Our 20 favorite Camino de Santiago quotes
Walking may seem easy, but when you do it for a long time it can get tough. So if you are in need of some inspiration for your Camino, look no further! We have chosen twenty Camino de Santiago quotes that we hope will motivate you to keep walking!
1. “For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.”
Novelist Robert Louis Stevenson valued traveling for its sake. Whilst most people travel thinking of the destination, in a route like the Camino what is important is the experience you live along the way.
2. “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing”
Whether you are unsure whether to start walking the Camino or anything else in life, the best way to know how something will feel is to try it. So if you have thought about it for some time already, let this quote be your motivation to embark on a new incredible adventure!
3. “Walking is man’s best medicine”
Back in the third century BC, Hippocrates already praised the benefits of walking. Nowadays, many modern doctors support his claims. Whenever you feel unmotivated, remember that your body will thank you for walking!
4. “Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time”
Steven Wright is a comedian, so this piece of advice is most likely tongue-in-cheek. However, there is some truth behind it: with enough time and patience, we can all walk a long way, even if it seems impossible at first. The Camino is suited for everyone!
5. “‘Life always teaches us more than the road to Santiago does’, he answered. ‘But we don’t have much faith in what life teaches us’.”
Paulo Coelho was a pilgrim himself, and this quote comes from The Pilgrimage, a book inspired by his experience on the Camino de Santiago. The Camino might not teach us more than what we can learn on our day to day lives, but it will surely be more memorable and impactful to us.
6. “Don’t come to the Camino looking for answers. Instead, come with an open heart and you may be surprised by what you find.”
This phrase by the author Jane V. Blanchard explains perfectly how the pilgrim has to undertake his journey. To get the most of the Camino de Santiago, you should come with an open mind and a positive attitude. Looking to replicate someone else’s experience will only lead to frustration, but if you open your mind and your heart you will surely have a terrific time!
7. “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination”
There might be setbacks along the way, but sometimes the best way to overcome the difficulties is to accept them and move on. If there is something you cannot control (be it bad weather, a minor injury or any unexpected problem) the best course of action is to adapt and keep going.
8. “All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking”
German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche needed to walk in order to think. Whilst we cannot guarantee that walking the Camino will make you a philosophy ace, we are sure of something else. It will be a great opportunity to get you know yourself, and your thoughts, better.
9. “We all want progress, but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.”
Sometimes the wiser option, when we have made a mistake, is to turn back. If you find out that you have been walking in the wrong direction, do not hesitate to walk back… but if this happens on the Camino de Santiago, you can always take a shortcut by getting a taxi!
10. “Misfortunes and ways make friends possible”
Sharing delicate moments make us feeling closer to others. Keep in mind that the camino will allow you to meet incredible people with whom to share the stages of an unforgettable trip and a once in a lifetime experience. During the most difficult moments, you might find the persons that will help you to solve all your problem. Be open enough to try it!
11. “Walk slow, don’t rush. That place you have to reach is yourself”
The Spanish philosopher and essayist José Ortega y Gasset called the calm to get the suggested purposes. He underlined that the last destination is yourself. The Camino de Santiago is a relaxed trip with many moments of peace to think about you and getting to know yourself in a better way.
12. “The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive”
Thích Nhất Hạnh is a Buddhist monk and also a peace activist that wants to make us think deeply about the luck of enjoying a world full of beauty. Precisely, the routes of the Camino de Santiago have a big amount of natural locations where to enjoy the diverse landscapes and the essence of life.
13. “It is your road, and yours alone. Others may walk with you, but no one can walk it for you”
Galiwonders goes with the pilgrims in each of their stages. However, will be the traveller, the one that has to live the experience to enjoy and learn from it. The phrase is from the Muslim Persian poet Rumi, who made a call to the introspection and encouraged people to follow step by step their own path.
14. “In every walk with the nature one receives more than he seeks”
Every time we start a new trip we discover something new we didn’t expect to find. The taste of a typical dish we have never tried out, a word that has no translation in any other language, a unique monument in the world… The “father of the Natural Parks” John Muir defended the wilderness and everything Nature can provide us with. Certainly, the walkers of the camino know this pretty well.
15. “Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends”
The civil rights activist Maya Angelou knew the advantages that traveling can contribute to society with. When we get to know ourselves in a better way, but also other people and their culture, we understand in a better way the world where we live in and make of it a more friendly place. In addition, the Camino de Santiago has therapeutic effects.
16. “There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it”
Who isn’t nervous about the idea of starting a new adventure? To begin a pilgrimage is a unique experience and it is normal no have thousand of questions. Charles Dudley Warner knows this and that is why he believes the starting point of a trip to be the best part. You will prepare what you need, check that everything is in order, plan the last details… If you are thinking about the Camino de Santiago, Galiwonders can share with you this special moment!
17. “Somewhere on your journey don’t forget to turn around and enjoy the view”
It is very important to stop and observe what is around us. Many times, we walk through some places and we don’t pay attention to its charm, to how much beauty is hidden. For this reason, remember to look around during your trips. You will know better the place where you are and you will enjoy fully the experience.
18. “Use the guides and the maps to lead you to Santiago; use the lessons learned on the camino to find your way”
The indications that at Galiwonders we give to those pilgrims who decide to travel with us are very useful along the Camino de Santiago. Nevertheless, everything they learn during this trip becomes a good tool for their self-awareness.
19. “Few people know how to take a walk. The qualifications are endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, and eye for the nature, good humor, vast curiosity, good speech, good silence and nothing too much”
The essayist and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson knew that a lot of things are needed when a new trip is going to start, but without carrying too many of them. A trip like the Camino de Santiago should be done with few things (Galiwonders provide luggage transfer between the stages) but full of strength. So, day by day, the kilometres that separate the pilgrim from the city of the Apostle are less. The purpose is to arrive to Santiago de Compostela with used shoes and renovated energy. Here we give you some advises of what to take to the Camino.
20. “I don’t know what my path is yet. I’m just walking on it.”
What if you don’t know what path you should follow? In life, the best advice is to keep going and figure out things as you go along. As for the Camino… don’t worry, it is well signaled! But if you get lost, it is always best to ask! And if you don’t know what Camino de Santiago route is best for you, you can always take our test!
The Camino de Santiago teaches us lessons about ourselves and the world we live in. Walking the Camino, we exercise our bodies, but also our minds.
Are you ready for the challenge?
What is the Camino de Santiago quote that resonates with you the most? Tell us in the comments!