Surely more than once we have all wondered whether it is a good idea or not to undertake the Camino de Santiago alone, around this issue additional doubts arise such as:
Will I get bored and give up on the second day, will it be dangerous, what if I get lost…?
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We hope that when you finish reading this post, in which we will analyze the advantages and disadvantages of walking the Camino de Santiago alone, you will understand that the Camino does not understand of groups or solitude, because while we walk its routes no pilgrim is alone.
ADVANTAGES OF WALKING THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO ALONE
In addition to the thousands of testimonies of pilgrims who have done the Camino alone and have enjoyed the experience as much or more than those who have done it in company, we are going to give you other reasons because as we assume, for you, doubtful pilgrim, they will not be enough.
YOU ARE LORD AND MASTER OF YOUR STEPS
The first advantage of starting your journey alone is that you and only you are the master of your own steps; you will walk at your own pace, you will get up earlier or later depending on your daily objectives, you will stop to rest only when you think it is appropriate, etc.
PILGRIMS ON THE WAY
If loneliness is not your thing,, it is not wanted and comes from your friends or family not wanting to live this magical adventure, or simply could not organize dates and so on, do not worry, because as soon as you start to walk the road, especially the busiest as for example the French Way,, you will begin to meet other pilgrims..
The Camino de Santiago has always been characterized by its atmosphere of camaraderie, hospitality and friendliness,plus as we all know if you travel alone, you will always be more willing to meet people and you will be more open to others and that is where there is another great advantage of doing the Camino alone, for something the most veterans recommend living it alone, since they consider that if you go accompanied by your circle of people closest to you, you will lose a little that essence of the Camino that lies in seeking conversation, help or support in other unknown pilgrims, although they are only for the moment.
DISCOVERING ONESELF
We know from our own experience that doing the Camino de Santiago alone can be a great opportunity to discover yourself in unconventional situations and will help you to know where your physical and mental limits are.
“DISADVANTAGES” OF BEING ALONE ON THE CAMINO
BORED?
First of all, we may think that we are going to get bored, as we are walking for so long, and if we have to walk alone for a very long stage, we may be overcome by boredom and tiredness, which may lead us to give up.
Although it can happen, we assure you almost one hundred percent that it will not, because the best thing about the Camino is that it adapts to you, that is, you will only be alone at the times you want,and what characterizes this pilgrimage is the good atmosphere and the bonds of friendship that are forged along the roads that make up the pilgrimage route, so you do not have to have any fear that boredom overcomes you along your journey to Santiago de Compostela.
LACK OF EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE
Another reason that can put us back when deciding whether to start walking the Camino or not is the fear that something happens to us and no one can assist us or notify the medical services or even the fear of getting lost, in our opinion we should not even think about these situations, because even if anything happens to us along a stage we assure you and we put our hand in the fire for it, that any walker will help you as much as possible until the mishap is solved and you can continue your march normally.
GETTING LOST
This will be something that can happen to us and more often than we think but we should not worry too much, since any of the members of the family of the Camino de Santiago will indicate and help us and the signage on the Camino is superb.
We will always end up taking the right route and arrive in Santiago de Compostela without major complications, except for the accumulated fatigue from the kilometres left behind.
TIPS FOR WALKING THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO ALONE
If the problem is that as a woman pilgrim you have doubts about whether the Camino will be dangerous, you feel hesitant about certain situations that may occur, etc..
We can assure you that it does not involve any danger, due to the atmosphere present on the Camino you will not feel unsafe at any time, but if you are still undecided we hope that these tips will help you to cheer you up:
CHOOSE A BUSY ROUTE
If you have not yet decided which route to take, opt for one where you are going to find many more pilgrims, and you will see how little by little, the feeling of loneliness will leave you.
START THE JOURNEY FROM A CITY
It is always recommended to start from the beginning of each route, but if you can’t afford it, ideally you should start in a city to make it easier to get to your start point.
PREPARE THE NEXT DAY’S STAGE
If you have any fears about the hostel or the Camino itself, we recommend that the night before you study all the alternatives available to you for the next stage in order to avoid any setbacks.
WALK ACCORDING TO A “PILGRIM’S TIMETABLE”
Start the walk at dawn, eat early and try to be at the hostel where you will spend the night between 2pm and 3pm. This will avoid walking through the night and give you a few hours of rest, which you will surely appreciate.
ASK ALWAYS
If you think you are not going in the right direction or simply have any doubts about any subject related to the Camino, stop and ask, anyone will be willing to help you and guide you, just check the information received in case you are not convinced by the answers received.
PILGRIM HELPS YOU
We hope to have eliminated those doubts that made you anxious to see yourself alone walking the Camino de Santiago and have encouraged you to put on your boots and load your backpack to live a unique experience. You know what they say about those who walk the Camino, don’t you?
“The one who went away never comes back, even if they return”.
As a piece of advice from here we recommend that if you are finally going to do the Camino de Santiago alone you plan it properly and for that you have us.
From Pilgrim we help you to plan your best route so that you don’t have any problems during your pilgrimage.
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