The Camino de Santiago is often described as a solo journey, a time for reflection and personal growth. But what no one tells you is that somewhere between your first café con leche and your last steps into Santiago, you will find yourself surrounded by a new family—one made up of total strangers who, before long, will feel like lifelong friends. They will walk beside you, share meals with you, encourage you on tough days, and celebrate with you when the journey is complete. Some of them you will keep in touch with forever. Others will cross your path for only a few days before parting ways, never to be seen again. But each one will leave a mark on your Camino. Because as much as the Camino is a personal journey, it is also a shared experience—and the people you meet along the way will shape it just as much as the landscapes, the history, and the walking itself.

At first, you might assume you will be walking alone. Maybe you came to the Camino hoping for solitude, or maybe you simply do not know anyone else making the journey. But then, something happens. You exchange your first “Buen Camino.” You sit down for second breakfast at a café and end up chatting with the pilgrim next to you. You share a laugh with someone as you both struggle up the same steep hill. You walk together in silence, watching the sun rise over the vineyards. And just like that, you are no longer alone. The Camino has a way of bringing people together in the most natural, effortless way. Conversations flow easily. You do not ask, “What do you do?” You ask, “Why are you walking?”—and the answers open the door to instant connection.

Along the way, you will meet all kinds of pilgrims, each playing a different role in your journey. There is the walking buddy, the one who matches your pace day after day. You never officially decide to walk together—it just happens. There are the social butterflies, the ones who know everyone, who greet people in five different languages and always seem to know where the best food is. There is the Camino guardian, the more experienced pilgrim who looks out for others, teaching you how to treat blisters, find shortcuts, or reminding you to drink more water when you forget. Then there is the unexpected best friend, the one you meet by chance—perhaps a bunkmate in an albergue, perhaps a stranger on the trail—and before you know it, you are sharing stories, laughter, and the kind of connection that feels like it was always meant to be. Some pilgrims are wise, their words staying with you long after you have returned home. Others are fleeting, passing in and out of your journey as quickly as they arrived. And yet, each of them shapes your Camino in some way, reminding you that every step of this journey is shared, even when you think you are walking it alone.

Unlike friendships in everyday life, which take months or years to build, Camino friendships happen fast. The small talk disappears. You do not just ask where someone is from—you ask what brought them here. You do not just share a meal—you share struggles, fears, and dreams. There are no job titles, no social media, no outside expectations. Here, in this space, everyone is equal, stripped down to their most human form. And because of that, people open up in ways they never do at home. This is why Camino friendships feel so deep, so effortless, so real.

But just as quickly as these friendships form, they sometimes come to an end. At some point, you will have to say goodbye—to someone you have walked with for days, weeks, maybe even your entire journey. Maybe they have to leave the Camino early. Maybe they are walking faster or slower than you. Maybe you reach Santiago together, and then it is time to go home. And it will hurt. Because even if you only knew them for a short time, these people witnessed a version of you that few others ever have. They saw you at your best and your worst, exhausted and exhilarated, stripped of everything but the moment in front of you. They walked beside you anyway. And that is not an easy thing to let go of.

But here is the beautiful part: The Camino never really ends. Some people you will stay in touch with, visiting them in their home countries or planning future Caminos together. Others you may never see again, but they will always be part of your story. And no matter what, you will always carry them with you.

Not everyone comes to the Camino seeking friendship. Some walk for solitude, preferring to be alone with their thoughts. Some find the social aspect overwhelming. And that is okay. But even if you choose to walk alone, you will still feel part of something bigger—a network of pilgrims moving toward the same destination, bound by the same experience. You might spend an entire day in silence, but at dinner, you will sit down next to someone and swap stories over a bottle of wine. You might start the morning alone, but by afternoon, you will find yourself walking beside someone new, drawn into conversation, sharing a moment of unexpected connection. Because the Camino has a way of bringing people together exactly when they need it most.

Yes, the landscapes are stunning. Yes, the history is fascinating. Yes, reaching Santiago is an incredible moment. But ask almost any pilgrim what made their Camino special, and they will say, “the people.” Because in the end, it is not about how far you walked. It is about who walked beside you, who shared their story, who lifted you up when you needed it most. And whether you walked together for a day, a week, or a lifetime, that connection—that feeling of being part of something bigger than yourself—stays with you forever.

Buen Camino, and may you find the people who make your journey unforgettable.