I am Mercè Jiménez, from Canine Tourism, and together with my dog ??Futt, I have traveled the almost 800 km of the French Camino de Santiago from Roncesvalles. If you dream of taking this trip with your furry friends, I will tell you about my experience so that you don’t miss the opportunity to live this great adventure together.
We could say that “all roads lead to Santiago”, and there are different itineraries that you can choose to get to Santiago de Compostela. In my case, I opted for the French Camino de Santiago, since being the busiest, it has a greater range of ‘dog friendly’ accommodations (that allow the entry of dogs).
The starting point will depend on the days you have available and/or the total kilometers you want to tackle. The ideal is to do at least the last 100 kilometers (which on the French Way would be starting in Sarria), since it is the minimum distance required to achieve the Compostela. We started the adventure in Roncesvalles and for more than a month we traveled the almost 800 kilometers that separated us from Santiago, crossing Navarra, La Rioja and Castilla y León until we reached Galicia.
When I decided to do the Camino de Santiago with my dog, it was essential for me to always be able to sleep with Futt in the same room. I had heard that this was impossible because, although there were shelters that called themselves ‘dog friendly’, in reality they only allowed dogs if they stayed in the garden, garage or other similar places. And it is true that in the vast majority of hostels this is the case, so it is very important to confirm the admission regulations before booking.
In order to always sleep together in the same room, we had to discard common rooms in hostels (where it is generally not allowed) and opt for private rooms in hostels, pensions, hostels, hotels, rural houses, etc. This requires more planning (since you need to book in advance) and also involves a higher budget, but it is the only option if you don’t want to part with your furry friend. During our Camino I met pilgrims with dogs (which we call perregrinos) who camped in the gardens of the accommodations or in natural areas to make sure they slept with their canine companions and at the same time keep costs down.
Finding ‘dog friendly’ places to sleep at each stage was the most complicated part of the entire trip; In fact, in some “classic” stage finishes I did not find accommodation and had to adapt my itinerary more than once. I made reservations directly with the accommodation, after confirming their pet policy, and through Booking using the “pet friendly” filter (I recommend the first option more). There was very little information and it took me a long time to make reservations, but now there are specialized guides such as Dog Trip: Camino de Santiago con Perro (Camino Francés) that make this process much easier.
The kilometers of the most common itinerary of the Camino Francés (which involves doing the 800 kilometers in about 30 stages) range between 20 and 30 km per stage. But you can adapt the daily distance to your physical condition, always taking into account the availability of accommodation. It is very important that you train together before the trip and do not forget to give your furry dogs a veterinary check-up.
We did an average of 20 km a day, because it was a distance that we traveled comfortably on our hiking routes; but some stages were lengthened (and others I had to shorten) depending on the offer of ‘dog friendly’ places to sleep. Additionally, I also planned 1 rest day a week, so our trip in total lasted 46 days.
The Navarra stages are green, the first ones quite shaded, of easy-medium difficulty and in general they pass through natural areas (except when approaching the largest cities). You have to be careful with cyclists on the narrow forest paths and the hardest stage is undoubtedly the one from Pamplona to Estella, in which you have to climb to Alto del Perdón. You might think that the most difficult thing is the climb, but in reality the hardest part is going down that steep and rocky track.
The first days were the most complicated of the entire trip, especially on a psychological level. For the first time I traveled alone with Futt (before that I had always done it with my partner) and I was more aware than ever of the limitations that, sometimes, traveling with a dog has since, not having the option of “taking turns” with anyone, where Futt couldn’t enter, neither could I. This meant not being able to buy in food stores and supermarkets, nor go in to order in a bar or restaurant (the vast majority do not allow dogs inside and do not usually serve on the terrace).
Also, although the stages were not particularly hard and we had trained for months, after the first two days I felt like I was sore. And, to make matters worse, many people we met were surprised when I told them that I was doing the Camino de Santiago with my dog ??and their comments were not very encouraging: “poor thing, it’s a lot of kilometers and it won’t last”, “the pads are very delicate, I knew a pilgrim who had to abandon because his dog damaged them”, etc.
So I, who had only been on the Camino for a few days and was facing a trip like this for the first time with Futt, began to doubt that it would have been a good idea. But, ‘spoiler’, the tightness disappeared after 3 days, Futt’s pads were in perfect condition because I took great care of them, and we both really enjoyed this adventure that has become the trip of our lives.
In La Rioja, the stages are somewhat gentler, although with some steep slopes, and less shaded. You walk through vineyards and the scene is beautiful.
Our time in La Rioja was very special because we already felt like true pilgrims: we had adapted to the routine, I felt very confident because we finished each stage successfully, and we began to make friends.
As you always (or almost always) sleep in private rooms, you do not always have the opportunity to stay in hostels where you can share common areas with other pilgrims (although during the stage there is a lot of time to get to know them). But in La Rioja we were very happy because we met a group of pilgrims who accompanied us during some stages and because at the El Corro de Belorado Hostel, for the first time, we enjoyed a group dinner (it is not usual that they let you be in the dining room with the dog).
Although we ended up separating from that group (some did not reach Santiago and others went at a different pace than ours), they were very special days. Later we shared some community dinners again and met other pilgrims (and pilgrims!), but the first times are always special.
Castilla y León is the Autonomous Community with the most kilometers on the French Camino de Santiago, and it passes through the provinces of Burgos, Palencia and León. The stages in the first two are characterized by being very flat (it is the central plateau) and at times somewhat monotonous. The biggest difficulty here is finding ‘dog friendly’ accommodation (there is little offer and many kilometers between towns) and it is not recommended that you do so in summer, since the temperatures are very high and there is no shade at all. In León things change after Ponferrada, and the El Bierzo region is more similar to the part of Navarra and is a prelude to the type of landscapes that you will find in Galicia. The stages are beautiful and it is a region that you will really enjoy exploring with your canine companions.
In Castilla y León we live in extreme times: in the mornings in Burgos we woke up at 0º and at noon in Palencia we were very hot because there was not even a shade, so we started to get up earlier to get to the accommodations around 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
The stage in which we arrived in León was the most difficult of our entire trip, since Futt ate something that made him sick (when he woke up so early it was very dark and I couldn’t see what it was) and he vomited quite a few times during the day. Upon arriving in León, I went to a veterinary clinic near the hotel where they did tests, gave him medication, and prescribed us a special food. The next day we dedicated it to rest (luckily we had it planned) and he finally recovered, so we were able to continue the Camino.
Finally, you arrive in Galicia, where the landscape is very green, humid and shady. The Camino can be done well in summer because it is not excessively hot, but you have to be careful in winter and in the rainy season because bad weather can complicate the journey.
The climb to O Cebreiro and crossing the border of Galicia was the second most exciting moment of the trip. And the first? Of course, reach Praza do Obradoiro and admire the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Even today it brings tears to my eyes when I remember it.
The stages from Sarria were very special because my partner joined the Camino and we were able to travel the last 114 kilometers as a family. Futt was so happy! Although it rained heavily in the afternoons, the mornings held out and we were able to enjoy the landscapes and, above all, the Galician gastronomy. Did you know that the famous A Garnacha grocery store in Melide is ‘dog friendly’? Now you no longer have an excuse to enjoy a delicious ‘pulpo a feira’ in the company of your furry friends.
These are the essentials for the experience to be perfect:
Yes, yes and a thousand times yes! The Camino de Santiago is a trip that must be made once in a lifetime, and sharing it with your dog is something that will unite you forever. Without a doubt, it has been the most incredible adventure that I have experienced with Futt, so I hope that you have reached the end of this article wanting to ‘pilgrimage’ to Santiago de Compostela.
