How many kilometres are there on the Camino de Santiago?
It would be almost impossible to calculate how many kilometres in length the Camino de Santiago route network is in total, contemplating both the shortest and longer routes. However, we can tell you that considering only the most popular official itineraries, which run through the Iberian Peninsula, the Camino de Santiago has a length of more than 4,000 kilometres.
In this article we will explain which path on the Camino de Santiago is the shortest and which is the longest. We will also tell you how many kilometres in length each of the routes of the Camino de Santiago is.
The shortest Camino de Santiago
To say which is the shortest Camino de Santiago, it is necessary to consider only those routes that meet the minimum length of 100 kilometres, since that is the distance that the Pilgrim’s Office requires to grant the Compostela, to the people who go on foot. That is why, some routes such as the Spiritual Variant on the Camino Portugues, from Pontevedra, has not been considered when developing this ranking of the shortest Camino de Santiago.
One of those routes is the Camino de Santiago from Sarria where you can not only capture the essence of the pilgrimage to Compostela, but also enjoy the beautiful Galician landscapes and meet other pilgrims. If you already know when you want to do it, leave us your details and we will contact you to help you organize everything perfectly.
Considering the other pilgrim routes, which end at the Cathedral of Compostela, the shortest Camino de Santiago is, as expected, the one that runs within the Galician community. In this sense, there are two routes that we could call the shortest Camino de Santiago, since the length of its route is close to the minimum of 100 kilometres.
We refer to the two paths that cross the northwest of Spain: The Camino de Finisterre and the Camino Ingles. Next, we will tell you about the two shortest pilgrim routes on the Camino de Santiago.
The Camino de Finisterre is the shortest layout
It is not a pun; it is not the same to speak of the Camino de Santiago from Finisterre from the Camino de Santiago to Finisterre. In the first case, it is considered a pilgrim route because the route is made from Muxía to the Cathedral of Santiago. In the second case, you cannot consider a Camino, but an epilogue.
That is why, when awarding the prize to the shortest Camino de Santiago, it is necessary to clarify this point. The length of the route is the same from Santiago to Muxía, which runs in reverse, but the route is not catalogued in the same way.
Therefore, the shortest Camino de Santiago runs between Muxía and the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. This short layout allows you to obtain the Compostela, without having to shorten or eliminate any stage.
The number of kilometres on this route of the Camino de Santiago is 114.6 km. If you want to know more about this route you can consult our guide to the Camino de Finisterre, although in it, we will tell you about the route from Santiago to Muxía.
The Camino Ingles is the shortest Camino
However, as only a few people know that the Camino de Finisterre can function as a pilgrim route or as epilogue of the Camino de Santiago, the one that has the fame of being the shortest Camino de Santiago is the Camino Ingles. However, this route is 7.7 kilometres longer.
The Camino de Santiago Ingles, which begins in Ferrol, has a length of 122.3 kilometres. If you want to know more about the features of its stages consult our guide to the Camino Ingles.
The shortest Camino de Santiago in the east
Given the geographical location of Santiago de Compostela, within the peninsular territory, it is normal that the shortest Caminos de Santiago are the two routes in the northwest. Now, which is the shortest Camino de Santiago in the east of the peninsula?
The answer is the Camino del Invierno. This pilgrim route is, of all the Caminos to Santiago, which come from the east, that we could consider the shortest. The length of the Camino de Invierno, from Ponferrada, is 179.6 kilometres long.
Many consider this route as a variant of the Camino Frances, but the truth is that it is recognised as a Camino, with an official start in Ponferrada and its own stages, to Santiago de Compostela. So it is impossible not to award it the prize as the shortest Camino de Santiago in the east. If you want to know more about its stages consult our guide to the Camino de Invierno.
The longest Camino de Santiago
The longest Camino de Santiago is La Via de la Plata. This route is the longest of all pilgrim routes and with the largest number of variants.
Therefore, when it comes to designating the longest Camino de Santiago it would be necessary to say that it is the variant known as the Camino Mozarabe, from Almería. This Camino de Santiago has a length of 1,365.1 kilometres, if you take the Camino Sanabres, when you reach Granja de Moreruela.
Other long southern routes
The second longest variant on La Via de la Plata is the one coming from Malaga (included within the Camino Mozarabe). The length of this route on the Camino de Santiago, considering that the Camino Sanabres is taken, is 1,199.3 kilometres. If you want to know more about these tours, you can consult our guide to the Camino Mozarabe.
Of the itineraries of La Via de la Plata that run through the southwest peninsular, the longest is that which begins in Cadiz. In total, 1,158 kilometres.
The longest Camino de Santiago in the east of the peninsula
The Camino del Norte is usually considered the longest Camino de Santiago, after La Via de la Plata. This route on the Camino de Santiago is 833.1 kilometres in length, from Irun to Compostela. If you want to know more about its stages, please consult our guide to the Camino del Norte.
However, it should be clarified that the Camino de Santiago from Barcelona is even longer. It does not dethrone La Via de la Plata, as the longer Camino de Santiago, but it does reach the Camino del Norte, since its length is close to 1,200 kilometres of travel.
The reason why the Camino de Santiago de Barcelona is never mentioned among the longest routes of the Camino de Santiago, is because this route links different routes until reaching Santiago de Compostela and half of the route is completed following the route of the Camino Frances. If you want to know more about this route consult our guide to the Camino de Santiago from Barcelona.
Middle-distance Camino de Santiago routes
Between the shortest and the longest Camino de Santiago, there are several pilgrim paths that we could call of average length, that is, more than 200 kilometres and less than 800. Next we talk about them, arranged from lowest to highest distance.
The Camino Portugues Coastal Route
The Camino de Santiago that runs along the Atlantic coast of Portugal, from Porto to Santiago is the shortest of the Portuguese itineraries. This path on the Camino de Santiago is 265 km long and shares its final stages with the Camino Portugues Central Route.
Camino de Los Faros to Compostela
The Camino de Los Faros is not a pilgrim route in itself, as it runs between Malpica and Finisterre. However, if when you reach the Cape Finisterre, you continue along the Camino de Santiago de Finisterre, it can be considered a pilgrim route.
This route of the Camino de Santiago has a length of 266.8 kilometres. The tour allows you to discover the entire Costa da Morte in Galicia. To learn more about this route, see the article that we dedicate to the Camino from lighthouse to lighthouse, there we explain how to combine these two coastal routes.
The Camino Primitivo
The Camino Primitivo departs from Oviedo and is 316.2 kilometres long. This route joins the Camino Frances in Melide.
This route on the Camino de Santiago is considered the most difficult of all. Therefore, perhaps your tour may seem short, but it is a very demanding Camino de Santiago.
The Camino from Madrid
The Camino de Santiago from Madrid is almost 600 kilometres long. Half of the route is made along stages that belong to the Camino de Madrid itself, to Sahagún.
From this town, this route joins the Camino Frances, to follow its stages during the last 300 kilometres. If you want more information about this itinerary, see the Camino from Madrid guide.
Camino Portugues Central Route
The Camino de Santiago Portugues that runs through the central area of Portugal, from Lisbon to Compostela, and is the longest Portuguese route. This route on the Camino de Santiago is 618.9 kilometres long.
Along with the Camino Portugues Coastal Route, the Central Route is considered one of the easiest routes on the Camino de Santiago, so although it is quite long, the route turns out to be like a short walk through Portugal. If you want to know more about these two routes, you can consult our guide to the Camino Portugues.
Camino Olvidado
Since we recovered the route known as Camino Olvidado in Santiago Ways (or Old Camino de Santiago) we’ll never leave it behind. This little-frequented route on the Camino de Santiago is 683 kilometres long.
The first stages are completed following the path of the so-called Camino Olvidado, which begins in Bilbao. The last 180 kilometres, starting from Villafranca del Bierzo, are completed following the Camino Frances. If you want to know more about this path, you can consult the guide to the Old Camino de Santiago.
Camino Francés
The last Camino de Santiago in our list of intermediate length routes is the Camino Frances, although in reality it is a fairly long route. The Camino Frances has a length of 763.5 kilometres, but is the most popular of all pilgrim routes.
It is also the only layout that has been catalogued as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. If you want to know more about the stages on the Camino Frances, you can consult our guide.
Length of other traditional pilgrim paths
We do not want to say goodbye and not mention other routes that although part of pilgrim tradition, cannot be considered paths of the Camino de Santiago, since they do not end at the Cathedral of Santiago. These are:
- Camino Lebaniego: 72,7 km
- Ruta del Salvador: 128,5 km
- Camino de Uclés: 142,5 km
We hope that this article about how many kilometres are found on the Camino de Santiago has helped you clarify which is the shortest and which is the longest. The length of the route is important when choosing your Camino de Santiago, if you intend to complete an itinerary from start to finish.
Finally, we remind you that, no matter how long the Camino de Santiago route you plan to take, or which of its stages are the shortest or the longest. In Santiago Ways, we will be happy to help you organize your pilgrimage. Call us, leave us a comment or write us to our Facebook page, our team will take care of everything for you.
Buen Camino!
