I recently walked the final stage of the Camino Frances from Sarria to Santiago by myself and as we are often asked by people wanting to walk the Camino solo if it is safe I thought I would summarise why this is the perfect trip for solo walkers and how I found my experience!

Time for yourself

The Camino is a very spiritual experience and by walking alone, you really do get to enjoy this aspect of it. I had lots of time to think about my lot and plan my future and for me, this was one of the best parts of the experience!

No worry about getting lost

The Camino Frances is pretty much impossible to get lost on! Even with my track record of becoming distracted by the lovely scenery or getting chatting to locals, I managed to stay on track! The famous yellow shells of the Camino signposts appear before you even finding yourself looking for the next one and at intersections which may be confusing the yellow arrows make sure you are kept right!

Friends you just don't know yet

Meet new friends! I met some lovely people whilst walking the Camino solo, which I genuinely feel wouldn’t have happened if I was with a larger group. When you are by yourself, it forces you to make conversation with people and become more sociable! People from all over the world come to do the Camino so you get to meet some interesting characters!

No rush, you are on you time

Part of the experience of the Camino and indeed any self-guided walk is taking the time to enjoy it at your own pace. With the spiritual aspect of the Camino, this becomes even more important. And walking alone means you are not tied to your speedy friend who finishes each day by lunchtime or to your friend who likes to rise at 6 am and get going!

Getting to choose, every time

You can choose where to stop for lunch! There are so many delightful little cafes and bars dotted along the route that it is sometimes difficult to decide where to stop. Being by yourself saves this getting any further complicated by fussy companions!

Choose where you eat, choose when you eat.

They've got my back

Even though I felt 100% safe all of the time, it was very reassuring to me that I had the contact details of our local partner in Spain at hand. Knowing that I had somebody close by who could come to my assistance if required was lovely reassurance for me. Walking the Camino solo can be a daunting idea, but the amount of support you have on your trip means you don't have to worry about a thing. Many of the staff at Macs Adventure have walked the various Caminos in Spain by themselves and know most of what there is to know about the trips. For more information on walking the Camino, don't hesitate to get in touch with one of our specialists at info@macsadventure.com