What to Know About Walking the Camino de Santiago Alone

In June 2023, I walked the Camino de Santiago alone.

Sort of.

Okay, my mother and sister joined me to walk the last five days of the Camino Frances route together. But before that, I was a solo traveler for a month on the Camino.

What I learned during that month of solo travel is this: on the Camino, no solo traveler is truly alone. That’s one reason the Camino is such a perfect way to travel solo!

If you’re also thinking about walking the Camino alone, you probably have a lot of questions, like:

• Is it safe?
• Will I be lonely?
• What if I get lost?
• Will people think I’m weird for walking alone?

I’m here to answer those questions, and give you all the information you need about walking the Camino alone.

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Is it safe to walk the Camino de Santiago alone?

Yes! It’s very safe to walk the Camino alone!

First of all, if you are walking the Camino — especially the Camino Frances, the most populated route — you are very likely to encounter many other pilgrims all the time. While there were times on my Camino when no other pilgrims were within sight, this was the exception, not the norm. And there were always plenty of other pilgrims at every cafe, restaurant, and albergue (pilgrims’ hostel). In other words, you will not often be truly alone unless you want to be.

Even beyond that, though, the Camino is an extremely safe way to travel, and crime against pilgrims is quite rare.

In reality, the most dangerous elements of the Camino are not people looking to do you harm, but (1) weather, (2) physical injuries, and (3) vehicles. The sun and overheating can be quite dangerous, and people do die from heatstroke on the Camino. Additionally, plenty of pilgrims do of course suffer other physical injuries.

And vehicles are a real concern on the Camino: there are many places where the path goes beside or across roads, and while most local drivers are aware of pilgrims, it’s very important to be cautious when walking near roads, especially early in the morning (when it is dark).

Can women walk the Camino alone?

Yes, women can definitely walk the Camino alone! (I did!)

In fact, speaking as a woman who has traveled solo quite a lot, I actually think the Camino is one of the absolute safest ways for women to travel alone. This is because it’s so, so easy to be with other people if you want to be (especially on the Camino Frances), AND because the Camino is just very safe in general.

On my Camino, there was only one moment when I felt anything other than totally safe. I left Villafranca del Bierzo well before sunrise and walked through town when it was still pitch black outside. As I was walking down the main street, a car with several men in it slowed down as they passed me. The driver rolled down the window, and one of them barked at me as they drove past. (Yes, like a dog.) This was unsettling, and made me really nervous each time another car drove past me in Villafranca — I was worried that the same car of men had driven around the block and would pass me again. But they didn’t, and all was well.

Also, FYI, according to one exhibit I saw in Sahagún, more women than men actually walk the Camino these days! I certainly met MANY other women (ranging from their early 20s to their early 80s) who were also walking alone.

How do I meet people as a solo traveler on the Camino?

As I said above, if you are walking one of the more popular Camino routes — especially the Camino Frances — and you are not walking during the winter, you can expect to encounter other pilgrims everywhere you go. There will be pilgrims on the trail with you, at the cafes and restaurants where you stop along the way, at the albergues where you sleep at night, and in the towns where you hang out in the afternoons and evenings.

Some of these pilgrims will, inevitably, talk to you. If you are sitting at a cafe, it’s likely that someone will ask if they can sit with you. People will introduce themselves to you in your albergues, and so on.

And while I know it can be difficult for some people to meet strangers due to social anxieties or other reasons, I recommend that you try to do the same — introduce yourself to other pilgrims that you see! You will be surprised how easy it is to connect with people and how quickly you can form meaningful relationships if you are open to it.

Indeed, I found that most pilgrims brought a real desire for connection and serendipity to the Camino. It is a unique place where most of life falls away and all that matters is walking, eating, and sleeping. As a result, people are particularly open and vulnerable in a really lovely way.

I do recommend staying in albergue dorm rooms, rather than private rooms — it is easier to meet people if you are sharing a space with them than if you have a private room, where you can shut yourself away if that is your natural inclination.

Is it lonely to walk the Camino alone?

In my experience, no — I’m not sure I was ever lonely on the Camino!

Actually, as an introvert, I sometimes had to be intentional about carving out alone time on the Camino. This typically looked something like being clear with fellow pilgrims if I was in the mood to walk alone, or perhaps hanging out in my bunk with earbuds in during the afternoon.

If you are an extrovert who needs constant connection with other people, be warned that there may be moments where you are alone on the trail. However, it is typically not difficult to find people to walk and talk with — you just may need to put a little more effort into making sure that you are walking at the same time and pace as others. (And it will help a lot if you are multilingual!)

How do I keep my belongings safe if I walk the Camino alone?

This was a big concern of mine heading into the Camino, especially since I planned to stay mostly in albergue dorm rooms and I was carrying an expensive camera. I was mostly worried about leaving my stuff on my bunk with other pilgrims in the room while I showered, and I actually packed a dry bag that would allow me to take my valuables into the shower with me.

And then…I never, ever used it.

Seriously! The moment I started my Camino and began talking with other pilgrims, I lost all fear that any of my fellow pilgrims might steal from me. In the city of Burgos, I actually shipped my dry bag ahead to Santiago so I no longer needed to carry its weight each day.

Now, that’s not to say that there is NO theft on the Camino — I’m sure it does happen. But it is rare, and not something to obsess about.

I also think there is real value, in life and on the Camino, in assuming the best of other people, rather than approaching others with an attitude of defensiveness and skepticism. Personally, I did find that people tended to be exceptionally kind and generous on the Camino (that applies to other pilgrims, but especially to the locals).

For what it’s worth, no one stole anything from me on the Camino. I did, however, do my level best to lose probably half of what I brought, accidentally leaving behind all sorts of stuff everywhere I went. Examples: I left my wallet, passport and all, behind at the León cathedral (!), and an employee held onto it for me until I realized and returned for it. My journal fell out of my bag at a bar in Puente La Reina (I didn’t notice), and a local man — who spoke no English — worked very hard to reunite us.

And on and on — it’s actually a little embarrassing how many things I almost lost (or did lose), but at every instance, if there was an opportunity for someone to help me, they did.

Note as well that some albergues do provide lockers where you can securely place your stuff. Additionally, you will often be stepping away from your stuff, and others will look out for it. (For example, every time I took a mid-morning break at a cafe, I took off my backpack and left it outside while I ordered.)

Will people think I’m weird for walking the Camino alone?

As for whether people in your regular life will think you’re weird for walking the Camino alone — well, maybe. I have no control over that, and neither do you. What you can control is whether you let other people’s ideas dictate your own choices.

As for the Camino itself — no, absolutely no one will think you’re weird for walking alone. MANY, many people walk the Camino alone. Anecdotally, I would estimate that perhaps half of the people I met on my Camino were, like me, traveling solo.

I don’t know how representative those numbers are of all pilgrims, but it is very common to walk the Camino alone. For the first couple weeks of my Camino, I spent much of my time with a wonderful group of pilgrims who had all begun their Caminos alone (but became friends along the way). Later on, my “Camino family” was a group of fabulous women — two pairs of friends, and the rest of us solo.

What if I get lost on the Camino?

You won’t! Uh, probably.

Okay, I know this is a genuine anxiety for many people, so in all seriousness: with very few exceptions, the Camino is very, very well marked. There are yellow arrows and shells (a symbol of the Camino) pointing the way on trees, on the road, on signs…everywhere. At every fork in the road, you can expect to find something telling you which way to go. It is very difficult to get lost on the Camino.

Additionally, there are apps you can use to track your location against the correct path and make sure you are still on the right trail. These include Wise Pilgrim and Buen Camino.

Now, I do have to say that one of my friends did get briefly lost on the Camino! Occasionally, there are advertisements along the way encouraging you to check out an albergue a little ways off the path. She misinterpreted one of those signs, and took a wrong turn. When she realized her mistake, she simply hopped in a taxi to take her back to the right path. No big deal! And she still jokes that she didn’t “get lost” — she just went to the wrong town 🙂

Final Thoughts on Walking the Camino Alone

If you haven’t traveled solo before — or even if you have, but you haven’t done anything like the Camino — it’s natural to have some concerns or anxieties about the idea of walking the Camino alone.

But rest assured: walking the Camino alone is normal, safe, and fun! I had a wonderful experience as a solo traveler on the Camino, and I have full confidence that you can do the same.

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