Camino de Santiago with a dog: practical guide

You can walk the Camino with your dog, and plenty of people come back to do it again. The walking is not the hard part: knowing where the two of you will sleep is. Sort that out before you leave and the rest is pure enjoyment.

Which section to walk

The Compostela only needs the last 100 km, and the easiest section with a dog is Sarria to Santiago: 115 km of sunken lanes, oak woods and hamlets, with a café every few kilometres for a break in the shade. The five classic stages include two long days, Sarria – Portomarín (22 km) and Portomarín – Palas de Rei (25 km). With a dog, split them and walk it in six or seven days of 15 to 20 km.

If you want something quieter, the Portuguese Way from Tui has similar stages and far fewer people outside summer.

In July and August the tarmac burns and midday heat bites. Spring and autumn are the best seasons for a dog; in summer, set off at sunrise and finish before one o’clock.

Before you go

See your vet a month ahead: vaccinations up to date, parasite treatment and a joint check. Then do a test run of two consecutive days of 15 km with your pack on. If your dog is still keen on the second day, you’re ready; if it limps or lags behind, shorten the stages or pick another date.

Where to sleep with a dog

This is where the trip is won or lost. Public albergues in Galicia take no bookings and give out beds in order of arrival, so with a dog don’t gamble. Book every night before you leave in guesthouses, rural houses or apartments that accept pets.

Every lodging page on Xacobea tells you whether pets are allowed. Start with where to stay in Sarria, pick the ones that accept them and send a booking request mentioning your dog’s size. Small villages have few pet-friendly rooms, and those go first.

The Compostela and the credential

The Compostela is for people: your dog doesn’t get one. You do, with your credential stamped twice a day on the final section. The Compostela guide covers the stamps and the Pilgrim’s Office.

Getting to Sarria by train

Sarria has a railway station. Since 21 July 2026, Renfe accepts dogs up to 40 kg on almost all its trains, in a dedicated carriage and for a supplement. It doesn’t apply to journeys with a change of train or to services replaced by road transport, and you need the vaccination record, a signed declaration and insurance. Small dogs still travel in a carrier. Check the conditions when you buy, as they vary by train.

Coming from another EU country, your dog needs a microchip, an EU pet passport and a valid rabies vaccination.

On the trail

• Lead always at hand. On the sunken lanes of Lugo you’ll meet cows and tractors, and in the towns, crowds.
• Your own water. Not every fountain on the Camino is drinkable. Carry at least a litre for your dog and a collapsible bowl.
• Paw pads and ticks. Check their paws at every break and their coat every evening, especially after long grass.
• Breaks in the shade. Ten minutes every hour. A dog won’t tell you it’s exhausted until it lies down and won’t get up.

What goes in their pack

On top of your own packing list:

• Lead, harness and a collar tag with your phone number.
• Food portioned by day and poo bags.
• An old towel to dry them before going into the room.
• First aid: tick tweezers, antiseptic and a bandage.
• Vaccination record or passport, always to hand.

If your dog carries saddlebags, let your vet decide the weight. The bag of kibble can travel with the luggage transfer from one lodging to the next.

Arriving in Santiago

Take turns on arrival: while one of you goes into the Cathedral, the other waits with the dog in Praza do Obradoiro. Book the last night near the old town in a place that accepts dogs; Santiago fills up before anywhere else.

Rather walk without hunting every night for a bed that takes dogs? Ask for a quote for your Camino with a dog: pet-friendly rooms, bags moved for you and stages at their pace.