The Camino + Solo Female Travelers

In 2019, women made up 57% of the pilgrims who received a Compostela in Santiago, and to me, that makes perfect sense. The Camino de Santiago is a great choice for solo female travelers.

The Camino de Santiago + Solo Female Travelers

Spain's ancient pilgrimage, the Camino de Santiago is a safe, cultural, nature-based active trip that’s ideal for solo female travelers.

As a woman who travels alone, I know that when I tell people I’m going on a trip, people around me immediately warn me about the dangers of traveling alone. Maybe you really want to walk the Camino but you’re worried about whether you can actually pull it off and maybe you second guess yourself. Questions come up like: Can I really do this? Is it really safe?

What Women Want

Well, you’re not alone...according to a 2020 Solo Female Travel Trends Survey, 73% of solo female travelers worry about their safety while traveling. and 42% of women who haven’t traveled on their own yet cite their fear for their own safety as a reason for not traveling. Several other decision factors weigh in for us solo female travelers like the culture of the place, the nature and beauty of the place, affordability, food, and friendliness of the locals.

One of my private clients Alex found herself at a sort of crossroad in life. She told me she wanted to explore, and take an adventure into the unknown. After we worked together on her fears and excuses, she said, “I took this journey alone. This was my first solo international travel experience. My greatest fears were leaving my partner whom I've spent almost everyday with for the last 4 years for over a month. The truth is that I am capable, there were so many sacred moments and locations along the way I feel can expand my life and understanding of the world even deeper.”

As you can see from Alex’s experience, traveling alone can be an absolutely positive life-affirming adventure. You can learn about yourself and grow as a person, you can gain so much confidence and learn to see life in a brand new perspective.

Why the Camino, though?

The Camino is extremely safe.

Every woman I’ve ever spoken to feels the same about this. Be logical and smart as you would anywhere like don’t leave your wallet unattended but in general, the Camino is very safe for solo travelers.

You’ll make friends along the way.

You’ll find your people quickly. The concept of a "Camino family" is very common on the trail. When traveling alone, you're more open to meeting people and making friends who will become like family. The international crowd that the Camino attracts means you'll make friends with people from all over the world.

The Camino is affordable for solo female travelers.

For a solo traveler, you can pay for just your bed in the hostels. Plus, the Camino doesn’t cost as much as you think it would. Check out this blog post where I lay out the cost of walking the Camino.

Go for it!

The Camino offers a great jumping off point to give you the confidence to travel solo. If you’ve been wanting to do something exciting that pushes you out of your comfort zone, this could be the perfect trip for you. I’d be honored to be your Camino coach to guide you on next steps!