2 min summary Best time to go Walking routes The French Way The Portugal Way Northern Way Am I fit enough?Small group Cycling the Camino Kayaking the Camino Places to stay Responsible trekking

Walking the Camino de Santiago with kids

Can you walk the Camino de Santiago with children? It’s a question we hear quite a bit, and – so long as you do your research and plan carefully – yes it’s perfectly possible. We’ve decided to put together a guide to walking the Camino de Santiago with kids, with lots of useful advice and opinions from our expert partners, covering safety, the best time to go, and which Camino is best for children.

Home\Europe\Spain\Camino de Santiago

Walking the Camino de Santiago with kids

Bronagh Carroll, co-founder of our partners Magic Hill Holidays, has spent several years exploring thousands of kilometres along the Camino de Santiago with her family. The aim? To ensure that the advice they give to walkers taking on this iconic pilgrimage route is always born from personal experience.

In 2018, Bronagh hiked the 93km from her home in Santiago de Compostela to the coastal town of Finisterre along the Finisterre Way in the company of her 14-year-old nephew during his school summer holiday.

You’ll always have your activity holidays in resorts on the Costas, but the Camino is for families who want something more.

“The teenage years can be tricky, and I really feel that family has a big role to play in preparing kids for adulthood,” says Bronagh. “We can’t just rely on their teachers.

“I saw this holiday as a huge opportunity to get my nephew thinking about his possibilities in life. And I created tasks to give him that I think will be valuable experiences to help him take advantage of those opportunities, from flying to Spain on his own to daily budgeting. I think walking the Camino opened up the whole world to him. He learned what he was capable of and met people from so many different backgrounds.”

There’s a saying that everyone walks their own Camino. It’s wonderful seeing this adventure through the eyes of a child as they rise to the challenge and discover their potential. Bronagh was amazed at the change in her nephew in just one week. “You’ll always have your activity holidays in resorts on the Costas, but the Camino is for families who want something more.”

See all our Camino de Santiago Holidays

Give us a call

Why walk the Camino with kids?

Spending three or five hours in the company of your kids and being able to really talk to them – that’s a luxury.

It’s not unusual to see families walking the Camino, but they’re still very much the exception rather than the rule. This is not a traditional family holiday, and it is no walk in the park either. But there are several excellent reasons to take the kids on a Camino trip, not least because it makes for a great bonding experience. It’s also deeply refreshing for everyone to be surrounded by nature for a week, disconnecting from technology and screens.

Bronagh explains how she broke the days up with her nephew: “It’s never a 20km walk; it’s four 5km walks, separated by breaks. You have wide-ranging, deep conversations about all sorts of things, and the distances just fall away.”

Rasmus Pedersen, co-owner of our partner Spain is More, agrees. “Quality time with the family is becoming a scarce resource, and when you go hiking, you are together in a different way than laying on a beach or by the pool. Spending three or five hours in the company of your kids away from screens and being able to really talk to them – that’s a luxury, and that’s why it’s getting more and more popular.”

It’s more than just a physical journey; it’s a cultural journey and an inner journey too.

There’s also the exhilarating sense of achievement when you reach Santiago de Compostela. The Camino de Santiago feels very different to a regular long-distance walk, whether it’s the determination required, the number of people walking alongside you, or the spiritual significance.

“I was pushing my nephew towards the end,” says Bronagh, “aware that there is a fine line between having fun and struggling. But he always had something left in tank. Four kilometres from the end we had a big rest, a big meal, then we raced to the finish. And he was so proud to get that certificate. When you face down the negative thoughts, and finish something you don’t think you could, it’s such a powerful victory.”

“For me, walking with a family member reinforced what the Camino means,” affirms Bronagh. “Obviously it’s good exercise, but it’s also a great adventure. Every day you’re facing the unexpected; you don’t know who you’re going to meet. It’s more than just a physical journey; it’s a cultural journey and an inner journey too.”

Contact Us

Call us for a chat about our holidays. We are happy to discuss your holiday and help in any way we can. No bots, queues or awful hold music.

01273 823 700 01273 823 700

Call us tomorrow after 9am

Calling from outside the UK

rosy@responsibletravel.com

Family holidays on the Camino de Santiago: practicalities

Is there an age limit for the Camino de Santiago?

There’s no age limit on the Camino de Santiago. If kids are fit and determined, or have a parent willing to give them a piggy-back, they can do it. However, opinions do vary on whether the Camino is suitable for young children, and whether it’s fair on them to expect them to take on what can at times be a very demanding journey.

“I’ve seen families walking it, so it’s certainly doable,” says Jaime Bartolome, the founder of our partner Away from the Crowds. “But from my point of view, taking children younger than teenagers is not advisable.

“They won’t enjoy it that much, it’s hard to motivate them, and so it could become stressful for everyone when it should be an enjoyable experience. The Camino has its roots in pilgrimage and penance, so the concept of doing it as a traditional fun family holiday doesn’t add up, in my opinion. At times, it can be more of an endurance feat because the Camino does require a lot of effort.”

The youngest age that Magic Hill cater for is eight, but Bronagh too would agree that teens will likely get the most from it.

“The challenge of completing a Camino looks great on the CV, and it can help if they’re learning Spanish at school too,” says Bronagh. “Some teens will stay on with a host family afterwards to continue that, and perhaps get some work experience.”

Which Camino de Santiago route is best with children?

The French Way is the best Camino route for families, with the most services, the most accommodation options, and the most people on it, making it very sociable. Along with the Santiago to Finisterre walk, the final section of the French Way is what Bronagh Carroll always recommends for families, especially newcomers to the Camino. Stretches of the Portuguese Way are also popular, with the potential for regular beach swims.

But while it’s certainly manageable for families, the challenge of the French Way is not to be underestimated either.

“The route goes through Galicia, which is a wet region, with lots of rivers and lots of ups and downs,” says Jaime. “It’s very hilly and there are some big distances, so walking it means long and tiring days. In some places you can break up the stages to make it more manageable, but in others there just isn’t the accommodation to allow you to do that. And, of course, younger kids can’t walk so fast.”

Rasmus Pedersen, from our partner Spain is More, recommends a family Camino holiday along the Northern Way.

“For families, you want to have shorter stages of around 11-14 km per day and nice hotels, which is what we’ve been able to arrange on this Camino,” says Rasmus. “When creating a family-friendly trip, it was important to us to offer other activities than ‘just’ walking too, so you can stop for a day to surf or go canoeing. The region is famous for dinosaurs’ footsteps, and you can visit an interesting dinosaur museum or see ancient cave paintings. Plus, you have really nice beaches.”

If you are planning to walk the Camino with kids, it’s advisable to organise it through an experienced tour operator who can ensure you’re on one of the more family-friendly sections, and – crucially – that you have suitable accommodation booked ahead of you.

“Walking the Camino when everything is planned for you gives you a lot of peace of mind – and that’s the whole idea,” says Rasmus.

Is there family-friendly accommodation on the Camino?

Besides a good supply of snacks, pre-booking your accommodation is one of the essentials of walking the Camino de Santiago with children. Many pilgrims choose to wing it and stay in dorms every night, but that’s not suitable with younger children. And, as Bronagh points out, the Camino has become very popular since Covid due to the sense of freedom and open-air exercise it provides, so finding a bed on arrival is getting harder in peak walking season.

“The Camino is not family-friendly as such, not touristy; it’s all about the local experience,” says Bronagh. “But when we organise a holiday, all our accommodation is private rooms with private bathrooms. It’s not Malaga; these are really, really rural areas with limited family rooms, so we recommend booking a good six weeks in advance.”

Is the Camino safe for kids?

The Camino is perfectly safe for children, with clearly waymarked routes and regular drinking fountains, and you’re rarely far from a community where you can find food, a taxi or medical attention if needed. Sun and rain protection are essential of course, as is good walking footwear to prevent strains, but it’s endurance rather than safety that is the main challenge for families walking the Camino.

The beauty of a tailor made family walking holiday on the Camino is that organisers take the ages and abilities of kids into account. They can lengthen or shorten walking days as appropriate (where possible), as well as sorting out your luggage transfers and recommending restaurants suitable for families. And you’ll have 24/7 support for peace of mind too.

Can you take a baby on the Camino?

There’s nothing to stop you from walking with your baby on the Camino, but you’d need to be well-organised to do it for more than a few nights. Not many of the traditional Camino accommodations will be geared up for babies, and feeding/changing on the walk could be difficult, given that babies aren’t always prepared to wait for the next inn.

Can you walk the Camino with a toddler?

You can definitely walk sections of the Camino with a toddler, so long as you pace yourselves and accept that there’s probably going to be a fair amount of carrying involved. Bronagh can offer first-hand advice: in 2022, her 20-month-old son, Leo, became the youngest Irish person to walk the Camino, as he accompanied his parents for 115km over 10 days on the final section of the French Way.

While he certainly put a good shift in, much of Leo’s personal journey was completed in an all-terrain pram – from where he no doubt spent his time reflecting on this towering achievement and where it might take him in future. Toddlers can toddle along happily for a half-hour or so but they will need to be carried, pushed or pulled for much of the way – and remember that while there are frequent stretches of dirt road suitable for a durable buggy or scooter, there are plenty of other parts that are not.

Tips for hiking the Camino with children

It’s good exercise, but also a great adventure. Every day you’re facing the unexpected.

Manage expectations

Probably the most important thing to keep in mind when walking the Camino as a family is that this should be a fun bonding experience, not an application to join the special forces. Kids – younger kids especially – may struggle with speed and distances. They may also not be able to carry as much as an adult, and will probably be a bit less enthusiastic about walking in bad weather!

So if you’re planning a family Camino holiday, ensure that everyone knows what’s involved and prepare adequately. One of the best ways to make it a success is to book a tailor made pilgrimage walking holiday, so you can be confident that you’re tackling a suitable route, and that there is family-friendly accommodation pre-booked for you every evening.

It’s vital to consider the topography and distance you’ll be tackling every day. You know your kids, and what they’re capable of. But expert organisers who have walked the trails many times themselves, sometimes with their own families, have vast amounts of useful knowledge to share.

Consider choosing a section

There are many different Camino routes, and they are usually broken down into stages that people complete over a series of week-long holidays, sometimes taking years. To complete the French Way or the Northern Way in one go would take weeks of arduous walking, so it’s not going to be an option for any but the most hardy families with a lot of time on their hands (and good boots on their feet).

If you’re a family of walkers, or the pilgrimage has a spiritual significance to you, then you might consider breaking up an entire route into different stages. However, if you want the kids to enjoy the wonderful sense of achievement that comes from arriving in Santiago to collect their certificate then you might want to just do a one-off trip, such as the final leg of the French Way.

Preparation & packing

The must-haves for a Camino walk include good boots, thick socks, walking poles and a healthy supply of trail mix (or sweets, if you’re my family). Rain gear and sun lotion are essential no matter the time of year – it’s better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Most kids aged 10-plus will be able to cope with a full day’s walk, if there are enough fun games to play along the way and the thought of an ice cream at the end. Getting them to happily put on their boots the next day, and the next day too – by which time they might have blisters – is another matter.

Adequate preparation for a family Camino holiday isn’t just about packing, it’s about mentally preparing for what can be an arduous experience at times. Getting in some practise beforehand is vital. An advantage of booking a tailor made family Camino tour is that our partners can build in rest days to your itinerary, which can make the world of difference.

Get the children involved

One way to create enthusiasm for younger members of the family is to get them involved in planning the trip, so they’re fully engaged. Help them to read maps, let them decide where to stop for a break, encourage them to practise their Spanish if studying it at school, or to think about restaurants to eat in each evening.

It can also be helpful to think about the Camino as a big adventure, and refer to it as such, rather than ‘a long-distance walk’ which doesn’t sound anywhere near as fun! It also doesn’t hurt to share with kids the significance of the walk and its history. Even if you’re not a religious family, it still makes the Camino feel more special.

Best time to walk the Camino de Santiago with kids

“September to October is often seen as the best time for family walking holidays on the Camino de Santiago,” says Bronagh, “but while southern Spain hits the 40°Cs in August, northern Spain is much cooler, maximum 30°C , so summer is very manageable. In fact, the last bit of the French Way through Galicia is shaded for much of the way.”

So while the October half-term is ideal for walking the Camino with kids (and it’s sure to be a bit cooler at Easter or the May half term too), don’t rule out the summer holidays. It will be busier, so aim to book at least two months before you go to ensure the best choice of family-friendly accommodation.