5 Gorgeous YouTube Clips to Inspire You to Walk a Camino in Spain

We have had a lot of time this year to sit back and think about our lives and how we may live them differently in the future. My wanderlust remains strong and once bans are lifted and it is safe, the first thing I will be doing will be to book my ticket to Madrid, Spain.

Here are five YouTube clips that I hope will communicate the joy of walking in Spain, the wonderful people you meet along the way and the sheer pleasure of being outside in Nature.

It is quite a challenge to narrow this list down to just five. I can assure you I had great fun and lost a lot of work hours clicking from one clip to the next. There are some extremely talented videographers and YouTubers out there and I am in awe of how they filmed and edited their clips to showcase their personal and/or professional experience.

So, go make yourself a cuppa, grab a snack, and sit back and lose yourself in a little camino dreaming.

Camino Frances: St Jean Pied de Port to Finisterre

1. To the End of the World on the Camino de Santiago

By: Hank Leukart, USA

When: Spring 2015

Clip Length: 35.03 minutes

Includes: Maps showing his progress across Spain, limited sub-titles/captioning.

Other Comments:

• Hank narrates his journey and shares his feelings about the experience.
• He doesn’t pull any punches about the physical demands of the walk including some gory close-ups of various blisters on his feet.
• It is beautifully shot and captures the gorgeous countryside and diverse terrain.
• A really nice introduction to what it means to walk a camino.

View Here

Camino Portuguese: From Lisbon to Porto to Santiago de Compostela

2. Camino de Santiago – Camino Portugues 2018

By: Evaldas Karaluis

When: 11 April – 6 May 2018

Clip Length: 39.25 minutes

Includes: Enjoyable backing track of acoustic guitar music by Estas Tonne. Includes a map of the walk right at the end of the clip.

Other Comments:

• His chosen path does not follow the traditional Camino Portuguese route, but it still looks wonderful. Instead of going inland from Lisbon, they follow the coast north and then veer inland at Nazara to Leiria to connect with the camino at Coimbra. From Porto they take the coastal route all the way North to Vigo to rejoin the main inland path at Redondela. You can see how the pilgrim numbers increase dramatically once they join the main path.
• This is a good snapshot of the terrain, the countryside and the damp Spring weather. I was interested to see that he decided to include footage of illegal dumping and angry dogs which I also experienced when I walked in 2016.
• Without any narration you don’t get an insight into the personal experience, but it is still pleasant viewing.

View Here

Camino Frances: St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela

3.    Camino de Santiago – September 2019 | Camino Frances | 33 Days | 500 Miles (800KM)

By: David Wren,

When: September 2019

Clip Length: 15.43 minutes

Includes: Simple footage of the sweeping Autumn scenery, harvested crops and realistic terrain, all with a pleasant soundtrack.

Other Comments:

• This clip is quite different to the first Camino Frances one I have included above. For one, it is much shorter and two, there is no narration and yet it still manages to capture the human element of walking a camino, the friendships made, the laughs and celebrations at reuniting when everyone meets up in front of the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
• If you have ever wondered what it is really like to stay in an albergue, then this film includes good footage of the cosy living arrangements.
• I walked the Frances back in 2013, when vlogging wasn’t even a thing. I was a bit surprised to see here how many people were glued to their smart phones. I wonder what they were missing when they were looking down at their screens?

View Here

Camino del Norte: Irun to Santiago de Compostela to Muxia to Finisterre

4.    Patriot trip Camino Del Norte 31 Days – 1117 km

By: Aurimas Mockus, Lithunia

When: Not stated, but possibly 2017.

Clip Length: 36.06 minutes

Includes: Aerial views

Other Comments:

• This is a VERY slick production with both outstanding cinematography and editing. This man either produces these sorts of videos as a profession or he is incredibly passionate about it as a hobby.
• The thing that makes this clip so memorable is his use of a drone to film. The coastal views and sweeping mountains are simply breathtaking and it gives you a fabulous perspective of the terrain.
• The vision he includes gives a good insight into the difficulty of the path and, in some places, it is not for the faint-hearted. The drone is perfect for capturing the many descents and climbs as the path hugs the astounding coastline.
• He has also included a pleasant soundtrack that nicely supports the imagery.
• The only slightly annoying thing is his penchant for the ol’ selfie and he makes sure his profile is front and centre in much of the imagery. Oh well, can’t have it all I guess.

View Here

Camino Primitivo: Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela

5. Camino de Santiago – Camino Primitivo 2018

By: Matus Mnich

When: September 2018

Clip Length: 8.23 minutes

Includes: The Botafumeiro swinging in the Cathedral at Santiago de Compostela.

Other Comments:

• This short clip captures the beautiful countryside walkers enjoy as you make your way from Oviedo in northern Spain south-west towards Santiago de Compostela.
• It is all misty mornings and mountain vistas with plenty of friendly horses coming up to the edge of the path to say ‘hello’.
• Obviously Matus is walking with a bunch of close friends, giving the clip a warm, communal feel.
• I would recommend turning the sound down a little for the first half of the clip as the piano music becomes quite piercing and repetitive before changing to more appropriate, and pleasant, Spanish folk music.
• This is an enjoyable insight into the Camino Primitivo. It would have been nice to have some subtitles or views of signage as, other than leaving Oviedo and then arriving in Santiago de Compestla, there is no information or indication of where you are on the camino. Maybe that is the whole point? To encourage you to discover it yourself?

View Here

It would be very easy to lose a couple of weeks of your life just clicking from one YouTube clip to the next. Instead, watch as many as you like until you get the gist of how it is all done and then tie on your walking shoes and head out the door!

 Buen Camino

 The Basics

What: The Camino Frances is the main pilgrim path connecting numerous northern and north-eastern European paths, leading all the way to Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain. It was the route featured in the movie The Way starring Emilio Estevez and Martin Sheen.

Where: The Frances starts on the French side of the Pyrenees at a gorgeous small town called St Jean Pied de Port and takes in the major Spanish cities of Pamplona, Logrono, Burgos, Leon, ending at Santiago de Compostela. It is approximately 790km long.

When: For safety reasons, avoid walking in the extreme Winter and Summer temperatures. Each year a small handful of pilgrims lose their lives on the path because they have put themselves at risk and not prepared for the conditions.

Why: To walk, dream, talk, laugh, wonder, appreciate, taste, think, and be grateful.

How: Walking is by far the most popular way to undertake a camino, but horse and donkey transport are also acceptable, and bicycles are extremely popular too.

Who: It is a walking United Nations. Just take that first step to opening yourself up to a whole range of new people and experiences. Regardless of your age, you will find wells of resilience you did not know you possessed.

Related Posts: Check out my posts under the TWO FEET tab on this blog for walks all over Spain, Portugal and Italy.

Related Blogs: For an excellent source of information, check out the Camino de Santiago forum. There is not a question in the World that hasn’t already been asked. The answers are here.

Read About It: To get planning your Camino Frances, go to the camino bible – John Brierley’s Camino Frances guide book. Available from Book Depository.

#camino #travelinspo #caminofrances #walkinginspain #mustdo  #caminodesantiago  #theway