If you’ve started your camino research, it’s likely you’ve realised that your camino options are endless. You can find almost 300 listed caminos criss crossing countless countries. You can choose from any one of these routes, walk the entire route, choose a section of a route, bus some or even come back next time to where you left off. Mountains, oceans, forests, inland, coastal and urban trails, wine regions, tapa regions, quaint villages, farmscapes, popular or more desolate paths. The options are endless. Traditionally, a pilgrim began their camino from home, some pilgrims still do!

While walking the Camino Frances I met Miriam from Amsterdam. For the past 14 years she has set off for two weeks in April to walk her camino. Each year she picks up where she last left off, each time getting a little closer towards Santiago and to gaining her compostella. Funny story, she also lived most of her life in the same village we currently live in. We had trained walking in the same forests. A classic camino/travel coincidence! This was back in 2018 in Cirauqui, one of the quaint hilltop Spanish villages along way to Santiago de Compostella. I guess she has walked into Santiago by now.

Perhaps Miriam will even walk back to Amsterdam from Santiago!?! This is also not completely uncommon. Last year along the way I met John, an American who had learnt Spanish during the covid lockdowns. When the camino opened again he decided to walk it to practice his Spanish. John, a retiree with time on his hands, decided upon his arrival in Santiago to turnaround and walk back to St Jean Pied de Port (SJPDP). Naturally, he is fluent now. Clever John, I did not learn a language during lockdowns! I am trying again now though John. Meeting these characters and hearing their interesting stories is one of the reasons I keep going back. You never know who you will meet and who will inspire your life along the camino.

The most popular camino with its brilliant pilgrim infrastructure is the Camino Frances and the most beautiful is thought to be the Camino del Norte, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Camino Primitivo is the most challenging and the Camino Ingles is where the English and Irish pilgrims would traditionally begin after crossing the channel into Spain. Or, perhaps walking the Portugese coast interests you. Walking your camino is now more popular than ever with 2022 recording the highest number of pilgrims in the past decade. A camino, it seems is high on many people’s ‘wish to experience in life’ list.

Of course, it isn’t doable or even desirable for many to start from home like Miriam, or to walk to and from SJPDP like John. So it’s a choice of which route, or which section along the camino. When you come from a long way, like OZ or the Americas it isn’t always easy to dedicate the 4-5 weeks required to walk the entire length of the camino. Depending on time available or distance desired many choose to start at Sarria. This is the last 100kms point and is the distance required to gain a compostella certificate. Some, like sweet Al (above) from Canada choose to walk from a bigger city such as Leon. Or, like my mates Jenny and Piet (below) from Sydney, whom I met last year when I was walking the first section of the Camino Frances with my son, a combination is better. They started in SJPDP, walked a few weeks, took a bus through a few sections and hoped back on the trail later. Your camino is a real life ‘choose your own adventure’ story.

Personally, I have competed a full Camino Frances, the shorter Camino Finisterre and Muxia and have four other caminos on the go. Yes, four! (There’s apparently a term for that … a camino tragic.) I am nearly ready to complete the third section of the Camino del Norte. I am one section into the Camino Frances with my son. We will return later this year for the next one. Also, later this year my bestie from Oz is coming to do the last couple of hundred kms of the Camino Frances with me, or more I am going with her! And like Miriam, I also began walking from my home. My from home camino is to Rome and it follows European camino paths. lt’s a slow boiler this one, I seem to struggle to fit this camino in! I am looking forward to sharing these caminos with you in these pages.

Basically! Your camino begins wherever you choose to start! The one you plan and travel to or simply when you put your shoes on and walk outside.