Can You Road Bike The Portuguese Camino De Santiago?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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You’ll be amazed at the variety of roads, paths and trails that you’ll ride on your way to Santiago de Compostela. Every day you’ll find yourself riding in such diverse roads that you’ll never get bored.

Can you do the Camino on a bike?


Cycling the Camino is certainly easier on your joints

(for a full fitness breakdown, check our tips below). Cycling uphill might be hard, but trekking 100 kilometres over undulating terrain is tough on knees and ankles. Leave the walking poles at home and let your wheels take the weight instead.

Can you do the Camino de Santiago on bicycle?

Cycling the Camino de Santiago


UTracks offers a multitude of cycling options along the Camino de Santiago, the French Way of St James as well as the Portuguese Road, or Camino Portuguese

. Starting from Roncesvalles near the French border, you can cycle along the most popular route all the way to Santiago de Compostela.

How long does it take to cycle Camino de Santiago?

For those people who have more time to dedicate to this extraordinary route, we recommend taking

around 18 days

to cover all of the Camino Francés, which is around 800km.

How difficult is the Portuguese Camino?

Level of difficulty

On average, pilgrims will walk between 15 and 30km per day. You must walk at least 100km to collect your pilgrim certificate in Santiago de Compostela. The Portuguese Camino is

very manageable with some basic training and a few preparation walks

.

Can you cycle the pilgrims trail?


The Pilgrims cycle trail is designed for the more experienced cyclist, however it can also be completed in sections

so if you fancy tackling an easier part this would make an ideal day out for families too.

Where is the best place to start the Camino?


Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

, a French village at the foot of the Pyrenees, is the modern starting point for the Camino Francés, though whether this has a historical basis or not is debated.

Can you cycle the Camino primitivo?

The Camino Primitivo is a wild, dramatic route that follows a little known but original pilgrims trail to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia.

This exciting new holiday is a chance for mountain bikers to take a wild ride through the remote mountains of Northern Spain

.

Can you camp on the Camino de Santiago?


Camping is possible on all of the Camino’s routes

, but here organisation is key as designated campsites are few and far between. Some hostel owners will let pilgrims camp in their gardens for a small donation, and there are frequent grassy rest areas with basic facilities where hikers can wild camp.

Can you bike the Camino del Norte?


On this Pilgrimage by bicycle

you will experience stages 11 to 16 of the 16 Camino-del-Norte stages on bicycle to Santiago. Make your trip personal! Spain is More offers and guarantees the following on this trip: ✔ Daily Departures from Marts to November.

How many Camino routes are there?

There are

seven

well-established routes of St. James; Camino Frances (the French Way), Camino Portugués (the Portuguese Way), Camino del Norte (the Northern Way), Camino Primitivo (the Original Way), Via de la Plata (the Silver Way), Camino Inglés (the English Way) and Camino Finisterre-Muxía. What is this?

Can you cycle the Way of St James?


Cycle the full length of the Way of St James in France from the Haute Loire to the rugged mountains of the Pyrenees

. The pilgrimage route to Santiago has been travelled for over 1000 years by foot, donkey and more recently by bike.

Can you bike the Camino Francés?


Most people that you know who have done the Camino de Santiago will have done the Camino Francés (French Way)

. Starting in the Pyrenees, the most popular version of this route covers nearly 750km through Navarre, La Rioja, Castilla y Leon and Galicia.

What is the best time of year to hike the Camino de Santiago?

While the Camino de Santiago is passable all year round, the months of

April, May, June, September and October

are optimal months for experiencing the trail. For those opting for the popular Camino Francés, the Pyrenees mountain chain can see deep snow and inclement weather in wintertime.

Which Camino route is the most beautiful?


Camino del Norte

. The Northern Way is arguably the most scenic, running along the Bay of Biscay coast from foodie San Sebastián, via Bilbao and Santander and an array of beautiful beaches, to Oviedo; from here you can join the Camino Primitivo to reach Santiago.

Which Camino route is best?


Camino Francés

: the classic Camino route

While it is not the oldest route, the Camino Francés has definitely become synonymous with ‘The Camino’ and it is by far the best known and most transited of all the Camino routes; although the trail starts getting busier mainly on the last stages into Santiago.

How long does it take to walk from Lisbon to Santiago?

Distance – 630 km/391 mi from Lisbon to Santiago de Compostela (the Central Route from Porto), 650 km/403 mi on the Coastal Route from Porto. What is this? The number of days –

28-30 days

, 15-16 days from Lisbon to Porto, and 11-13 days from Porto to Santiago. Average cost – 25 Euro per person per day.

Where is the North Downs Way?

The North Downs Way National Trail follows the chalk scarp of the North Downs for 153 miles from

Farnham in Surrey to Canterbury in Kent

.

How fit do you need to be to walk the Camino de Santiago?

You can cut out difficult sections you don’t fancy, or even take a center-based approach first to ensure this type of vacation is for you. In order to say you’ve ‘officially completed’ the Camino de Santiago, you need to have walked

a minimum of 100km

.

Is the Camino de Santiago worth it?


The Camino not only gives you the opportunity to connect with strangers, but also gives you a lot of time to do it with nature and just think and meditate

, because even if you have started with several people, sometimes you find yourself alone for long periods of time, cause each person has a different walking pace.

Where do you fly into for the Camino de Santiago?


Santander (SDR)

is the closest airport. Buses operate from here to Burgos and take ~3 hours.

Kim Nguyen
Author
Kim Nguyen
Kim Nguyen is a fitness expert and personal trainer with over 15 years of experience in the industry. She is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and has trained a variety of clients, from professional athletes to everyday fitness enthusiasts. Kim is passionate about helping people achieve their fitness goals and promoting a healthy, active lifestyle.