– Get your hands on “A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino de Santiago — The Way of St. James” by John Brierley.
I found this guide to be irreplaceable. It helps you plan each day’s route: including maps, hotel / albergue information, general town history and info, lengths between towns, route lengths (adjusted for climbs) and heights above sea level. Along with any pertinant information that would be useful along the way (route markers, fountain locations, historic sites). The book also contains extensive preparation information: what to expect while walking, packing suggestions, etc. Some complain that this book is too “new age” with its many suggested daily meditations, feel-good quotes, and spiritual motifs to ponder. I think that if these are not your thing, take them with a grain of salt and use the bare knuckle facts it provides to your advantage. Part of the walking is about keeping an open mind, so what’s the harm of a little spirituality thrown in for seasoning. This book literally prevented me from getting hopelessly lost on several occasions and was quite useful in setting expectations on a daily basis. Conveniently shaped to fit into a pocket on the side of your pack, keep it within an arm’s length always!
– Get the book, “The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago — The Complete Cultural Handbook” by David M. Gitlitz and Linda Kay Davidson
While the Brierley book helps you navigate the intricacies of the route, this book helps you with more detailed aspects of the history regarding what you’re seeing and where you’re passing. Concentrating on historic sites and what to see and do in most of the towns along the way, it speaks to everything from folklore, to geography and flora and fauna. The glossaries in the back are outstanding and a useful reference instructing about saints’ lives, art history terms, and an overview of historic events. Throw on top of your pack or somewhere handy to get to it if you want it, but useful to read beforehand in conjunction with the Brierley book to highlight what you want to see and why. For ‘larger’ towns, it lists major attractions and goes into detail about them, prioritizing the sites you need to see. This, and the Brierley book will be all the guidebooks you need.
For both books, make sure you get the most recent editions!!
– Top items I found I couldn’t live without (This covers things that just pop out at me. You will find many an extensive list on other websites.):
- A swiss army knife with can opener, bottle opener, screw drivers, serrated and regular blade, and SCISSORS!! The scissors came in handy constantly.
- Small hand held flashlight. I had one that fit perfectly in my palm, was quite bright and could be kept handily in the zipper pocket of the abdomen tie of my pack.
- A travel medical pack. Bring plenty of bandages (you can cut to size with your scissors), medical tape, alcohol swabs (any scratches or cuts I would wipe with these to keep clean), first aid cream, ace bandage. I was surprised at the amount of times I had to hand out medical supplies to folks along the way. Mostly to people who were suffering from blisters that had no bandages to help keep them clean and avoid further aggravation.
- Duct tape (doubles as medical tape, useful in repair of baggage tears, clothes tears and for other general repairs).
- Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap. Useful for washing your body, hair, clothes, and for bubble baths. I like the peppermint. Basically, any all purpose liquid soap will do, but this way you don’t have to carry shampoo and soap to clean your clothes with as well as body soap.
- Walking stick. Brink a walking stick! It definitely helped on uneven paths. However, watch out for becoming overdependent on it like a crutch. After a while I had to force myself to stop using it when walking on even surfaces as it began to slightly affect my posture. I found a really light one that collapsed into itself so I could stick it into the back of my pack when I wasn’t using it. The brand was Leki, and the model was called “Seirra Photo” (because you could unscrew the bottom, stick it into the ground, and use it as a tripod — if your camera had a tripod screw on it). It also had an “anti-shock” spring so it gave slightly when hitting the ground, saving stress on your arm.
- Brig a buff. You can use it as a scarf, to cover your face when there are too many bugs buzzing about, pull back over your head, etc. etc. I wore mine everyday I was there.
- A hat. Waterproof, lightweight “outback” trekking hat with spf protection and wide brims with snaps or velcro that can be raised or lowered depending on where the sun is. I made sure it had a tie around the neck to keep affixed during windy days, and had a comfortable lining.
- Journal. Even if you’re not a writer, per se, bring a journal of some type to simply jot down each night the towns you passed through and then use it to expand any notes on those towns you want to pursue. Write down basic things first about each day (I found out that I was so exhausted at night I would fall asleep while writing and was constantly playing catchup in my journal as to where I had been). You’ll be thankful for a basic itinerary of where you’ve been and some simple reminders of experiences after your trip.
– While walking, quickly take photos of town signs when entering and then when leaving to act as a visual placeholder for your photos.
When looking back at your photos (I literally had thousands) it’s helpful to see a town sign, to place photos coming before and after. Most towns had a sign when entering, as well as a sign when leaving. The departing signs were usually the name of the town in a circle with a slash through it like our “Do Not…” signs in the States.
– Break in the boots by walking up and down hills!!
Whether you’re getting new boots or have a pair of hiking boots you already like, get out there and walk, walk, walk.. Exercise your legs as much as possible beforehand and take weekly (at least) hikes of the duration you plan to walk daily. And think vertical! I took weekly walks around the city for 10 to 15 miles a trip wearing similar clothes I’d be walking in and bearing a pack with similar weight I’d be carrying, but a mistake I made was not dealing with any large hills. The stress on your shoes and body is quite different going up and down a hilly path (duh). I wasn’t prepared for how much of a difference the impact is. Also, I found that walking DOWN a steep grade was more difficult than walking up! The stress on the front of your toes bearing into the front of your shoes was unbelievable!
Were I to walk it again, I would consider a softer hiking sneaker rather than a hiking boot. Lighter, softer on the foot and toes, I think it would save some wear and tear on one’s feet. However, it would need a good solid sole and some ankle support to deal with rocky, uneven roads as well as something waterPROOF and perhaps tall on the ankle as walking through drenching puddles and muddy shoe-sucking paths are all in a days walk.
– Make use of newfangled sports materials.
There are so many new advances in sports clothes out there, take advantage of it. They may be pricey, but go for broke. Buy shirts and pants that are quick drying with anti-wicking technology, spf protection, waterproof, stain resistance, etc. I found underwear that was super breathable, easy to wash and quick to dry (and had “anti-smell” technology, whatever that is!). Socks made from “smart wool” that could be worn in all conditions and added extra walking support. I had cargo-pants that turned into shorts with a zip and bought a pair of waterproof pants that would fit over what I was wearing if a storm came on suddenly. Buy a waterproof jacket with a good hood perhaps with a lip to cover your face or that could be worn over a hat, but that would be cool enough to wear generally and could also just be wrapped up tightly and put into your pack. Lightweight, waterproof (not just water resistant) gloves. Plus, when it rained, gloves were useful in keeping your hands warm and dry.
I walked in April/May, and in the mornings and late afternoons it sometimes got quite chilly but was very warm by the time midday arrived. Dress in layers that can easily be peeled off and shoved quickly away. If your outside gear is not waterproof and you don’t have waterproof pants, etc to slip on when needed, Scotch Guard it to make it so. Be innovative with what you’re going to wear so that you don’t have to pack extra clothes when one thing would do for several uses. And remember, the more pockets with zippers or catches the better (to avoid theft or loss, and to keep water and dirt out)!
– Make time to take time. Otherwise, walk in stages.
Be realistic in your physical capabilities and plan your time accordingly. I adhered to a strict schedule in terms of towns I started at and would end up in, as opposed to some folks I met who were basically just walking until they got tired. I think trying to plan for a days march is one thing, but pushing it to get to your goal is a whole ‘nother thing. The stress on your body starts adding up. Make a ‘best guess’ as to how far you want to walk, then get as far as you can without becoming exhausted.
When planning, unless you’re in top physical shape, low ball your daily requirement for walking. Divide 500 (miles) by that, and that should give you your ‘day count.’ I would plan rest days, at least every three to five days. Try to time them for ‘interesting’ towns. I planned extra days in Pamplona, Logrono, Burgos, Leon…
Avoid the race mentality. Yes, albergues can fill up quickly in the late afternoon, but don’t push yourself! I tried to spend ten minutes every hour resting. When I started to overexert myself, that’s when I ran into trouble.
If you don’t think you can walk the distance all the way through, walk the route in stages. Many Europeans do this, and as I walked during Easter season, many Spaniards were out walking a portion of the Camino with their families for a week, to return to where they left off the next time they had a holiday, or the following year.
Also, to get your “compostela” (certificate of completion) you need to have walked at least the last 100 km from Sarria to Santiago. Make sure to get at least two “stamps” a day in your pilgrim’s passport during this time.
– “Go your own way.” F*** the haters.
Being of a certain age and disposition, I knew I would be miserable staying in albergues, so I planned to stay in hotels. And, considering I had never done anything like this before and was also planning weeks of vacation before and after, I had a separate bag shipped to between hotels that I was planning to stay at each night based on an itinerary drawn up by a travel agency I worked with. The agency allowed me to stay extra days in towns that I wanted and when I was ill and couldn’t make the next town on any given day, they made the arrangements to rebook all the hotels. This sort of package is used by many pilgrims, but is sometimes looked down upon because “one is not experiencing the true Camino.” But whose Camino is that? Everyone needs to walk their own path their own way. Decide what it is you want or need from the experience and plan accordingly.
As I said, if I were to do it again, I would ship to Santiago everything I would need for after the walk (there are services that will hold your packages for you) and just walk with the bare essentials so that I could stop wherever and whenever I wanted. I would still stay in hotels along the route. And in April/May, most of the time, hotels seemed easy enough to find and empty, though as I said, I was pre-booked and never tried to wing it.
Once more, don’t let others sway you. Walk your Camino, your way and let them walk it theirs.
– Drink before you’re thirsty.
I made a point to take at least a sip of water every five minutes or so to stay hydrated. The rule of thumb is that once you feel thirsty, you’re all ready dehydrated! I carried a large bottle of water with me in my pack, and a small bottle in one of my pockets I could reach while I walked.
– Learn some Spanish.
If you’re planning to go in a few months, and you don’t know any Spanish, take a basic course for a couple months or longer if you have the chance. It really will make all the difference. Most people did not speak any English, or very little. Unlike most European countries, there seems to be no impetus to learn or cater to English speakers, and they seem almost physically unable to make out what you’re saying if you’re saying it slightly askew. I make no judgement calls about it as I don’t believe they do it on purpose, but at the time I was shocked by it, none-the-less.
– Get what you need when you see it (don’t plan to ‘come back later’)
I can’t count the times I saw something in a store window or in a side-walk vendor’s stand that I though to myself, “Oh, I’ll grab that on the way back,” or, “I’ll pick that up tomorrow,” or “I have to get one of those in the next town,” and then when I did make it back the store would be closed or the vendor gone or the info booth I needed info from shut up tight, or I just never saw that item again. This is one of those “lessons learned” on the Camino that I still ascribe to today. Get it when you see it! There’s no guarantees in life that it’ll be there later.
– Take note of opening and closing times for sites. Be prepared to be frustrated by Spanish logic in regards to site access.
If there’s a particular site you want to see/access/experience, do as much planning as possible but just be prepared that fate may need for you NOT to see it. Things just don’t quite work the same way in Spain as in other places. And they seem to take this odd pride in needing tourism yet not seeming to cater to it.
Here’s an example. While I was in Atapuerca, I wanted to see the museum that was associated with the diggings in caves where they have found (supposedly) the earliest human decedents in Europe. However, to access the museum (and perhaps the caves themselves? — who knows, I never got that far) I needed to be part of a tour group. Though there were no tour groups that I could actually take that began in Atepuerca. I had to travel to Burgos (where I was going the next day) to take a bus back to visit the sites in Atapuerca. Which seemed ridiculous to me, but was just the way you did it. I wound up having too much to do in Burgos to do this in the end, though the Anthropology Museum in Burgos had an “Atapuerca” exhibit (even though it was less than, what, ten miles away?) that was excellent. I heard from some others that had taken a tour originating from the museum that it was quite good, but it just didn’t work out for me, time wise. I have many of these “You can’t get there from here” stories. If being a “tourist” is part of your walk, just expect to work at it.
And forget about church opening times. I NEVER got a handle on that…
– Nothing, absolutely nothing happens or can be taken care of in the late afternoons.
Businesses and shops shut up tight between 2 and 5 generally in the afternoon, though restaurants are open and larger chain stores might also be open. And these hours differ by town to town and business to business, thus the previous “get it while you see it” tip.
And Sundays is like one day long siesta, so plan accordingly. There are usually cafe’s and restaurants open, though if you’re in a small town you may have to research.
I always had a loaf of bread and a tin of pate handy just in case!
– That said, get use to playing by the local rules around times for meals.
“Pilgrim meals” or special restaurant menus with cheap, basic fare for pilgrims are usually available in some restaurants in the early evenings when a place first opens up. It may not be available later on at night. And in larger towns restaurants might be open late, but in the smaller towns it safe to say they won’t be. Plan accordingly. Ask around to find out recommendations when you enter a new place. Don’t wait too late!
Also, restaurants have a different sort of vibe to them. Most of the times you’ll have to ask for the restaurant which is hidden away in a back or upstairs (downstairs) room. It seems like the bar is the main focus of any establishment and (once more) they make it a bit difficult (or at least a bit intimidating) to enter into the restaurant. You can’t really see the restaurant from the street and can’t really judge it by its look. Don’t be put off. It’s just the way it is.
– Ask for a pilgrim’s stamp for your pilgrim’s passport wherever you stop, not just in the place you stay for the night.
Stamps from each town you stay in are needed in your pilgrim’s passport to get your compostela (certification of completion) in Santiago. Do not forget to get a stamp before you leave the hotel or albergue you’ve stayed at!
At the end of the route, in my case at least, they did not go over it with a fine tooth comb, checking each day’s progress, but who knows what it is they’re looking for. To get the certificate one only is required to complete the last 100 km from Sarria to Santiago, but it is expected that you get one stamp where you sleep and one stamp during the day somewhere during this portion of the route.
I found it a good habit to get into along the way, regardless. If you stop for lunch somewhere, in a cafe or restaurant or bar, ask them if they have a pilgrim’s stamp. They’re usually interesting to look at and serve as a good reminder as to the stops you’ve made along the way!