Beyond the French way: 7 Camino de Santiago routes that beat the crowds
The French Way is the Camino de Santiago most people picture, and by the numbers it’s still the most popular route.Of the roughly 531,000 pilgrims who collected a Compostela in 2025, a record, about 46% took it, according to the Pilgrim’s Office in Santiago de Compostela.That leaves roughly 289,000 who didn’t.Here’s where those pilgrims are going, and which route might suit you better.Shares are rounded and based on Pilgrim’s Office figures as compiled by several Camino data sites.
Lengths vary by source and variant.In 2025, the inland Central route topped 100,000 pilgrims, up about 6% on 2024.Many start in Tui, on the Spanish border, for roughly 119 km through the Rías Baixas, past Pontevedra, Caldas de Reis and Padrón.The route from Tui can suit first-timers, though it carries more asphalt than the French Way.
From Lisbon, the full route runs about 610–620 km.Starting in Porto, the Coastal Way hugs the Atlantic for around 270 km, with boardwalks, dune paths and little climbing.It joins the Central route at Redondela, and many pilgrims start closer to Spain, in A Guarda, Baiona or Vigo, to shorten it.The Coastal Way accounted for about 17% of the Compostelas recorded in 2025.Medieval pilgrims from the British Isles and Scandinavia landed at Ferrol and walked inland, and the route is still short.
From Ferrol, it’s about 117–122 km, usually five stages.The A Coruña branch is shorter.It took about 5.7% of 2025 pilgrims.
Time-poor walkers love it for that reason.It traces the route attributed to King Alfonso II of Asturias in the 9th century, from Oviedo, and is generally regarded as the oldest path to Santiago.Expect around 300–320 km, mountains, and 14 stages or so.It’s no pushover.
Even so, the Primitivo carried about 5.3% of pilgrims in 2025, with numbers up about 14% from the year before, per Pilgrim’s Office-based figures.At roughly 830–845 km, the Norte is a serious undertaking.It runs from Irún through the Basque Country, Canta...