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The Camino Frances: From Pilgrim’s Dream to Overhyped Tourist Trap
I first walked the Camino De Santiago in 1998, then returned in 2015 to walk it again and was shocked at what it had become.
Preface: This article refers to the Camino Frances route of the Camino De Santiago.
There are more than one road to Santiago, but the Camino Frances is by far the most popular route and the route that most people associate with the Camino De Santiago.
I first did the Camino in 1998, inspired by Paolo Coelho’s book “The Pilgrimage”.
I must say that doing the Camino changed my life in so many ways and was such a wonderful experience.
I started alone, but in the end I was with a small group of seven or eight other people from various parts of the world.
One or two of which I still keep in touch with to this day.
However, when I returned in 2015, I could barely recognize the Camino. Much had changed, and most of it for the worse.
1. The Camino Industrial Complex and Over Commercialization
The Scallop shell (a symbol for Pilgrims doing the Camino) needs to be replaced by the money bag.
That’s because it’s what every local, business, albergue, cafe, hippy smoothie shop etc. sees when the Pilgrim hordes ascend into their little corner of the world.
But what’s caused this?
2. Overcrowded Paths and Lost Connections
When I walked the Camino the first time in 1998 records show that 30,126 “pilgrims” finished the Camino that same year.
When I returned in 2015, records show that 262,458 also finished the Camino.
By 2023 that number reached an epic 446,035 “pilgrims”!
The Camino is now a big money grab, overhyped by books, movies and popular culture!
Stepping onto the Camino Frances in 2015, I was immediately engulfed by a sea of people all determined to find themselves and carve out their own special “life altering spiritual experience” by hook or by crook.
I tried to strike up conversations, but tight cliques left little room for genuine connections.
The sense of solitude that I had experienced in 1998 was now swallowed up by the crowd.
3. Pilgrim Cheating
On the Camino Frances, the hardest part of the journey is, ironically, the first day out of St. Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles.
You’re basically walking uphill over the Pyrenees for almost half a day with a few plateaus in between before the descent into Spain. It can be brutal.
That’s why, along with the crowds, were minivans with backpacks strapped on top and Pilgrims inside cruising right past us.
These “pilgrim cheaters” were the first to get to a destination for the day and as a result, were practically guaranteed a bunk in an albergue to sleep for the night.
Talk about disheartening. Resentment is one of the last feelings you want to experience on what was typically the first day of the Camino.
4. Shallow Bonds and Lost Camaraderie
With so many people walking the Camino nowadays, forming deep, meaningful bonds are rare.
In the past, you might have a nice chat with a fellow pilgrim, go your separate ways, then meet up again later, gradually building a connection.
Eventually, you’d find yourself walking with a group of people you met along the way, creating strong bonds through shared experiences.
But now, the sheer number of people made such connections fleeting and shallow, like high school cliques where breaking into established groups was nearly impossible.
5. The Albergue Industry
Albergues, once cozy and welcoming, have turned into an industry as well.
At first they appear impersonal and sanitary, yet soon turn stuffy, cramped, and smelly, the sounds of snoring and the hum of CPAP machines fill the night air.
Some pilgrims finding “love” and feeling a little “frisky” even “coupled up” in one bunk in a room filled with 20 other people trying to sleep.
There are no more (or very few) family-run Hostalerias, only Albergues and Hotels.
These albergues are either huge dormitory facilities with little to no soul in them or albergues set up by entrepreneurs looking to cash in on the pilgrim masses passing through.
There’s very little, if any, interaction that goes on between albergue staff and their pilgrim guests. Each check in feels like you’re being processed.
The cheap, paper-like temporary mattress covers issued when you are processed (checked in) offer little comfort, sticking to the calluses of your tired feet. So it’s a good idea to bring your own sheets.
6. Over-development in Unexpected Places
One afternoon, as I walked through a picturesque field in Galicia surrounded by a stone wall fence, I stumbled upon a Coke machine.
It stood out amidst the natural beauty of the landscape, a real eye sore powered by a wire jury-rigged to a nearby power line. I couldn’t believe it!
7. Boring and Monotonous
I had forgotten how mundane walking through unchanging terrain can be.
At first you’re taking it all in, “Awe, this is beautiful! I’m living the dream! I wish folks back at home could see me now!” You might even take a selfie.
Then, reality hits, you’ve got another 4–8 hours of walking through this seemingly never ending landscape.
People don’t realize that you’re basically walking either in the middle of nowhere through fields or on busy, dusty roads and highways for six to eight hours a day.
Thirty days of this gets boring and old real quick.
And once you reach your destination for the day, there isn’t much to do except maybe wash your socks, shorts, and shirt, or perhaps drink an overpriced beer. That’s really it.
8. Nickel and Dimed at every turn
You get charged and overcharged for everything.
That nice little smoothie shop run by a seemingly harmless hippy from the 1960’s charges 15 euros for a small cup of blended fruit and water.
Even the quaint little stone chapel in the middle of nowhere you duck into for a little peace and tranquility to escape the hot summer sun now demands a few euros.
Before, these were just voluntary collections; now they’re mandatory prices of admission.
9. Blaze Your Own Trail: Escape the Pilgrim Hordes!
Avoid the Camino Frances route. It’s an 800km journey, typically taking about 30 days. But if time or stamina is a concern, shorter routes do exist.
Just don’t start halfway; a pilgrimage is meant to be completed from beginning to end.
10. Skip the Overdeveloped Tourist Traps on the Coast
Finisterra, once a charming fishing village, is now a tourist trap. Muxia might be following suit, thanks to the surge of pilgrims inspired by the movie, “The Way.”
Consider skipping the coast altogether, especially in summer.
Timing is Everything
Start in May or September for better weather and fewer crowds.
Seek Alternative Experiences
Many routes forming the Camino De Santiago offer excellent hiking in Spain and France.
Even though the Camino Frances is overdeveloped, it still has decent infrastructure, but is best enjoyed as a hiking holiday, not a pilgrimage.
Hike different parts of the Camino, and skip others by taking a bus or train to more interesting places along its path, avoid the albergues, stay in charming hotels instead, maybe splurge on a Spanish parador.
But if you’re not walking the full route, skip the pilgrim’s passport and certificate of completion.
Take the Road Less-Traveled
The Camino De Santiago is a journey of commitment and integrity. For a true pilgrimage, complete it in one go.
But choose, a less commercialized path.
Consider the Camino Del Norte, for example. This coastal route through the Basque Country offers stunning scenery and fewer crowds.
By choosing the road less traveled, you’ll discover a more authentic and rewarding pilgrimage experience.
David Peluchette is a Premium Ghostwriter/Travel and Tech Enthusiast. When David isn’t writing he enjoys traveling, learning new languages, fitness, hiking and going on long walks (did the 550 mile Camino de Santiago, not once but twice!), cooking, eating, reading and building niche websites with WordPress.