07 Aug 20

The varied terrain you will find on ‘The Way’

Adrian Mayer Camino

The Camino Frances is one of many pathways leading to the historical and spiritual city of Santiago de Compostela. Spanning over 800km across regional Spain, this pathway is one that will offer you varied environments, landscapes, culture, food, wine and, underfoot, a great variety of terrain.

A Camino pilgrim walks on a forest path dappled with light.

On my walk along the Camino, over the Pyrenees and from Logrono to Burgos, I encountered a whole range of different pathways underfoot, from chunky rocks to pebble stones, to gravel, to dirt paths and the best case scenario, very established pathways.

Gravel pathway - common terrain on the Camino

If you are planning the Camino for the future and are wondering how to train, there is a lot of benefit in training on similar terrain; this is beneficial whether you are walking or cycling the Camino de Santiago. There are three significant sets of mountains to cross with passes up to 1500m, and the great open expanse – the Meseta – in the middle of the route.

The varied terrain on The Way includes rocky uphill paths like this one, common to some sections of the Camino

To get prepared for the varied terrain you will find on ‘The Way’, we recommend finding similar terrain to train on, such as in a national park. The parks in Australia and New Zealand offer rugged pathways as well as mountains, rivers and valleys, which will help you prepare for what’s in store on your Camino adventure! If you are unsure of your nearest national park, use the links below.

Closeup of a rocky path on the Camino leading to a blue horizon.

National parks – Australia and New Zealand
Adrian Mayer

Written By

Adrian Mayer

Adrian is RAW Travel's resident Camino expert having walked four Caminos, including the full Camino Frances twice. This is a culmination of a life spent travelling, with over 70 countries visited, plus a career spent working in travel. Tailoring personalised Caminos is one of Adrian's favourite pastimes.