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While walking the Camino de Santiago, instead of being asked by pilgrims “what do you do?” you’re more likely to be asked, “why are you walking the Camino Portugués?”

On my first Camino, I was asked this question within the first hour of my pilgrimage. It’s a simple inquiry, yet somehow it can feel difficult to answer.

The Way of Saint James calls to people all over the world for different reasons. If you’re considering walking the Camino Portugues, you may not even exactly know why (yet).

I know this magnetic pull well. I’ve walked all the routes of the Portuguese Camino, and I think there’s a genuine magic that happens here.

Let’s explore the most common reasons that “normal people” turn into pilgrims walking the Portuguese Way to Santiago de Compostela. I’ll also share what makes this route special for anyone weighing this pilgrimage against another.

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Have a question? Leave a comment at the bottom and I’ll reply right away 🙂

The 4 Reasons From “The Way”

The most popular movie about the Camino de Santiago is “The Way,” starring Martin Sheen. The premise of the movie is that Martin Sheen’s son set out on the Camino Frances but died on the first day. Martin Sheen spontaneously decides to pick up his gear and walk The Way himself.

Along the way, he picks up 3 fellow pilgrims that become begrudgingly his trail family. These 4 pilgrims represent 4 of the most common reasons that pilgrims choose a long walk.

1. Grief

Martin Sheen’s specific journey in The Way isn’t an uncommon narrative: he set out to see his son’s dream through. I’ve met many pilgrims walking the Camino for this exact reason, sometimes carrying ashes or even walking in their loved one’s shoes.

There’s a reason that the feeling of grief leads many people to walk the Camino. It’s so much more than a single emotion. Tangled up with grief often comes the feeling that you need to…

• Get away
• Do something difficult
• Persevere over something
• Prove that you can move forward
• Maybe even be in physical pain to distract yourself from the emotional pain

Grief encompasses more than death. Some will grieve the end of a chapter of life or even a dream that can’t come to fruition. Something about long walks on damp forest paths and windy seaside trails helps the hole of grief feel smaller for a moment.

2. Initiate Change

Some people choose the Camino to prove it to themselves that they’re capable of big changes. This was the motive behind one of the characters in The Way, who promised herself that she would quit smoking when she reached Santiago.

This exact motive is surprisingly common. Recently while walking the Central Route, I met an Australian Pilgrim who told me the exact same thing. He said that if he had the discipline to reach Santiago de Compostela, then he had the discipline to finally give up cigarettes.

3. Weight Loss

The most loveable character in The Way, Joost, admits that he’s walking the Camino to lose weight. I can’t say I’ve ever met a pilgrim who shared this exact sentiment with me, but a Camino journey is certainly an effective way of initiating a physical change.

Most pilgrims walk about 20-25 kilometers (12.5–15.5 miles) per day on the Portuguese Camino. Daily distances can be also shortened or even stretched to create a bigger challenge. On the Camino Litoral, I met one pilgrim who was doing 40 kilometers (25 miles) daily. If you have a sedentary job or home life, it’s a stark contrast with home life.

As Hippocrates said, “Walking is man’s best medicine.”

Note: There are three different routes on the Camino Portugués and they’re not all equally difficult. I explain all of this in my planning guide: What is the Camino Portugués?

4. Get Unstuck

The final character of The Way was a writer walking the Camino to get “unstuck” from their writer’s block. As a writer myself, this really resonates. The stimulation of the trail makes me feel incredibly creative. To me, walking simultaneously feels so galvanizing and so relaxing at the same time.

I think at the heart of this motive is the need to process. Walking is powerful for this: your conscious mind is occupied observing your surroundings and looking for trail markers. Your unconscious mind works at untangling knots in the background.

What Pilgrims Say

These first four motives from the movie “The Way” are just a few of many reasons that people walk the Camino Portugués. Let’s get into the other common reasons that pilgrims share with each other when meeting on the path.

5. The Hype

All of the hype surrounding the Camino de Santiago leads to a natural curiosity. Much of that hype comes from the popular Camino Francés (AKA the French Way). Endless books, movies, documentaries, magazine articles, and more exist dedicated to the Francés. The Francés has inspired a lot of interest and reignited a modern interest in pilgrimage.

6. The History

The history of pilgrimage dates back to the Middle Ages, and walking one today pays homage to this tradition. Pilgrims on the Camino Portugués pass an incredible amount of history:

• Walk Roman roads in Ponte de Lima that are more than 2,000 years old (Central Route)
• See Viking carvings in seaside stones (Litoral Route)
• Explore the Renaissance architecture of the Viana do Castelo fortress (Coastal Route)
• Bronze-age petroglyphs estimated to be 4,000 years old (Spiritual Variant)

7. Religion or Spirituality

It’s impossible to touch on the history of pilgrimage without talking about its religious significance. Religion used to the be the most common motive for one to embark on a pilgrimage. Discussions of religion have not been prominent on my walks on the Camino, but when the conversation does come up, it’s very insightful. One pilgrim I met described her walk as dedicated prayer time; another said he chose the Camino to have lots of time with God.

The Camino de Santiago still attracts people of faith, but it’s no longer the most common motive among pilgrims. However, the belief that the path is sacred hasn’t been lost. I’ve met many pilgrims along The Way who cite spirituality as a motive for choosing a Camino over a normal hiking trail.

8. The Scenery

The different routes of the Camino Portugués all start in Portugal (hence the name) and travel north to Spain. It’s impossible to summarize a two-week walk in one sentence without generalizing, but when I reflect on walking each route, this is what comes to mind:

• Litoral Route: Charming seaside towns and sandy beaches along the Atlantic Ocean
• Central Route: Endless vineyards and historic towns like Ponte de Lima
• Coastal Route: Rugged seaside vistas and lush green forests

9. Culture

Crossing medieval bridges and eating delicious new foods (prepare to become obsessed with pastel de natas) is an undeniable perk of walking the Portuguese Way.

Things that you can only get on the Portuguese Way:

• Portuguese cafe culture
• Decorative blue tiles (azulejos) covering churches and train stations
• The Rooster of Barcelos, which represents a Camino miracle

11. Feeling Young

I can vividly recall my first time in a hostel: I was 19 years old and I was completely mesmerized by the different people from all over the world crossing paths. Chance meetings happened around the corner of every bunk bed. Everyone felt endlessly interesting and like they were all on unbelievably glorious adventures.

It was all so carefree. That type of travel (particularly in the US) is often associated with youth: a gap year after college or backpacking adventures in your twenties. Many people say that they feel too old for hostels past a certain age.

The Camino offers a chance at this type of carefree travel through albergues (pilgrim hostels). Camino pilgrims of all ages pull up to their bunk beds to rest their weary feet and swap blister updates. Simply walking the Camino and sleeping in a pilgrim hostel can bring back some of those butterflies of “what the heck am I doing here?!” that feels very far away in the normal routines of life. I think for many pilgrims it stirs a feeling that’s reminiscent of youth.

12. At A Fork In The Road

Are you standing at a fork in the road? You will not be alone on The Way. I can think of many conversations with pilgrims I’ve met who have echoed this motive: A German man who figuring out what’s next after his relationship suddenly ended. Two Czech students who had finished their degrees and weren’t sure what they wanted out of their adult lives. A widow who didn’t know who she was without her husband of 40 years.

For a few days or weeks, you don’t have to worry about where to go: just follow the dirt paths and yellow arrows to northern Spain. Your days will feel long as you’re met with endless stimulation. Your conscious mind can take in the beauty, converse with pilgrims, and comb over the aches and pains in your body.

Your subconscious mind can continue to untangle your feelings about whatever might be next for you in life. Or as Henry David Thoreau put it: “Methinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.”

12. Mental Processing

Taking the time for mental processing is very similar to being at a fork in the road or grieving. It’s the manifestation of the feeling that you need to put normal life on hold for a moment.

The first pilgrim I ever met told me she was walking to finally put a painful part of her childhood behind her. A friend came to Spain to join me on a Camino because she needed to process her recent retirement and what was next for her. Walking has a powerful way of helping us move forward, both physically and mentally.

13. Itchy Feet

“Itchy feet” refers to feeling restless, wanderlust, or the need to just have an adventure. This can be the manifestation of some underlying boredom or lack of satisfaction in life. Or, it could just be time for an adventure. I think we all felt this after this Covid, as well as after other intense chapters in your life where you put plans on hold.

Sometimes the open road simply calls.

14. Compostela Certificate

Pilgrims who meet certain requirements on their Camino de Santiago qualify for a special document, called a Compostela. You don’t get a free ticket to heaven with your official Compostela certificate, but it does offer a sense of satisfaction.

My first time arriving at the pilgrim’s office, I was with a fellow pilgrim who I’d met days prior. She summarized the feeling perfect: “I can never explain this feeling to anyone.” It’s not just another vacation; a pilgrimage is a special accomplishment. Your Compostela is a tangible memento of the experience.

Learn more about your Compostela in my guide: Camino de Santiago Compostela Explained.

15. Be A Part of Something

For a few days or weeks on the Camino, you’re not a random person: you’re a part of something bigger. This isn’t just a metaphor, either. It’s felt tangibly through the pilgrim infrastructure that you’ll use:

• Albergues: Hostels that exist to house pilgrims on their journeys.
• Pilgrim menu: A special multi-course meal available for pilgrims at local restaurants.
• Pilgrim passport: A dedicated credential that proves you’re a pilgrim and grants you access to albergues.

Learn more about your pilgrim passport in my guide: Camino Portugues Passport Explained.

Why the Camino Portugués Specifically?

Many of these reasons to walk the Camino apply to all routes of the Camino de Santiago. Let’s take a moment to look at what attracts people to the Portuguese Way over other routes.

16. More Accessible

The Portuguese Camino is shorter and less physically demanding than other Camino routes. This makes it more accessible to pilgrims of different abilities. A shorter Camino also results in a lower cost to participate: it requires less time off and fewer travel days, all amounting to a cheaper experience.

17. Beginner Friendly

The Camino Portugues has been branded over the years as the easiest Camino de Santiago. Many pilgrims who are older or less experienced choose this route because it’s known as being approachable. I think that label is a fantastic thing, as it demystifies the process a bit for beginners and helps people feel empowered to join who might’ve been too intimidated to try other routes.

18. Multiple Route Options

A perk of the Portuguese Way is that it has several route options: the Central Route, Coastal Route, and Litoral Route. While the number of choices may feel overwhelming during the planning phase, it’s also a huge perk of walking the Camino Portugués.

The Central Camino goes through famous small towns and historic sites. The Portuguese Coastal route has stunning ocean views. The Litoral Route offers an intimdate experience with the seaside.

19. Experience Portugal Intimately

Portugal has earned a well-deserved reputation of being an incredible travel destination. As a pilgrim, you get an experience that’s impossible to find as a tourist. You encounter the culture, towns, and people in a way that’s truly rewarding.

Why I Love The Camino Portugués

The Camino Portugués was my first pilgrimage. I wasn’t a long-distance walker when I stepped away from the cathedral in Porto. Especially while being slowly but surely crushed beneath the weight of an enormous pack… But the trip turned me into a pilgrim.

The experience was difficult but joyful. Straightforward but adventurous. Simple but challenging. Even after walking more grandiose pilgrimages, like the Via Francigena, I still appreciate going back to the Portuguese route again and again for a mental and physical reset along the fresh ocean air and warm Portuguese culture. Bert-Jan and I have made a pact to walk the Camino de Portugués every year as a reminder.

Everyone Has Their Own Camino 

The Camino Portuguese calls to people from all walks of life: young and old. Prepared and unprepared. Seasoned and green. Huge backpacks and tiny ultra light gear and everything in between. It’s generally ego-free and one of the great joys of this experience.

There’s a bit of magic waiting for you in northern Portugal. Even if you’re not sure why it beckons you yet, I think it’s worth it for you to answer the call.