Finding companions for the Camino de Santiago
Finding companions to do the Camino de Santiago with is not difficult. Especially if you are looking to do some of the most popular routes such as the Camino Frances or Camino Portugues.
Many pilgrims want to travel the pilgrim route accompanied and look for people to do the Camino de Santiago with before starting the tour. In this way, they feel supported by the company along the way and establish very close bonds with other people.
On the other hand, doing the Camino de Santiago can only be a great experience that helps you to face many of your fears, as we explain in the blog post that we dedicate to this topic.
However, there are many people who want to find companions with which to share the adventure. For all of them, we have prepared this article. In this post, we’ll tell you what strategies you can follow to find companions to do the Camino de Santiago on foot with.
How do you form a group of companions on the Camino de Santiago?
Although many people feel unsafe when it comes to going to Camino de Santiago alone, especially women, the reality is that pilgrims form groups from the first days. Some people come to Santiago de Compostela with the friends they made on the first day.
Therefore, one option is to go to the Camino de Santiago alone and look in the early stages for people who want to share the tour with you. Other people travelling alone will be especially receptive to forming groups. Small groups of friends or partners may also be integrated.
Therefore, if you feel like pilgrimage and at the same time, to feel accompanied, we recommend the popular Camino de Santiago from Sarria. This route is ideal to meet other pilgrims during the 111 km of hike to Compostela. If you need help planning, leave your details and we will organize the perfect trip for you.
Don’t worry if you’re a shy person, as you won’t need to take the initiative. We’re sure there will be other pilgrims looking for people to do the Camino de Santiago and share the experience.
In addition, the rest of the pilgrims tend to approach the people who are alone, because it is very easy to establish relationships with them and are more likely to meet new people.
If you find this option attractive, we recommend that you make a pilgrimage in high season (July, August or September). These months are in which the largest volume of pilgrims concentrate on the Camino de Santiago. Therefore, it will be much easier to find companions.
It is also convenient to avoid little-travelled routes, such as the Camino Primitivo or the Camino Olvidado, for example. The Camino Frances and the Camino de Santiago from Portugal are the most popular routes and are the favourites of people who go to the Camino to make new friends.
Advantages and disadvantages of looking for people to do the Camino de Santiago
The drawback of this strategy to find companions to do the Camino de Santiago is that it requires a lot of improvisation and that you plan to make a pilgrimage without having the support of any kind of service. Having to adapt to the dynamics of a spontaneously created group requires this sacrifice.
The advantage of this strategy is that it will allow you to meet the people who will accompany you along the route and evaluate if their pace of walking and routines are compatible with yours. In short, you avoid any surprises.
Finally, to tell you that this is a valid option if you intend to do the Camino de Santiago on foot. If your idea is to do it by bike, running or with any other mode of pilgrimage, it is best to resort to other strategies to find companions.
Find companions to do the Camino de Santiago through online platforms
The use of technologies has completely changed the way we relate. Therefore, social networks or virtual communities are also a good space to look for people to do the Camino de Santiago.
On the Internet, you can find various platforms on which people communicate their intention to do the Camino de Santiago, as well as the route they are interested in and the dates they have available. One of the best known platforms is Facebook.
Specialized forums about the Camino de Santiago are also a good place to find companions to do the Camino de Santiago. If you want, you can consult the blog post that we dedicate to the best communities and forums of the Camino de Santiago.
Pros and cons
One of the advantages of this strategy is that it allows you to find companions to do any route on the Camino de Santiago and in any mode of pilgrimage. In fact, there are some forums about the Camino de Santiago by bike, as you can see in the post we just recommended.
Another advantage is that you know the size of the group you will travel with and you will have the opportunity to talk about how they would like to live their experience. That means that if you want to count on services or sleep in certain types of accommodation, you can organize everything in advance.
The biggest drawback of this strategy is that, in reality, you don’t know anything about your colleagues on the Camino de Santiago. Talking by chat or phone messages is not the same as having a face-to-face conversation. Therefore, until you reach the Camino de Santiago you really won’t know what they’re like.
However, this also does not have to be an impediment. If once on the Camino de Santiago you do not like the companions you have met through social networks or a forum, everyone can go their own way. In that case, you will have no choice but to benefit from the strategy described in the previous section.
How to join an organized group
The simplest and most comfortable option if you want to find companions to do the Camino de Santiago with is to join an organized group. With this option you get rid of all kinds of worries.
All you have to decide is which agency you want to travel with. We recommend that you use the services of an agency specialized in the Camino de Santiago and not those of any travel agency. In Santiago Ways we only offer trips in organized groups for the last 100 kilometres on the Camino Frances, the Camino de Santiago from Sarria.
On this type of travel, the agency takes care of everything. Managing accommodation reservations, luggage transfers and to provide you with colleagues to do the Camino de Santiago.
If you want to know more about how this type of trip to the Camino de Santiago works, check out the article that we dedicate to doing the Camino de Santiago in an organized group. You’ll see that they’re all advantages!
Create a social project to find partners to do the Camino de Santiago
Another option is to search your city for groups that work in a particular social cause and propose doing the Camino de Santiago with the aim of raising awareness in the population or raising funds. This is the most complex alternative. But, without a doubt, one of the ones that will provide you with the greatest satisfaction.
If you decide to come to the Camino de Santiago with a good cause, you do not only enjoy the experience of pilgrimage, but also contribute to create a better society. As we explain in this blog post, there are many people who are encouraged to do the Camino de Santiago in solidarity for a good cause.
In that post, you will find information about our Solidarity Fund. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you decide to use a social cause to find companions to do the Camino de Santiago!
We’ll accompany you on the Camino de Santiago
In all the strategies we have told you about finding companions to do the Camino de Santiago, if you want, you can count on us as well. In Santiago Ways, in addition to offering trips in organized groups, we offer pilgrims the possibility to be able to organize their trip through us.
This service is offered on all pilgrim routes. There are many advantages and services that include the agencies of the Camino de Santiago.
We will not walk with you, but we will be with you and take care of advising you before and during your pilgrimage. Therefore, we provide a support phone in which a specialized agent answers all your doubts, during the tour. Call or contact us via our Facebook page and find out more!
Buen Camino!
