Pampering and comfort on the Camino are far from a modern invention

2025-03-03

For centuries, the Camino de Santiago has been an iconic journey, celebrated for its spiritual, historical, and cultural significance. Over the past few years, its popularity has been steadily on the rise—and with good reason. Alongside this growth, the range of services and comforts has likewise expanded. Today, it’s entirely possible to walk or cycle the Camino without carrying your own luggage; you can customize your daily stages more or less as you please and enjoy sleeping in a comfortable bed in your own private room—all while savoring the culinary wonders of northern Spain.

In other words, the Camino has become accessible to those who cannot, dare not, or simply do not wish to set out without knowing where they will stay next, and who prefer not to spend the night in basic dormitories with shared bathrooms.

Many people assume these conveniences are purely the result of the Camino’s popularity, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Throughout history, pilgrims have always taken advantage of whatever resources they had to make their journey as comfortable as possible. It is a myth that, in the past, every pilgrim traveled under simple and austere conditions.

Even in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, there were pilgrims who journeyed with far more comfort than the classic image of the poor wanderer armed with staff and cloak might suggest. Historical sources (see the bottom of the page), such as travel diaries, chronicles, and monastic archives, show that wealthy or noble travelers would often pay for better lodgings, travel with servants, and stay in monasteries or hostels where they made substantial donations to secure proper beds and meals.

“The notion that the Camino has always been the same ‘hardcore’ experience for everyone is a later romanticization. In reality, pilgrims of every era have utilized the available resources and technologies.”

For many, a pilgrimage to Santiago was both a religious event and a social or political occasion, making it important to display one’s status and wealth—a sort of ‘networking’ for the era. Affluent travelers might have horses, mules, and porters to carry their baggage, and would sometimes hire local guides to make the journey both easier and safer. We also know that nobility and even royalty occasionally undertook the pilgrimage with a large retinue, leaving their mark on the towns and hostels they passed through.

Put simply, it’s nothing new for the pilgrimage to be accompanied by a certain level of comfort. Just as wealthy pilgrims in the past took advantage of their era’s “modern” amenities, we can now enjoy luggage transport, private rooms, and digital tools—without losing sight of the Camino’s deeper essence. What truly matters remains the inner and outer transformation, encountering culture and nature, and sharing the experience with fellow pilgrims along the way.

At Spain is More, we merge today’s conveniences with the Camino’s historic and spiritual soul, so you can enjoy the benefits of a more comfortable journey.

Comfortable Accommodations

For centuries, the Camino has been a blend of the practical and the spiritual. Even in the past, there were significant differences in how people traveled and stayed overnight, depending on their financial means. In bygone days, many pilgrims slept in simple hostels or even under the open sky. Yet even centuries ago, affluent travelers paid for better beds, private lodging, or monastery stays that offered more peace, quiet, and security.

Today, it’s much easier to choose comfortable options, though the core idea of a personal and profound journey remains intact. You can still opt for shared hostels, but if you want to ensure proper rest, Spain is More offers private rooms with en-suite bathrooms. This way, you can take a refreshing shower and enjoy a good night’s sleep, setting off again feeling fully rested.

Travel Light and Focus on Your Camino

Historically, pilgrims would typically carry all their gear themselves. However, wealthier travelers could use porters or pack animals to lighten their load. Nowadays, that option is open to everyone – you don’t need to be nobility to have your luggage transported between accommodations. At Spain is More, we arrange baggage transfer, enabling you to walk without extra weight and fully savor the route.

Technology at the Pilgrim’s Service

Hundreds of years ago, experienced local guides and oral storytelling were crucial for navigation. The wealthy could even hire professional companions who knew the route’s hazards. Today, you can turn to apps, online maps, and GPS to find your way. This technology doesn’t detract from the essence of the Camino; it simply helps you focus on the experience itself, while providing peace of mind along the way. We also offer 24/7 support in case questions or issues arise.

To and From the Camino in a Single Day

The Camino has existed for over 1,000 years, whereas commercial air travel isn’t even a century old. What we now see as “the start of a Camino route” was once merely its final stretch. A vast network of roads leads down through France, primarily toward St. Jean Pied de Port. For pilgrims of old, getting to St. Jean Pied de Port was often a longer journey than traveling from there to Santiago de Compostela. Upon reaching Santiago – or even Finisterre – they were effectively only halfway home.

These days, only a small fraction of pilgrims arrive on foot; most take a train, bus, or plane. In fact, the day after completing your Camino, you can be sleeping in your own bed again.

Transport to your starting point and back home comprises a large part of the service Spain is More provides to its guests. We make sure you travel in the most comfortable way possible, whether that’s a combination of a flight plus bus/train, or if you’ve booked your own flight and simply need help getting to the starting location.

Routes Tailored to Your Pace and Level

Whereas in the Middle Ages most people followed one of the major routes (like the French Way), today you can choose from numerous paths. At Spain is More, we customize your trip to suit your preferred walking pace and daily distance, and you can add rest days as needed. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced hiker, we’ll help you find the best option for making your Camino both authentic and manageable.

The Camino Today: Choosing Comfort Is Merely an Extension of an Ancient Tradition

The Camino has always accommodated a range of travel styles, from the simplest to the most luxurious. Opting for comfortable lodging, luggage transfer, or modern technology doesn’t make you any less of a pilgrim – it simply makes the journey more accessible, allowing you to focus on what truly matters: your own experience, reflection, and personal growth. Just as wealthy pilgrims of old took advantage of their era’s “modern” conveniences, you needn’t forgo a bit of luxury in your quest for transformation and insight on the road to Santiago de Compostela.

Would you like to experience the Camino de Santiago while balancing tradition and modern comfort?

At Spain is More, we help you make the most of the innovations that make traveling more comfortable, without sacrificing the historical, spiritual, and cultural core that has defined the Camino for centuries.

Conclusion

The belief that the Camino has always been equally “hardcore” for everyone is a later romantic notion. In reality, pilgrims throughout history have employed whatever resources and technologies were available to them—whether traveling lightly on foot or with a large entourage, lodging in the better quarters of monasteries.

Buen Camino!

Sources:

A selection of sources and literature that directly or indirectly document the more comfortable or “luxurious” ways of undertaking pilgrimages in earlier times. These works and archival materials offer insight into how wealthy, noble, or even royal pilgrims traveled with servants, animals, and better accommodations than those available to poorer pilgrims.

Medieval Handbooks and Chronicles

Codex Calixtinus (12th century)
Also known as Liber Sancti Iacobi. Although its main focus is devotion, route guidance, and miracle stories, the Codex Calixtinus contains a few passages on preparation and practical matters. Its five sections illustrate how pilgrims’ journeys were perceived at the time, providing hints—though not in great detail—of the differences between rich and poor pilgrims.

Travel Diaries and Pilgrimage Accounts
Several travel diaries (e.g., Domenico Laffi’s 17th-century accounts) show that wealthy or clerical pilgrims often traveled with greater comfort and hired help along the way. Although these sources date from the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance onward, they still illustrate that “luxury” on the Camino is not a new phenomenon.

Academic Works on Medieval Pilgrims

Gitlitz, David M. & Linda Kay Davidson: The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago: The Complete Cultural Handbook (St. Martin’s Press, 2000)
A detailed cultural history of the Camino, focusing on history, art, architecture, and customs. It discusses, among other things, how the social stratification of pilgrimage (from the poor to the nobility) was reflected in everything from equipment to lodging.

Melczer, William: The Pilgrim’s Guide to Santiago de Compostela (New York: Italica Press, 1993)
Includes a translation and commentary on parts of the Codex Calixtinus, as well as background on how pilgrims—including wealthier ones—organized their journeys.

Dunn, Maryjane & Linda Kay Davidson (eds.): The Pilgrimage to Compostela in the Middle Ages (New York: Routledge, 1996)
An anthology of several academic articles. Some chapters address the differences between poor and wealthy pilgrims and explain how the wealthy could “buy” a more comfortable stay along the way.

Monastery and Hospital Archives

Monastic Archives on Historic Pilgrimage Routes
Many monasteries, for instance in Roncesvalles (Navarra) or at the cathedrals in León and Burgos, kept ledgers and have preserved donation records. These reveal that certain pilgrims were able to pay substantial sums for better accommodation or made gifts to monasteries to ensure better conditions (e.g., private sleeping areas or improved meals).

Hospital and Hospice Records along the Camino
A number of old “hospederías,” “hospitales,” or “albergues” have retained parish records, tariff books, or written guidelines. Here, one can find evidence that wealthy travelers could receive extra services, pay to “skip the queue,” or donate to expand facilities.

Ecclesiastical and Royal Documents

Royal Decrees and Letters of Privilege
Certain kings and noble families granted privileges to monasteries or hospices along the route. These documents may indicate that special treatment was expected (or required) for members of the nobility or royal envoys, for example.

Letters and Chronicles of Royal Pilgrimages
When kings, queens, or high-ranking nobles embarked on a pilgrimage, it was often recorded in chronicles and official letters. These typically describe the large retinue of knights, servants, wagons, and pack animals that accompanied the monarch or noble—clear evidence that the journey was not made under ascetic conditions.

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Secondary, More Recent Historical Analyses

Fletcher, R. A.: Saint James’s Catapult: The Life and Times of Diego Gelmírez of Santiago de Compostela (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1984)
While primarily focused on Bishop (later Archbishop) Diego Gelmírez (11th–12th century), the book also provides information on pilgrimage, monasteries, and religious institutions. Among other things, it discusses how clergy and wealthy families could influence—and benefit from—the pilgrimage network.

Coleman, Simon & John Elsner (eds.): Pilgrimage Past and Present in the World Religions (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1995)
Explores pilgrimage in various religious contexts, including Christianity. Contains examples of how power and wealth have shaped both the structure and the experience of pilgrimages.

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