Camino de Santiago alone (female)!

You may be wondering if it’s dangerous to walk the Camino de Santiago alone as a solo female traveler. My short answer is: of course not. In fact, if I may elaborate a bit more, I think it’s one of the best things you could do as your first experience traveling alone.

Why it’s not dangerous to travel solo on

the Camino de Santiago

First and foremost, because you will never be alone (maybe one day.)

Nowadays, the Camino de Santiago – any of the 10 official routes (if you keep researching, you’ll see there are several more) – is quite popular worldwide. You’ll rarely find yourself COMPLETELY ALONE. Of the 35 days I walked, I must have been alone like OH MY GOOD WHAT A WILD THING TO BE DOING I’M SO ADVENTUROUS… maybe twice. And I love traveling alone and that’s what I look for when I travel, but the Camino de Santiago is full of people. And if you do it in high season, it’s even more crowded!

I don’t mean to take away the mysticism. You’ll be able to be alone, and it’s a unique experience, but don’t be afraid because the reality is that nowadays, it’s a well-known and quite touristy route.

Another reason why it’s not dangerous is that the route is relatively well-marked. I say relatively because, for example, it’s not the same to do the French Camino as the Portuguese or the Northern one.

If this is your first solo trip, and you want to have everything a little more under control, then the French Camino is your best bet.

This route is the most well-known and popular. It’s super well-marked, there are hostels practically every five kilometers, and you’ll always find people and make friends.

If I’m traveling alone,

which Camino de Santiago should I do?

It depends what you want. Iif you’re hesitating and want to do it as organized and confidently as possible, then the French Camino is for you.

NOWWWWWWWWW, with all the subjectivity in the world, if you’re a lover of landscapes, you thrive in solitude, and are a little adventurer, then I highly recommend the Northern Camino.
On September 5th, 2022, I started my Northern Camino from Irun and arrived in Santiago on October 10th, with a couple of injuries along the way. Was it because I traveled alone? No, it was because I was a careless beast. But that’s a story for another time and I swear I learnt my lesson.

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Another reason why it’s not dangerous to travel solo on the Camino de Santiago is that accommodations are shared between pilgrims, so there will always be someone with you.

This doesn’t mean that you don’t have to take the usual precautions simply because you’re a woman traveling alone, but from my personal opinion as a traveler, I can assure you that the Camino de Santiago is one of the safest experiences you can have.

If you’ve never traveled before and you’re dying to do it alone… then THIS is the best first experience you can have. It’ll help you let go, and there will always be people around to turn to.

¡Bueno Camino!

Angie

Do you want to practice Spanish? I have a podcast with lots of interviews, tips and tricks for solo female travelers in Spanish: Spotify , Apple Podcast, , Google Podcast,  y Youtube