A Few Tips For The Camino de Santiago

Are you planning on doing the Camino this year? Hundreds of thousands walk the Camino de Santiago every year and regardless of your motivation, you are bound to get a memorable experience that will challenge not only your body and mind but also the soul. Here are a few tips to keep in mind if you plan on taking the trip.

How To Get There

Fly from Dublin to Santiago de Compostela. From there, board a train or bus to where you wish to begin your route and walk your back. There are many Camino De Santiago walks. The most popular starting point, however, is along the French Way in Sarria (Camino Frances) about 113Km from Santiago.

Before You Leave:

1. Get a Decent Pair of walking shoes

It goes without saying that you will need a comfortable pair of shoes as you will be walking for many kilometers.

2. Purchase a Guide Book

There are many guide books out there but we would recommend ‘A Pilgrim’s Guide to The Camino de Santiago’ by John Brierley. It’s an excellent guide that outlines every restaurant, cafe, and albergue along the route. You can use it to find accommodation that matches your budget and be able to plan your day.

3. Get a Pilgrim Passport

For you to obtain an official Camino certificate, you will need to have walked at least 800 kilometers and collected 2 passport stamps every day along the route. It makes for an excellent memento for all your coffee shops, hostels, lunches as well as dinners along the way. You can purchase it here.

4. Be Prepared

If you have never taken a 100Km plus walk before in a short span of time, then you are inevitably going to experience some pain at some point. As such, be prepared and bring knee and ankle straps. Hopefully, you will not have to use them, but when out on the trail, it is hard to tell what will happen. It is reassuring to know that you have them in handy in case of an emergency.

When You Get There:

1. Take Care of Your Feet

Start your day by plastering as well as powdering your feet, even if you do not have blisters. Bring more than enough blister pads and socks and halfway through each daily walk, put on fresh plasters, powder your feet and change the socks. It might seem like a hassle, but your feet will thank you later.

2. Embark on the Walk Early in The Day

We recommend that you wake up early and eat a hearty breakfast, even if you are not a morning person or an individual who takes breakfast. If the weather is nice, early morning trolls are the best. The light is splendid, the air is fresh and your energy levels will be at your pick, especially if you have a decent meal for breakfast.

3. Indulge in the Awesome Coffee and Food

The Camino de Santiago trails are packed with restaurants and cafes. Stop by as often or as little as you would like to enjoy the many eateries, hamlets and local specialities. You have all day to get to your next stop and so, you might as well make the trip worthwhile.

4. Keep a Diary

By the second day, the walk will stand to seem like a long one. Whether you see a beautiful stretch of the countryside, have a great meal or if it is something awesome someone said to you during the walk, ensure you take down a few notes at the end of each day so that you will never forget. When you get back home, the diary will make an excellent read and will make all the memories and feelings of the tour vivid.

5. Engage With People

During the walk, you will meet all kinds of people and the great thing is that to some extent, you will become invested in all characters. Bumping into someone you have just talked for a few minutes tends to feel like a reunion with an old friend.

Giving and getting updates on dodgy knees, achy backs, brewing blisters and sore feet become an integral part of each day of the walk. The conversations you will have with people of all walks of life is certainly something to remember. Keep in mind that the standard greeting along the Camino de Santiago is ‘Buen Camino’ which simply means good road in Spanish.

If you keep these tips in mind, then your trip to the Camino will certainly be a memorable one.

This is a contribution from one of our contributing writers.

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