Travelling solo along one of the exciting Camino de Santiago routes doesn’t mean you’re alone – far from it. Walking the Camino is an intensely personal experience during which many people discover things about themselves they’d never thought possible. You walk the Camino as much in your mind as you do with your feet, and even when surrounded by people, you still tread the Way of St James by yourself.
Yet walking solo through the breathtaking landscapes of Spain and Portugal needn’t mean that you’re alone. The nature of the Camino de Santiago means that there’s never a shortage of like-minded people walking in the same direction as you. Friendships blossom quickly and deeply while wrapped up in the magic of a walk that thousands have done for over a thousand years.
Travel Solo, Not Alone with Uwalk
We understand it’s a fine line between wanting to venture out by yourself and experiencing the Camino de Santiago as a solo traveller and not wanting to feel uncomfortable in the process. With this in mind, we have tailored several of our routes to cater to those walking the Camino solo, with just enough support that means you’re never really on your own.
All of our ‘Travel Solo, Not Alone’ group departures include a meet and greet at the airport, followed by an arrival airport transfer to your first hotel. Regarding accommodation, your comfort is of the highest importance to us, so we provide you with two options; a single room to yourself, with an additional supplement, or a shared room with one other person of the same gender.
We also know how important it is to get off on the right foot, so we host a welcome dinner on the first night, where you can meet the other solo walkers in your group. This is followed by a briefing by your local guide, who will outline the week ahead and answer any questions you might have. Hopefully, this will allow you to go to bed that night full-prepared and ready to begin your Camino adventure the following day.
Solo Travel Options
We offer a few different options for the would-be solo traveller, each offering a slightly different flavour of this most iconic walk yet still offering exactly the same self-guided trip and services mentioned above.
Camino Frances
If you want to go classic, look no further. The Camino Frances is both the most well-travelled and well-known of all the Camino routes. Winding 780 km from the tiny French town of St. Jean de Pied Port to the gates of Santiago, this is usually the route portrayed in films, books, and TV series.
Our Camino Frances option focuses on the final 115km that links the ancient town of Sarria with Santiago de Compostela. This is just over the minimum distance required to claim your certificate of completion, known as a Compostela when you reach Santiago.
This section includes five days of walking plus two nights in Santiago on completion. It is set entirely within the northwestern province of Galicia, a stunning area with more than a little of Ireland to it. In fact, on misty mornings, with vibrantly green hills rolling away in all directions, Celtic crosses standing tall, and cows galore, you’d be forgiven in thinking that it was all a dream and that you’d just woken up back in County Cork.
Seven nights B&B from €649pp + €150 Deposit Per Person (Non-refundable)
Dates:
- April: 12th – 19th
- June: 28th – July 5th
- July 24th – 31st
- Sept: 24th – Nov 1st
Palas de Rei, French Way
Camino Portuguese
If the Camino Frances remains the most iconic route, the Portuguese Way is quickly gaining traction as an exciting alternative. Stretching from Lisbon to Santiago and covering 620 dazzling kilometres, much of it running along the stunning Atlantic coast, it’s not hard to see why this is becoming so popular.
We offer two options covering the Camino Portuguese’s final stages linking Tui on the Spanish/Portuguese border with Santiago de Compostela. The first is a group trip with Mark O’Donnell, which includes five days of walking and an additional two nights in Santiago.
The second follows precisely the same route and time frame but is aimed more at those travelling solo and also comes in at a slightly lower price.
As with the section of the Camino Frances, the entirety of this route lies within Galicia. Yet, while coming from the east brings many ups and downs, heading up from the south allows for a much more meandering path that includes many of the Rias (estuaries) that Galicia is famous for. If you’re looking for a healthy dose of the sea to go with your walk, this is the one for you.
Group Trip with Mark O’Donnell
7 nights – B&B from €695pp
€100 Deposit Per Person (Non-refundable)
Dates: July 21st – 28th 2023
Mark O’Donnell, Group Departure, Portuguese Way Stage 2
Travel Solo, Not alone – Group Departure
7 nights B&B from €649pp
€150 Deposit Per Person (Non-refundable)
Dates:
- Sep: 11th – 18th
Portuguese Way
Celtic Camino
Long before the age of Ryanair, Irish pilgrims looking to complete the Camino de Santiago would begin this mammoth undertaking right outside their front door. A long trek to Ireland’s southern shore would be followed by a choppy boat trip to northern Spain, with a 75 km walk down to Santiago to complete their pilgrimage.
The Celtic Camino harks back to that age, with walkers required to complete at least 25 km of walking in Ireland before travelling down to A Coruna (probably by plane rather than a rickety ship) and completing the final 75km needed for your Compostela from there.
This is the Camino with a distinctively Irish twist and one with its roots firmly planted at home. At the present time, we have just one date available for the Celtic Camino (3rd to 8th May), and places are going fast, so if you miss this one, speak to your Uwalk specialist about upcoming Celtic Camino group dates.
From €690 per person and includes 5 Nights accommodation (based on 2 sharing a twin/double room), 3 Nights in A Coruna – 4* Accommodation and 2 Nights in Santiago – 3*Accommodation.
Hercules Tower, A Coruña, Galicia, Spain
