Why I Would Walk the Camino Again

I would walk the Camino again, and that still surprises me a little. Not because I hated it. I loved it. But love on the Camino is complicated. It comes with blisters, cold showers, snoring strangers, steep climbs, sore knees, and mornings when your body looks at you like you have lost your entire mind.

Still, even with all of that, I know I am not finished with the Camino de Santiago. If someone asked me today whether I would walk the Camino again, my answer would be yes without hesitation.

Maybe that is how you know a journey got inside you. It does not end just because you reached the cathedral.

The First Camino Was My Teacher

My first Camino taught me what I could carry, what I could release, and what kind of strength was still waiting inside my 50-year-old body. I did not walk perfectly. I did not prepare perfectly. I did not glide across Spain like some serene pilgrimage influencer with matching socks and endless patience.

I struggled. I cried. I laughed. I adjusted. I kept going.

That is why The Camino Changed Me in Ways I Did Not Expect still feels like one of the most honest things I have written. The Camino did not hand me a fantasy. It gave me evidence of what I was capable of.

A Second Camino Would Be a Different Conversation

The first time, everything was new. Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port felt like the edge of a life I had not entered yet. The Pyrenees felt enormous. Albergue life felt strange. Every yellow arrow felt like a small miracle.

If I walk again, I will bring more wisdom. I will pack differently. I will choose gear with fewer fantasies and more honesty. I will take my sleeping bag seriously from the beginning. I will listen to my knees before they start writing angry letters.

But I also know a second Camino would never be a repeat. The road changes because the walker changes.

That realization became even clearer after I returned home. I explore that transition in Returning Home After the Camino. Coming home can be just as transformative as leaving.

I Want to Meet Myself There Again

That may be the real reason. I want to meet myself on the road again. Not the same woman who started in 2025, but the woman I am becoming now.

The Camino gives you room to hear yourself. It strips life down until you can recognize your own voice underneath the noise. That kind of clarity is rare, and I do not take it lightly.

As I wrote in The Camino Taught Me to Trust My Own Pace, the road reminded me that my pace was enough. That lesson has followed me long after I unpacked my backpack.

The Camino Community Still Pulls at Me

I miss the moving community. I miss the casual kindness. I miss the way strangers become familiar because you keep finding each other in cafés, albergues, churches, and village squares.

That community is not perfect. Nothing human is. But the Camino family has a tenderness I have rarely experienced anywhere else. It reminds you that people can still care for one another without needing a reason.

If you are curious about that side of the pilgrimage, read The Camino Family I Did Not Know I Needed. It explains why the people often become just as memorable as the path itself.

Next Time I Would Walk With More Mercy

If I return, I want to walk with more mercy. More mercy for my body. More mercy for my budget. More mercy for the days that refuse to unfold beautifully.

I would still prepare. I would still rely on trusted resources like the Official Camino de Santiago in Galicia and the Pilgrim Reception Office. I would still consider SafetyWing for travel medical coverage and Hostelworld for affordable accommodation.

I would also spend a little more time exploring Spain before or after my walk. If you are extending your trip, I recommend browsing GetYourGuide for walking tours, cultural experiences, and day trips that complement the Camino.

Planning matters. However, the Camino has taught me that surrender matters too. The best days are often the ones you never planned.

The Camino Is Still Speaking

I would walk the Camino again because the first walk is still speaking. It speaks when life gets loud. It speaks when I begin overthinking everything. It speaks when I forget that simple living can also be deeply joyful.

Maybe I will return to the Camino Francés. Maybe I will choose the Portuguese Camino, the Norte, or another ancient route entirely. I have not decided yet.

What I do know is this: Santiago was never the end of my story. It became the beginning of a lifelong relationship with the Camino, and I have a feeling the road and I are not finished with each other.

If you are thinking about taking your own first steps, explore my complete Camino de Santiago hub. I have gathered every guide, lesson, reflection, and story from my 2025 pilgrimage to help you prepare for your own journey.

Buen Camino.