Say “Yes, I do” to the Camino de Santiago
In another article on our blog, we gave you some reasons to complete the Camino de Santiago as a couple. We do not know if our reasons just convinced you or if you were clear about things when you arrived here.
Anyway, you are in the right place, because in this article we’ll give you some tips to do the Camino de Santiago as a couple. Before you continue reading about tips for couples, and if you still don’t know anything about the pilgrim route, we recommend that you consult our practical guide on the Camino de Santiago, where you will find the basic information to start your adventure.
Advice to prepare the Camino de Santiago as a couple
Like any trip, doing the Camino de Santiago requires early preparation, especially if you go with your partner. This phase is also part of the trip, there are couples who hate to take care of logistical aspects and couples who enjoy doing it together.
If you are part of the group of people who plan the logistical details, this always means stress for the couple, first of all, you should know that there are specialized agencies for the Camino de Santiago, like us, that look after all the organization for you. In this article, we explain some of the advantages of planning the Camino de Santiago with a tour operator.
If you are interested in doing the Camino de Santiago from Sarria as a couple without any stress or worries, you are in the right place! Tell us details about your plan and let us take care of organizing everything.
However, although there are many aspects that you can delegate to the agency, there are some decisions you will have to take together with your partner. Continue reading, we will give you many tricks to help you travel successfully as a couple on the Camino de Santiago.
Reserve just some days, it doesn’t matter how many
The first thing to do is to choose the dates to complete the Camino de Santiago. Any time of the year is suitable for having this unforgettable adventure. However, the winter season is the hardest, because of the low temperatures and because you will find many services closed.
The hardest thing is to get the two of you to coincide with your free days in order to escape to the Camino de Santiago together. But the effort will be worthwhile because enjoying a journey together, surrounded by nature and unforgettable moments that no doubt will contribute to strengthening your relationship.
You should know that no matter how much time you have, you can do the Camino de Santiago in just a week or more than a month, it all depends on the route and the section that you decide to take. In this article you will be able to consult which route to choose according to the time so that you and your partner can spend time together on the Camino de Santiago.
Choose the route according to the weaker partner
Another aspect that you should negotiate with your partner and is not easy, is what route or stretch of the Camino de Santiago you will do. Not all the roads to Compostela are the same, each route, and even each stretch of the same route, has its own peculiarities, both in terms of landscapes and in difficulty.
In this article we tell you what are the main pilgrimage routes to Santiago, to start talking about it. This part of the trip is sometimes one of the most beautiful because while studying together each of the itineraries, you can imagine yourselves on them. It is the stage of travelling without moving from the living room.
One aspect that you must keep in mind when choosing which Camino de Santiago to do, is whether both partners are in the same physical condition or not. We always advise that the route is chosen according to the conditions of the one who is least fit.
It’s the same advice we give when we talk about the hiking pace. If two pilgrims walk together and one walks faster than the other, the best thing is that the one who walks the quickest will slow down.
For this person, there is no implication, beyond the simple fact of reducing their pace. However, if the one who walks slower accelerates the pace to adapt their rhythm to the fastest, they will most likely end the stage with tendinitis and that is what no-one wants on the Camino de Santiago.
If you don’t agree with each other, hire the services of a specialized agency on the Camino de Santiago, explain your case and ask them to advise you. When it comes to couples, there is not always a third opinion.
Agree on which type of Camino de Santiago you want to do
In addition to the wide range of routes on the Camino de Santiago, there are many ways to pilgrimage. That is why in Santiago Ways we always say that there are so many paths as pilgrims.
If you are going to do the Camino de Santiago with your boyfriend or girlfriend or with your wife or husband, it is best that they feel like talking about what kind of experience they want to have. There are a number of aspects on which it is worth agreeing about in order to avoid future misunderstandings.
The Camino de Santiago: on foot, by bike or on horseback
The first of them and perhaps the easiest of all is whether the tour will be done on foot, by bicycle or on horseback. Each way has its own charm.
This point of planning the trip should not be a major inconvenience. Here if you don’t agree with your partner, they have a problem. No travel agency would know how to tell you what the best way is and if they do, don’t trust them.
In Santiago Ways, what we can say is that, if you both know how to ride a horse or a bicycle, an option is to decide depending on the stage if you do it by bike, on foot or on horseback. This way of doing the Camino de Santiago is possible, some pilgrims do it this way, but the logistics are much more complicated and you will have to have the services of third parties no matter what.
Honeymoon or adventure?
While honeymoon and adventure are not two concepts that are completely conflictive, you can establish a clear difference between one type of travel and the other. Do you want a trip with adventure but with comforts or want to jump onto the adventure and hope for the best?
This issue is important to talk about because if one of the partners is not willing to give up a certain degree of comfort during the holidays, it is best to take it all included to make sure that it is. What some people may think is an adventure and fun, to others, it may seem like a nightmare. It is not a question of going on the Camino de Santiago to have a bad time and less if you go as a couple!
With this, we basically refer to two aspects that greatly determine the trip to the Camino de Santiago: your accommodation and your backpack. Will you go with reserved accommodation (hotels, cottages, etc.) or will you try to stay in public hostels, at the risk of not getting a bed? Will you carry your backpack along the route or hire a shuttle service between stages?
If you decide not to give up comfort and avoid unforeseen circumstances, this is the point of route planning where you can be helped by an agency. If that’s your case, contact us So that our team can explain our services to you in more detail
It isn’t too much to talk about motivation and expectation
Nor is it wrong that you find the opportunity to discuss with your partner what are the motivations and expectations each of you has to do the Camino de Santiago. At this point, it is not necessary for you to agree, most motivations to do the Camino de Santiago are compatible with each other.
However, commenting on them previously will help you plan details of the journey that will make the Camino de Santiago a couple an even more unforgettable experience. Also, knowing what your partner’s wishes may be, you can prepare a surprise that leaves your partner speechless.
In this article, we will tell you the different reasons why people do the Camino de Santiago. In it, you will surely discover ways to enjoy your pilgrimage in which you had not thought about.
Take advantage to share much more than just the journey
To complete the Camino de Santiago, it is recommended to carry out a training schedule. Before starting. We recommend that you take advantage of the opportunity to share other moments with your partner, such as doing sports and excursions.
As a couple, yes, but doing your own thing
Preparing the backpack for the Camino de Santiago can be an adventure or the easiest thing in the world. If you’re going to carry it during the tour, you must organize it very well. In this article, we tell you what to take.
If you have decided to hire a backpack transport service, you won’t need to walk weighing each gram. In this article, we tell you some of the benefits of doing the Camino de Santiago without a backpack.
Anyway, our advice is to have each one carry their own backpack or case. No luggage sharing. Let each one take care of their own things, so you will avoid discussions during the journey of who forgot what, something that happens quite often.
Recommendations for the route
The previous were tips to prepare the trip, but not all depends on the effort you have devoted to the organization, there are also some aspects that you should take into account during the route to do the Camino de Santiago as a couple is an unforgettable experience. Here are two recommendations that you should not forget.
Don’t forget the food and drink!
Sometimes the most obvious things are the ones we pay less attention to. If you want your trip to the Camino de Santiago as a couple to be a success, make sure water and food are not missing.
When one of the partners is hungry or thirsty, tension increase, so always keep liquids and snacks at hand. In this article, we give you some tips on food and we propose some traditional dishes for the romantic dinners that await you on the Camino de Santiago.
Give yourself and your partner space
One of the things you have to keep in mind if you want to make the Camino de Santiago as a couple it is very likely that one or the other would like to spend time alone. If this happens, no-one will take offence!
Respecting each other’s space is always fundamental, but on the Camino, it is even more so. Pilgrimage has something that drives people to look inward, to reflect on themselves.
That is why we advise you that, even if you do the Camino de Santiago as a couple, spend a few kilometres to walk alone. If you want, you can discuss it beforehand with your partner, so this fact will not take anyone by surprise.
Finally, we just want to tell you that it seems a very wise decision to travel to the Camino de Santiago with your partner. The experience will make you grow as a person and as a couple. Here you have some more advice that will make you and your partner enjoy the Camino de Santiago even more.
As always, before you we goodbye, we invite you to share your experiences with us and with all the pilgrims who read here every day. Why did you decide to do the Camino de Santiago as a couple? Have you done this before? We look forward to your comments.
Buen Camino!
