Women solo on Camino

The Camino is not a hiking holiday. It is a life-changing experience.

On the Camino, it is about you. Only about you.

Your only job is walking. You take a break when you are tired. You eat when you are hungry. You talk when you feel like connecting, or enjoy the silence in your own hotel room.

Many women start feeling their needs again for the first time. They learn who they are when there is no one around to take care of.

They reconnect with themselves. They find the strength to change things and make themselves their own priority again.

“For the first time in my life, I was traveling alone, and I wouldn’t have dared to embark on this adventure without Nicoletta. From the very beginning, she was always there for me, assisting with preparations, optimizing my packing list, and crafting a travel plan tailored to my wishes and capabilities. Knowing she was always by my side gave me a great sense of security."
Steffi, 55, Germany.

I have walked over 3,000 km / 2,000 mi on the Camino as a woman traveling alone.

The first time was in 2017, when I walked from Porto to Santiago. I was 37 years old, and I had never really traveled alone before. I didn’t know Portugal, I had no idea what it meant to be on the Camino, I was very unsure if I could sleep in a dorm, I worried about whether the Camino was safe, and I was incredibly nervous about the whole thing.

And it still was the best decision I ever made.

On my first night in Porto, I walked around and realized that I was so used to eating when my husband was hungry and choosing a restaurant based on his preferences that I had trouble figuring out what I wanted.

I randomly chose an Italian restaurant and felt bad and exposed sitting there alone at my table. At that moment, I was sure that I had made a mistake. I felt lonely and overwhelmed and like I was in the wrong place.

My first day of walking wasn’t better a all. 

By day five of the Camino, you would have thought that this was not the same woman who had sat in that restaurant in Porto.

I was the happiest girl on earth. I felt free. Connected. Grounded. Confident. I felt a trust in life that I had never experienced before. A trust in myself.

My body started talking to me again. I could feel when I needed a rest, when I was hungry, and I even knew what I wanted to eat. I cared about myself and my needs. Because it was only me. There was no one around I felt responsible for, and no one I had to compromise or agree with.

These two weeks were all about me. In the beginning, it felt selfish. It felt wrong. But it isn’t. Not by any means.

I can’t encourage women out there enough to go on a Camino – especially the ones who spent decades with taking care of others. Do it for yourself!

The Camino is generally a safe place.

That does not mean that nothing ever happens, but the number of serious crimes is incredibly low. The usual “idiots trying to make women feel uncomfortable" exist on the Camino too. I would be lying if I said that I had never heard of a case.

But this happens everywhere in the world. If you feel uncomfortable walking alone through a forest, just wait for the next pilgrim to walk by and walk with a little distance between you. There is nothing wrong with that. The next pilgrim is never far away, at least on the more popular Caminos, such as the Camino Francés or the Portuguese Camino from Porto.

What if I get overwhelmed?
What if I feel lonely?
What if I get lost?
What if I forget something?
What if I get sick?
What if something goes wrong?

Then I am there for you. I don’t just take care of the organisational side of your Camino. I am also your crisis manager or your friend in your pocket – whatever you need. I know the Camino inside out, and I know how it feels to be on the Camino.

Let’s turn your Camino into reality!