Camino de Santiago with kids: Sarria in short stages

Walking the Camino with kids is easier than it looks. The trick is not to copy the adult stages: the 115 km from Sarria to Santiago are enough for the Compostela, and spread over nine days they become 9 to 17 km walks, with time for a slow lunch, a paddle in the river and an early night.

Why start in Sarria

Sarria sits just above the 100 km the Compostela requires, has trains from Madrid and A Coruña, and the route passes a café every few kilometres. With children that matters: water, a toilet and a break are never far away. The profile is gentle apart from one long climb, the Sierra de Ligonde, which we split over two days.

The family stages

We cut the five classic stages at villages with accommodation:

1. Sarria – Ferreiros, about 13 km. Oak woods and sunken lanes; just past Morgade comes the km 100 marker, the photo everyone wants.
2. Ferreiros – Portomarín, about 9 km. A short day, mostly downhill: a free afternoon by the Miño reservoir. See the Sarria to Portomarín stage.
3. Portomarín – Ventas de Narón, about 13 km. The only serious climb, up to 720 m. Set off early, before the heat.
4. Ventas de Narón – Palas de Rei, about 12 km. Mostly downhill, with cafés every few km. Details in the Portomarín to Palas de Rei stage.
5. Palas de Rei – Melide, about 15 km. Medieval bridges at Leboreiro and Furelos. In Melide, octopus for lunch.
6. Melide – Arzúa, about 15 km. Ribadiso, with its bridge and river, is the best paddling stop of the whole section. See the Palas de Rei to Arzúa stage.
7. Arzúa – Salceda, about 12 km. Forest tracks under eucalyptus, shade all day.
8. Salceda – Lavacolla, about 17 km. The longest; if it feels too much, break it at O Pedrouzo. See the Arzúa to O Pedrouzo stage.
9. Lavacolla – Santiago, about 10 km. Monte do Gozo and the walk into the city before noon, the best possible finish. See the O Pedrouzo to Santiago stage.

Allow 3 km an hour including stops. A child who sets off at 9 is in time for lunch on almost every stage.

The children’s Compostela

The Pilgrim’s Office sets no minimum age. Children who walk with their parents or in a group and understand the spiritual or religious meaning of the Camino receive the Compostela. If they are too young for that, they get a special certificate with their name; babies are written on the Compostela of the adult walking with them.

Each child carries their own credential and stamps it at the start and end of every stage, just like the adults. Collecting stamps in cafés and churches is, for many kids, the best part of the trip.

Where to stay as a family

With kids, the night matters as much as the walk. Look for family rooms, rural houses or apartments with a kitchen: you can eat early and keep bedtimes. Ferreiros, Ventas de Narón, Salceda and Lavacolla are small villages with few beds, so book all nine nights before you leave. In July and August, when school holidays line up, book even earlier.

Every stage on Xacobea lists the lodgings at the end of the day with dated prices.

What changes in the backpack

The 10% of body weight rule applies to them too: a 30 kg child should carry no more than 3 kg. In practice their pack holds water, a rain jacket, snacks and their credential. Everything else travels by car from lodging to lodging with luggage transfer, which with children stops being a luxury.

Add to the usual list:

• Shoes already broken in and two spare pairs of socks.
• Cap, sunscreen and blister plasters.
• A dry change of clothes in a bag, for rain or the river.

Mistakes that ruin the trip

• New shoes on day one.
• Planning 25 km stages because “kids have more energy than we do”.
• Reaching a small village at six in the evening with no bed booked.

If you would rather walk without thinking about bookings or bags, ask for a quote for your family Camino: rooms for everyone, bags moved and stages at your pace.