Which Camino Should I Walk? French Way vs Portuguese Way

Sep 14, 2026

Share this article

Choosing between the French and Portuguese Caminos comes down to the kind of pilgrimage experience you’re after.

Both offer beautiful walking, fascinating history, great food and the comfort of travelling pack-free with Life’s An Adventure. The big question is: do you fancy a slice of France or a taste of Portugal and Spain?

A group of thirteen people, just back from an invigorating walking holiday, sit around a long dining table. They're smiling and enjoying drinks in a warmly lit room with large windows. A waiter stands by as the piano softly plays in the background.

Choose the French Way if you love spectacular scenery, medieval villages and a touch of French luxury.

A historic stone church with two tall towers is set against a backdrop of lush green hills under a bright blue sky. Pink roses bloom in the foreground, enhancing the serene landscape—a perfect start for life's walking holidays adventures.

The 8-day Le Puy Camino takes you from the volcanic landscapes around Le Puy to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in the Pyrenees, with rolling hills, rural France, Basque villages and superb château accommodation along the way. You can walk up to 98km, with shorter options available, so there’s plenty of time to soak up the scenery without feeling like you’re competing in the Tour de France.

Aerial view of a historic castle with conical towers, surrounded by lush greenery and gardens. As the river serenely winds alongside, imagine life's an adventure here, with walking adventures through fields and trees of the quaint village visible in the background under a clear sky.

There’s also something wonderfully indulgent about walking through the French countryside before finishing the day with excellent food, wine and comfortable accommodation. Très bien!

A group of people embarks on a walking holiday along a dirt road flanked by vineyards and fields under a clear blue sky. The landscape, with its rolling hills and distant mountains, creates a scenic, rural atmosphere that reminds them life’s an adventure.

Choose the 8-day Portuguese Way if you want a classic Camino experience with a strong sense of pilgrimage. Starting in Porto, you walk through Portugal and Galicia, passing vineyards, forests, historic towns and villages before arriving in Santiago de Compostela.

A wooden signpost with colorful arrows and Camino de Santiago symbols guides walking tours to Orio (3 km) and Santiago (787 km), standing as a reminder that life's an adventure amid the lush, green, mountainous landscape.

The itinerary covers the final 100km of the Camino, meaning you can earn your Compostela pilgrim certificate – a pretty special souvenir of your walking adventure.

A stone marker with a yellow scallop shell symbol stands beside a rural path, while hikers from Life’s An Adventure Walking Tours stroll along the road in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

The Portuguese route also delivers that wonderful Camino camaraderie. You’ll meet fellow pilgrims, share stories over dinner and quickly discover that everyone has their own reason for walking.

Three people with backpacks traverse a gravel path through a vineyard beneath a blue sky dotted with clouds. The lush landscape, reminiscent of the Camino de Santiago Walking Holidays, boasts rows of grapevines and distant hills.

So, which Camino is calling? France for scenery, food, luxury and rural charm; Portugal for pilgrimage, camaraderie, culture and the excitement of walking into Santiago.

A stone marker with a yellow arrow and a scallop shell symbol stands on a rural path, guiding the way for those who believe life's an adventure. Two blurred hikers walk along the trail in the background. The landscape is dry with scattered shrubs and distant trees under a clear sky.

Whichever you choose, travelling pack-free means your main luggage is transferred for you, leaving you free to concentrate on the really important stuff: walking, exploring, eating and enjoying every kilometre!