Walking the Camino for Someone Else: A Walk with Purpose

Walking the Camino de Santiago was never on my bucket list. Little did I know walking the Camino for someone else would suddenly rise to the top.

I’m not sure I’d even heard of the Camino until my dad mentioned it to me. But the moment he told me about it, it clicked. Of course he wanted to walk the Camino.

This is the same man who ran 35 marathons in his younger years, who – in his mid 70s – still walks several miles a day when he’s able, and who believes deeply in the power of steady, purposeful movement. Even while managing some serious health challenges, he never stopped walking. It’s just who he is.

But for all his interest, my dad hasn’t gotten the chance to go. And in early 2025, I started to wonder if he ever would. I began thinking not just about him walking the Camino, but about me walking it for him. Someday.

And then, almost without realizing it, “someday” turned into as soon as possible.

Because I dove headfirst into the Camino, Steve joined me – to support me, and to prove to himself he could do it too. While I was walking for my dad, he was walking to support that effort and to challenge himself. Our reasons were different, but our purpose was shared: to show up, day after day.

This is the story of what it’s like to walk the Camino for someone else – and what I carried with me, every step of the way.

Walking with a Clear Mission

A lot of pilgrims arrive at the Camino searching for something. Or, they feel a pull to walk, but they’re not quite sure why. That’s part of the beauty of it – the walk can unfold in a way to give you your answer.

But for me, the purpose was crystal clear from day one. I wasn’t searching for why I was there. I already knew. I was there because my dad couldn’t be.

When you walk the Camino for someone else, you’re not walking in search of answers or trying to figure out what’s next in life (though those things might happen). Instead, the experience is primarily mission-based. From training and preparation to each step toward Santiago, your drive comes from outside yourself. And that really shifts the experience.

Why the Camino Francés, and Why Now

While there are many ways to Santiago, choosing the Camino Francés was never up for debate. It’s the route my dad wanted to walk – and because he’s the kind of person who goes all in, he wanted to begin in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and follow it all the way to Santiago.

Naturally, I followed that same instinct.

But I didn’t have five weeks to walk the whole trail. I considered starting farther along – the final stretch from Sarria to Santiago is especially popular among time-limited pilgrims. But it didn’t feel right.

If I was doing this on his behalf, I needed to start where he would have started. So I began in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, just as he had planned, and walked the first section. I’d return later to continue the journey in sections, finishing it over time. To me, that still honored the full Camino – just with breaks in between.

And it mattered to start now. I didn’t know how much time I’d have to share stories from the trail with my dad. That sense of urgency helped everything fall into place. It became the driving force behind walking, and the reason I made it happen so quickly.

Preparing to Walk the Camino for Someone Else

Preparing to walk the Camino for my dad was, in many ways, similar to how anyone might prepare for the Camino: you make decisions about training, gear, stage lengths, and more.

But I found myself integrating him into the process – even in small ways. We talked about training preparation and possible stages, often as I was on training walks. I often caught myself wondering, What would dad do? A question that followed me all the way to Spain.

Packing became its own kind of connection. Despite his dream to walk the Camino, my dad has never done a multi-day hike, or much hiking at all, really. So I’d call to tell him about the latest gadget or gear choice, and we’d chat about it like he was right there alongside.

The beautiful thing about walking for someone who’s still here is that I could share all of it – even the prep – with him in real time. I know not everyone has that chance, and I’m deeply grateful for it.

If you’re walking the Camino for someone else, especially someone still in your life, even the preparation can become a meaningful part of the journey.

Walking the Camino for Someone Else

That first day of my Camino Francés – walking from Saint-Jean into the Pyrenees – felt surreal. The views were stunning. We stopped for a long lunch at Orisson and looked out over green mountains that rolled off into the distance. I remember thinking, we’re actually here. And we were.

I kept imagining what my dad would think of this place. The photos I sent him offered a glimpse, but the feeling of walking through the Pyrenees doesn’t come through a phone screen. And if I’m honest, there was a bit of sorrow in that.

Walking the Camino for someone else is incredibly motivating. But it also comes with the quiet ache of wishing they could be there.

I thought of my dad often. I’d wonder which pilgrims would’ve become his Camino buddies – the ones he’d end up walking and talking with for miles. I’d imagine what he’d pick up at all the little bakeries we stopped into (my dad has the sweetest tooth – cookies and pastries wouldn’t stand a chance). And I’d picture him taking it all in – the views, the people, the peaceful rhythm of the walk – and loving every bit of it.

Each evening, I’d call him – usually before dinner, while enjoying a Spanish siesta – and tell him all about the day: the towns we passed through, where we were staying that night, what we’d eaten, the funny things we saw or heard along the way. Those conversations became part of my Camino routine too – a way to bring him along, even from across the ocean.

Some days along the Camino were bright, full of light and gratitude (albeit tinged with a little sadness).

Other days were harder. I hit a real low point in the two days after Pamplona. I was tired. Sore. Ready for a break. But then I’d think about my dad – about how much he would have loved to be out there, and how he would’ve kept going, step after steady step.

We met plenty of pilgrims who took taxis or buses to skip certain stages, or to move along enjoy other stretches of the Camino – and I completely respect that. Everyone’s Camino is their own. But I knew that if my dad were walking it, he wouldn’t skip a step unless he needed to. So I didn’t either.

That became one of the unexpected gifts of walking the Camino for someone else. It gave me a different kind of discipline. My own tired feet and aching back felt less important when I remembered who I was walking for, and why. My dad’s dream helped keep me grounded.

After those hard days post-Pamplona, I felt a shift. My body adjusted to the mileage, and the real work became more mental. But I was ready for that. With such a clear purpose guiding me, my focus sharpened. I fully embraced doing this for my dad – and that mindset carried me through.

There wasn’t a single “aha” moment when the deeper meaning of the walk revealed itself. It came slowly – in the repetition, in the simple act of showing up each day. There was something deeply satisfying in the daily routine. Even in the hard parts, it felt like I was building toward something that mattered.

And in discovering and settling into that daily rhythm, I felt even more connected to my dad on the trail. He’s a man who loves a routine. And following the same routine every day on the Camino made me realize just how much he’d love the experience.

As we neared the end of our first two-week section of the Camino, I had a choice: walk 38km into Burgos in one long day, or split it over two. I wasn’t sure, until a quick call with my dad. He encouraged me to give the long day a shot (stopping if needed), and his quiet confidence tipped the scale – I’d go for it.

When I finally walked into Burgos, tired but proud of a 38km day, I felt like he’d been with me the whole way. His mindset – steady, focused, never quit – kept me going. And I know that part of him always will.

What I Carried With Me

Walking the Camino for someone else felt like a privilege – not a burden.

I was healthy enough to walk. I had the time. I had the support. And none of that is guaranteed. There are so many people who would love to walk the Camino but can’t, because of health, finances, timing, or any number of life circumstances.

Before we left, I picked up two small rocks from the shore of Lake Ontario, from my dad’s and my hometown.

I carried them with me on the trail – one for him, and one for me – to eventually be left at Cruz de Ferro. It was a quiet, physical reminder of where we both come from, and why I was walking.

The fact that I could do it – for my dad, and because of him – never stopped feeling like a privilege.

I was walking for my dad. But somewhere along the way, I realized I was walking for myself as well – simply because I could.

A Final Thought: Why I’m Sharing This Story

If you’re thinking about walking the Camino but waiting for the perfect time, please don’t.

Walk what you can. Four days. Two weeks. The whole thing. It doesn’t matter. You don’t have to do it all at once, and you don’t need to have everything figured out before you begin.

The Camino will meet you where you are.

And if you feel pulled to walk the Camino for someone else? Do it. Walk for a parent, a friend, a memory, a hope. There’s something deeply meaningful about walking with someone else – or something else – in mind. In those tired, difficult moments, it gives you another reason to keep going. Because it’s not just about you.

I never planned to walk the Camino, but I did it. And it’s one of the most meaningful things I’ve ever done.

Since writing this, my dad passed away in September 2025. I’m endlessly grateful that I walked those two weeks of the Camino Francés for him while he was still here to share in it. Every time I think back to the Camino – the rhythm of the walk, the pilgrims we met, the steady steps that carried me forward – I feel him there. I still plan to finish the Camino someday, and when I do, I’ll be walking with him again.

Planning to Walk the Camino De Santiago?

Check out our resources for walking:

• Daily Camino Routine: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim
• Walking the Camino Francés in Sections
• Camino Packing Tips: What We Loved – and What We’d Leave Behind
• Camino Francés for Beginners: Advice for Planning and Walking
• 7 Reasons to Walk the Camino – And Why You’ll Find More
• Camino Francés Surprises: 9 Things You Might Not Expect
• Where to Stay on the Camino Francés: A Practical Guide