There is no single answer. Every pilgrim has their own limits, starts this adventure with their own goals in mind and has different interests as a tourist arriving in a new city, valley or village. The duration of the Way, the difficulty of its different sections and the location of each will help each pilgrim make the decision that is best for them.

The longest routes are the French Way, which has 37 stages, and the Northern Way, which has 32, followed by the Silver Way (often called Vía de la Plata), with 26 stages. Of all of these, the French Way is the best equipped in terms of services. It is also the most popular and traditional route, and therefore the most travelled by pilgrims.

This table shows the number of stages into which the different Ways are divided, the number of kilometres in each, and the estimated time it takes to complete them. Remember, there are two factors that will greatly influence the duration of your journey: your own physical fitness and how much of a hurry you are in to reach Santiago.

RoutesStagesKilometersTime needed to finish it

French Way379405 weeks

Primitive Way1332113 days

Northern Way328154-5 weeks

Silver Way267054 weeks

Sanabrés Way1336815 days

Basque Way820310 days

Catalan Way through San Juan de la Peña1432514-15 days

Baztan Way61106 days

English Way61197 days

San Salvador Way51285 days

Epilogue to Fisterra and Muxía5151Less than a week

Hostels on the Catalan Way through San Juan de la Peña

Stages and hostels