planet and cultural/rural/religious tourism in a sports and adventure package filled with wonderful landscapes all along the way.
You'll learn to revisit how journeys were made in ancient times and get to know thousands of places you'd never have thought of visiting. Small villages in a remote and hidden Portugal or a little church in the middle of a town that has grown up around it. It's memories like these that make the Camino de Santiago so special.
5. You'll meet lots of new people.
Good for shy people to work on their social skills and great for extroverts, as the Camino de Santiago is full of people. Whether in towns, villages, cafés or even along the way, it's true to say: "You never walk the Camino alone".
There are cases of friendships forged on the way that last a lifetime and, of course, there will be cases of love built along the way. The spirit of the Way, the feeling of belonging to a community, facilitates the bonds between pilgrims. Like a nation, the bonds created here are hard to break, as they are fueled by a common conquest.
6. You'll have moments of reflection doing the Camino de Santiago.
Finally, the warning: the road can be lonely. There are those who make it in silence, even, and it's a time to put our priorities in order, to think about the future. What you want for your life and, above all, what you don't want.
This process of self-knowledge is only possible for many pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago. It's the place and space in which you can disconnect from the world, away from the hustle and bustle of the cities and, in a way, the responsibilities of the "real" world. This is a privilege that makes you return to society as a new person, with clear goals and an energy ready for action.
So, what are the reasons for doing the Camino de Santiago in 2023?
Because it's a unique experience. Whatever your main motivation, they're all valid. Whether it's a religious journey or just a desire to sleep in hostels, the important thing is the memories the journey leaves behind for any pilgrim.
Excellent article. Whatever the reason, it will be inspiring.