Every year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims follow trails across Portugal, France, and Spain to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. In 2024, the Pilgrims’ Office registered nearly half a million people from two hundred countries—from Spaniards and Portuguese to Americans and Koreans. Some choose a short 100-kilometer route, which is enough to receive the Compostela certificate. Others take on the full Camino Francés, roughly 800 kilometers, starting in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France and passing through Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos, and León. That journey takes about a month, sometimes longer.
Motivations vary. For some, it’s a religious tradition; for others, a way to work through a crisis or discover new meaning. Some treat the Camino as an athletic challenge and a test of endurance; others look for adventure and a large community of like-minded people. Increasingly, people go for simplicity: to disconnect from digital noise, live for a few weeks with a backpack, and understand what is truly necessary—and what is just excess. Yet almost everyone notes one thing: the road quickly stops being only a physical trial and becomes a space for inner discovery.
The “Life Formula” — and How to Find It on the Camino
Many call the Camino de Santiago a “little life.” In just a few weeks, the road tests your body, upends your usual ideas of comfort, and opens space for questions that, in everyday life, go unasked—or unanswered. Almost everyone who completes the route notes the same thing: you come back changed.
“The essence of the Camino is that you become part of nature. You stop resisting the rain or the heat and start accepting everything as it is. It teaches you to live more simply—to value warmth, food, silence, and to find joy even in small things,” says Migronis founder Anatoliy Letaev. It was during his pilgrimage that he articulated what he later called his “life formula.” In one of the old monasteries where Anatoliy stopped due to a leg injury, he picked up a pen and began writing down what had inspired him since childhood. He remembered his love of geography and realized that real energy comes to him on the road. He recalled how people used to call him a writer—and understood that creating videos for YouTube is not just a job for him, but a state of flow. That’s how a chain of principles appeared in his notebook: love as the foundation — one’s own craft — a simple life closer to nature — consistent, meaningful action.
This logic shows up in the simplest observations. Days on the Camino aren’t run by a strict schedule: you often don’t know where a stage will end or where you’ll find a bed for the night. “When there’s a rigid plan, there’s no room for miracles. Everything is mapped out, and any surprise looks like a mistake. But when there is no plan, things fall into place on their own—and life suddenly starts to amaze you,” Letaev notes. The Camino forces you to let go of the usual urge to control everything. In its place comes attention to small details and the ability to find joy in them: a shared dinner with other pilgrims, a brief chat with a stranger, a roof over your head after a 30-kilometer day.
Entrepreneur and investor Andrey Kozin reached similar conclusions while walking the route with a group of colleagues. They were accompanied by experienced guide João Perre Viana, and each day they followed simple practices: writing their thoughts and insights in notebooks and sharing them in the evening at a communal table.
“Sometimes the conditions were far from what we were used to, but that was precisely what helped us come to better terms with ourselves. We slept in a shared room on bunk beds, and for people accustomed to five-star hotels, that was a challenge. Yet those were the moments that proved the most powerful,” he recalls.
For the participants, the experience became not only a physical trial but a collective inner effort—where the outcome wasn’t business connections, but new meaning.
For João himself, the first Camino completely changed his professional trajectory. He had spent many years in international corporations, leading projects and teams, yet felt an inner emptiness. Walking gradually became his refuge. “The most important conversations of my life—with myself and with others—happened while walking. At some point the question became unavoidable: keep climbing a ladder that doesn’t lead where my heart is, or devote my life to what truly resonates?” he recalls. João first set foot on the Camino de Santiago in 1993. He went along with friends and knew almost nothing about the route, but the Camino ultimately became “the path of his life.”
João chose to leave the corporate world and created Walking Mentorship—a program through which he helps people use the road as a tool for finding clarity and courage. “The Camino is a road that brings you to a crossroads. Beyond that, endless possibilities open up. Often the reason someone thinks they’re walking isn’t the real reason. The real one reveals itself along the way,” he says.
For guide Artem Kushnir, the Camino became a turning point after his divorce and professional burnout. “Santiago is a parallel world where the problems of everyday life don’t exist. Here you can stop, disconnect from everything, and reconnect with yourself,” he says. According to Artem, the road teaches not only resilience but the simple skill of living in the present. “Yesterday is already history; tomorrow doesn’t exist yet. There is only today—right now.”
It’s this universality of experience—when the road becomes a metaphor for change—that explains why so much has been written and filmed about it. In The Pilgrimage, Paulo Coelho described his own journey as a sequence of trials through which a person learns humility, overcomes fear, and discovers new strengths. For millions of readers, his text became a symbol of spiritual searching beyond religious boundaries.
The film The Way, directed by Emilio Estevez, portrays the same transformation in cinematic language. The protagonist, an American doctor, sets out with his late son’s ashes. The road changes him: he learns to let go of the past, express his feelings, and trust others. Each companion carries their own trauma—marital crisis, creative burnout—and each finds on the Camino a way to work through pain. The Camino is not about kilometers or a finish line; it’s a chance to meet yourself and come away with a new understanding of life.
Today, pilgrims arrive at the same conclusions as the heroes of books and films. The Camino de Santiago becomes a universal school: it teaches you to accept circumstances, release what’s unnecessary, and take steps toward change. Everyone’s formula is different, but at its core there’s always one thing—the road helps you hear yourself.
Practical Tips for Pilgrims
The first thing everyone encounters on the Camino de Santiago is everyday logistics: where to sleep, what to eat, and how to handle the road’s inevitable challenges. There are no universal recipes, but there is a set of practices tested by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims.
Accommodation: Albergues and Beyond
The most popular option is an albergue—a pilgrim hostel. There are municipal albergues with a symbolic fee (€5–10 per night) and private ones with slightly more comfort (€10–15). They typically offer shared dorms, showers, and sometimes a kitchen. In an albergue, the atmosphere matters more than service: people from different countries meet here and share stories and experience.
More private options include small hostels or hotels. They cost more but let you fully recover after a long day. Some pilgrims alternate: a few nights in albergues, then a night in a hotel to recharge.
Food and the Pilgrim Menu
The classic dining option on the route is the menú del peregrino (pilgrim’s menu)—a three-course dinner (starter, main, and dessert) with a glass of wine or water, offered by many cafés and restaurants along the way. Price: €10–15. Portions are generous, especially in Galicia. In the morning, cafés typically offer pastries and coffee (€2–3).
Cuisine varies by region. In the Basque Country, expect meat dishes—lamb, chorizo, and blood sausage. In Castile, food is simple and hearty: bean soups, potatoes, stews. In Galicia, look for seafood, fresh greens, and the famous octopus, pulpo a la gallega.
Many pilgrims cook in the evenings at albergues, where kitchens are often available. Dinner turns into a shared celebration and a chance to meet other pilgrims.
For vegetarians, eating on the route can be more challenging. In larger cities and tourist areas, it’s easy to find non-meat options, but in small villages you may be limited to vegetable soup, vegetables, sides, and bread—or you can cook for yourself with what’s available in local shops.
Keep in mind that in small towns and villages in Spain and Portugal, shops often close on Sundays and holidays. Experienced pilgrims recommend carrying a small stash of food: nuts, fruit, yogurt, or sandwiches.
Recovery and Health
Even the fittest travelers develop blisters and sore legs by day three or four. Simple remedies help: cooling gels, blister patches or tape, and foot massages. Pilgrims often help each other—at albergues it’s common for neighbors to offer a massage or share ointments. “The first night, a group of Korean guys taped themselves up with some Asian patches from head to toe. We laughed, but it helped them keep going,” recalls Letaev.
The main rule is: don’t play the hero. It’s better to cover fewer kilometers and reach Santiago uninjured than to drop out halfway.
Safety and Simple Rules
The Camino de Santiago is considered one of the safest long-distance walking routes in Europe. The main risks have more to do with fatigue and carelessness with belongings than with crime. In larger cities (Pamplona, Burgos, León, Santiago), petty theft can occur, so keep your documents and money in a money belt, and store copies in the cloud.
Experienced pilgrims recommend not sharing your exact route with strangers and not posting where you’re staying on social media. For peace of mind, you can use the AlertCops app, which operates in Spain.
Beyond that, the Camino runs on solidarity: people help one another, sharing food, advice, and experience.
How to Pack a Backpack
Almost everyone who sets out on the Camino de Santiago realizes within the first few days that they packed too much. The beginner’s mistake is trying to prepare for every scenario. In practice, a simple rule applies: your pack should not weigh more than 10% of your body weight. For an average person, that’s 6–8 kilograms. Everything above that quickly becomes a burden.
“At first, everyone feels they need to bring as much as possible because the road is long. But after a couple of days you start giving away T-shirts or books to the albergue hosts and understand that lightness matters more,” says Anatoliy Letaev.
A minimal kit includes a few changes of underwear, a light sleeping bag, a small first-aid kit, a raincoat, and comfortable footwear. Everything else can be bought along the way if you truly need it.
Water
Everyone has their own approach. Glass bottles are beautiful and eco-friendly but too heavy. Metal bottles keep temperature and are durable, but add extra grams. Most pilgrims choose plastic or aluminum bottles of 0.7–1 liter and refill them en route: in Spain and Portugal, potable water sources are common.
Footwear
Footwear is another key element. For most people, trekking shoes or trail runners work best: light, breathable, with good cushioning. Boots are only necessary for mountain sections or winter. Most important of all, wear a broken-in pair, not new shoes. You’ll also need several pairs of socks: you’ll change them daily, and in some weather a washed pair won’t dry overnight.
Sleeping Bag
A sleeping bag is essential, even if you plan to stay in albergues. Dorms in pilgrim hostels typically don’t provide bedding and offer only basic comfort, so a light synthetic bag rated for +10…+15 °C is necessary. Down bags are warm, but harder to care for.
Вставка
Basic Pilgrim Kit
- Backpack — 30–40 liters, with a hip belt
- Footwear — trail runners/trekking shoes, already broken in
- Socks — at least 3–4 pairs of trekking, quick-drying socks
- Sleeping bag — light synthetic, rated for +10…+15 °C
- Rain protection — a rain poncho or jacket that also covers your pack
- First-aid kit — blister plasters/tape, pain reliever, cooling gel
- Water bottle — 0.7–1 liter (plastic or aluminum)
- Headlamp — for early-morning and evening walks
- Documents & money — in a money belt; keep copies in the cloud
- Minimal clothing — 2 T-shirts, 2 sets of underwear, a light mid-layer, shorts/pants, a cap
The main lesson the road teaches is learning to live with less. “The backpack you carry is like life. We drag around so much that’s unnecessary, and only on the road do you realize half of it isn’t needed,” says Andrey Kozin.
The Camino de Santiago is a unique experience in which everyone finds something of their own—faith, simplicity, friends, answers to inner questions, or simply the joy of movement. But all of these discoveries become possible only when you take the first step. “You don’t need to overprepare. Just go,” advises João Perre Viana. “People have been walking here for hundreds of years in sandals or even barefoot, without technology or fancy gear. If you feel the call, set out. Everything else will fall into place.”
