How Long Do You Really Need for the Camino Portugués?

One of the most common questions from people planning their first Camino de Santiago is: How long does the Camino take?

Of course, there’s no singular answer to this question, because it depends on which route you choose, where you start from, and how fast you walk. Some pilgrims spend more than a month walking the full Camino Francés. Others walk from Porto to Santiago in about two weeks. And many people only walk the final 100 kilometers, completing their Camino in just 5 days.

After walking the Camino Portugués twice, once as a 16-day solo journey from Porto to Santiago and again as a 5-day Camino from Vigo to Santiago with a friend, I’ve experienced both ends of the spectrum.

So, is 5 days enough for the Camino de Santiago? The short answer is yes. That said, there are pros and cons to a short Camino, and the distance/time you choose to walk definitely impacts what you get out of the experience.

Can You Do the Camino in 5 Days?

To receive a Compostela, the official certificate that confirms you’ve completed the Camino, you must walk at least 100 continuous kilometers to Santiago de Compostela. At an average of around 20 kilometers per day, a 5-day Camino is very doable for most people. 

Some of the most popular short Camino routes include:

Route	Typical Length	Distance (km)
Camino Portugués from Vigo	5 days	~100 km
Camino Portugués from Tui	6 days	~120 km
Camino Francés from Sarria	6 days	~115 km
Camino Inglés from Ferrol	6 days	~120 km
Camino de Fisterra	4 days	~90 km

For most people, taking two weeks or even a month off work simply isn’t realistic. That’s one reason why these shorter Camino routes have become so popular. If you only have 5 days of PTO available, a 5-day Camino can still give you a meaningful pilgrimage experience while fitting into a 9 day trip 

So yes, you can do the Camino in 5 days. The real question is whether 5 days is enough to experience what makes the Camino so special.

My Experience Walking a 16-Day Camino vs a 5-Day Camino

I have now walked the Camino Portugués twice. The first time was in May 2024, when I walked from Porto to Santiago on the Coastal Route by myself. The journey took me 16 days, including 2 rest days. The second time was in June 2026, when I walked from Vigo to Santiago with my best friend Marcy. This Camino took just 5 days.

It’s hard to compare these two experiences because, although they were on the same trail, so many factors were different.

The first Camino I was solo, I carried my backpack everyday, and I mostly stayed in albergues to try to stay within a budget. The second Camino I was with a friend, we used luggage transfer each day, and we splurged a bit on hotels. 

And perhaps most importantly, the first Camino was my first ever long-distance pilgrimage. The second time, I already knew what to expect.

So in this post I’m going to focus just on the differences between walking a two week Camino versus five day Camino. 

Advantages of a Short Camino

It’s Physically Challenging, But Not Overwhelming

One thing that is certain, whether you’re walking for 5 days or 14, is that every day on the Camino feels hard, regardless of how long your overall journey is. Walking 20–30 kilometers per day is a challenge, even if you’re only doing it for a few days.

That said, a shorter Camino is generally much easier on your body. During my first Camino from Porto to Santiago, I developed a knee injury about halfway through the trip. By the time I reached Spain, every downhill section was painful. I had to listen to my body and take it easy for the last week. I took rest days, shortened some stages, and even took a bus for one day.

With a 5-day Camino, you’re less likely to run into these types of overuse injuries. Of course, anything can happen, but most people can push through five days of walking without their body completely breaking down.

It’s More Affordable

The Camino is often marketed as a budget-friendly trip, and it certainly can be. However, it has become noticeably more expensive in recent years.

Private albergues now typically cost €20–30 per night, while hotels and private rooms can easily cost €50–100 or more depending on the season. When you’re walking for two weeks or longer, those costs add up quickly.

A 5-day Camino is much more affordable. You’re paying for fewer nights of accommodation, fewer restaurant meals, and less overall time on the road. If budget is one of the reasons you’ve been putting off the Camino, a shorter route can make the experience much more accessible.

It Fits Into a Normal Work Schedule

For many people, the biggest obstacle to the Camino isn’t fitness or money, it’s time.

Not everyone can take two or three weeks off of work for a hiking trip, especially if they want to use their vacation time for other travel throughout the year. One of the reasons I think the Camino Portugués from Vigo has become so popular is because it works well within a normal work schedule.

If you’re based in North America like me and only want to use 5 days of PTO, you could fly to Europe on a Friday night, arrive on Saturday, spend Sunday resting and adjusting to the time difference, and start walking on Monday. Finish your Camino on Friday, spend Saturday exploring Santiago, and fly home on Sunday.

You Get a Taste of the Camino Without a Huge Commitment

Long-distance walking probably isn’t for everyone, but if you want to try and see, a short Camino is the way to go.

Although the idea of walking across Spain sounds romantic, in reality you’re getting up early, spending six hours a day on your feet and going to bed exhuasted. Some people fall in love with that lifestyle immediately, while others realize pretty quickly that it’s not for them.

A shorter Camino gives you the opportunity to experience the journey without committing two weeks or more of your life to it. If you finish those five days and wish you could keep going, that’s a pretty good sign that you should come back and complete a longer route someday.

Disadvantages of a Short Camino

You Miss Some of the Best Parts of the Route

My favorite part of the entire Coastal Camino Portugués wasn’t actually the section closest to Santiago. It was the first week, when I was walking up the Atlantic coast of Portugal and Spain

I loved walking along the long wooden boardwalks with the ocean constantly on my left. During the middle of the day, I would stop at cafés overlooking the water and listen to the waves while eating lunch. My photos from this part of the journey are also my favorite. Look how incredibly beautiful it was…

As soon as I passed Vigo and the route turned inland, I found myself missing the constant presence of the ocean.

Don’t get me wrong, the inland sections of the Camino are beautiful too. Walking through forests, vineyards, farms, and historic Galician towns is a completely different experience, and one that many pilgrims actually prefer. But for me, nothing compares to walking beside the ocean.

So if you only walk the final 100 kilometers, you’re missing a lot of the scenery that makes the Coastal Camino Portugués so special.

The Last 100 Kilometers Are Always the Most Crowded

No matter which Camino route you choose, the final 100 kilometers will always be the busiest section.

Since pilgrims must walk at least 100 kilometers to receive a Compostela, many people start their journey at that point. On the Camino Portugués, this effect is even more noticeable because the Coastal and Central routes merge in Redondela.

That means pilgrims who started in Lisbon, Porto, Tui, Vigo, or somewhere else are all sharing the same trail during the final stretch into Santiago.

When I walked from Porto in 2024, I experienced many quieter days before reaching this section. In 2026, starting in Vigo, I was immediately thrown into the busiest part of the route. The atmosphere was still wonderful, but it definitely felt more crowded than my first Camino.

If you’re hoping for long stretches of solitude, a longer Camino will give you more opportunities to experience that.

It’s Harder to Settle Into the Camino Lifestyle

One of the things I loved most about my first Camino was how everyday life started to fade away after a few days. My world became very simple. All I needed was my feet and the few things that were in my backpack. The daily schedule was: wake up, walk, eat, shower, sleep, and repeat. By the end of the first week, that routine felt normal and comforting.

With a 5-day Camino, I never quite reached that same feeling. Just as I was settling into the rhythm of walking every day, the journey was over. In some ways, it felt like I had only just begun when I found myself standing in front of the cathedral in Santiago.

If I Only Had One Week, Would I Do It Again?

Yes, absolutely. If I only had one week available, I would definitely do another 5-day Camino. But since I’ve already walked the Camino Portugués twice, I would choose a different short Camino route.

In fact, after this experience, my next Camino will definitely be under a week. My travel style has changed a bit over the years, so I don’t love traveling for as long anymore more. I still love hiking and the simplicity of the Camino lifestyle, but I also don’t feel like I need to be on the trail for two whole weeks.

Five days is a lot more manageable, mentally and physically. The walk was still very challenging, but I wasn’t counting down the days till it was over. I was able to fully enjoy the experience without feeling worn out by it.

However, I think it’s important to acknowledge that I feel this way because I’ve already experienced a longer Camino. If I had only ever walked the final 100 kilometers, I think I would always wonder what I had missed.

Some of my favorite memories from my first Camino happened far from Santiago. They happened on the quieter stretches of trail where there were fewer pilgrims, smaller villages, and long days where I felt completely disconnected. There is a certain magic to those earlier sections of the Camino that you simply don’t experience when you start 100 kilometers from Santiago.

The feeling of arriving in Santiago is also different. When I arrived after five days of walking from Vigo, I was excited, proud, and emotional. I hugged my friend, cried, and spent a long time sitting in the square staring at the cathedral. It was a special moment that I’ll never forget.

But arriving after two weeks felt different. After walking for 14 days, taking rest days, dealing with injuries, carrying everything I owned on my back, and slowly making my way across Portugal and Spain, arriving to the Cathedral in Santiago felt much bigger. By that point, walking had become my entire life. The Camino had become my daily routine and reaching the cathedral felt like the end of an important chapter.

A 5-day Camino gives you a wonderful introduction to the pilgrimage and everything that makes it special. A 2-week Camino allows you to sink deeper into the lifestyle and creates a stronger sense of transformation by the time you reach Santiago.

My Recommendation for First-Timers

So, how long do you really need for the Camino?

If you have the time, the budget, and you genuinely enjoy hiking, I would recommend doing a Camino that is at least two weeks long. In my opinion, that’s when you really start to settle into the rhythm of the Camino and experience everything that makes it so special.

However, if you’re short on time, unsure whether you’ll enjoy long-distance walking, or simply can’t take two weeks off work, don’t let that stop you from doing the Camino. A 5-day Camino is still an incredible experience. You’ll challenge yourself physically, meet other pilgrims, experience the unique Camino culture, and earn your Compostela. More importantly, you’ll get a taste of what the Camino is all about.

At the end of the day, I think a short Camino is much better than not doing a Camino at all. If you fall in love with the experience, you can always come back and walk a longer route in the future.