Making the Camino de Santiago with children

The Camino de Santiago with children can be a very special family adventure, full of unique and memorable experiences for the youngest of the casa.Decidir embarking on the feat of making the

Camino de Santiago with children can give some vertigo, but it will be a perfect family holiday plan. A valuable lesson in life and learning for them.

Combining nature, shared moments, anecdotes, laughter and difficulties overcome at each stage will be an impossible event to forget. In addition to a great opportunity to strengthen ties and bonds outside the daily routine.

However, to make the experience round, nothing can be left to chance. In this sense, planning and prior organization are essential to achieve it, and there are a number of factors and advice that you should take into account. We tell you everything.

Benefits of making the Camino de Santiago with children

Realizing the Camino de Santiago as a family, in addition to increasing the complicity between parents and children and enhancing family union, will provide children with countless stories to tell in the future.

During the pilgrimage, exchanging experiences with other walkers, they will discover the importance of values such as solidarity, empathy and companionship. So important and necessary for your personal development.

They will approach other people, in some cases from other cultures, and they will know what diversity and coexistence is.

Walking outdoors through natural sites will also learn that the environment and nature are a good that must be protected and cared for.

Completing the adventure after days of shared journey will leave you with an unforgettable memory and the satisfaction of having lived something único.Foto


by Benjamin Elliott

Basic Tips for Preparing the Road with Children

A vacation plan that includes young children has to be well organized to make it suitable for them. These six tips are the perfect starting point for you to start:1-

Recommended minimum age

Although there is no limit age for the Road, it is recommended that children are at least 3 years old. From this age it is when they start to be a little more aware of everything and you can enjoy what surrounds

them.2- Using a children's cart for the mountain

Mountain carriages are a safe and very comfortable way to bring children under the age of six when they are tired. A very practical alternative that many parents resort to to facilitate mobility and reduce the weight they would have to bear.

These off-road cars are designed to be used on irregular soils, such as those found in some parts of the journey. They have higher strength, advanced suspension, good traction and larger wheels. Besides having extra storage space to be able to transport water, some food and other essential elements. 3-

Previous physical preparation

Like adults, children should also be physically prepared to endure in good condition for several days on their way.

A great way to train with them is to carry out excursions or short walks. Starting a few weeks earlier will help them to become familiar with the activity and be aware of the effort that awaits them. They will both strengthen their confidence and create positive expectations about the great adventure they are going to live. 4- Adaptation

to the right footwear

With the choice of footwear you can't improvise, it's actually a fundamental thing. It should be suitable for walking long distances and provide good foot support, comfort, cushioning and stability.

It is recommended that children use it several times before starting the trip to test it, get used to the feet, and avoid possible problems of scratching and blisters

after.5- Luggage and backpack

Thinking beforehand that clothes and items cannot be missing in luggage, by putting what is strictly necessary, will facilitate mobility and help make the Camino much more enjoyable.

Children should carry their own backpack with a weight according to their age, height or size and what they can carry.

Among the things to include in it should not be missed: a bottle of water, small snacks, sunglasses and protective cream, a cap and a jacket, and a light change t-shirt.You can also appreciate wearing a game or drawing notebook for entertaining. 6- Best

time of year to walk with children

Choosing the station where to make the Camino de Santiago is vital, because the climate and the number of pilgrims you can find can greatly influence the experience.

Although the Camino can be done any time of year, with children it is advisable to choose months in which time is milder or milder. And the spring and fall ones are the most suitable for the little ones to enjoy the journey smoothly.

• The temperatures are nice: there is no risk of suffocating summer heat or cold that you can do in winter.
• There are not so many people: what allows you to enjoy each stage, the natural environment and the peoples of passage without exhaustion.
• The landscapes are very special: flowers, trees and green fields flood all of vivid colors in spring, while autumn colors the nature of spectacular red, golden and brown shades.

Recommended routes for families with children

The Camino offers many routes to make the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, but the French Way, the Camino del Norte and the Portuguese Way are the most suitable, comfortable and accessible for the youngest.

French Way

The French Way is one of the most popular and for which the largest number of people travel every year. This means that it has more well-equipped accommodation facilities and services to meet the needs of families with children.

It is characterized by having smooth and bearable sections, perfect for pushing a cart. It is also important to know that there are some slopes, in stages up to Roncesvalles and in O Cebreiro, which can be an extra effort.

Camino del Norte and Camino Portuguese

These routes have a more pronounced relief than the French Way but also coastal landscapes with lush vegetation at some stages that excite the smaller ones.

The Camino del Norte runs by the Cantabrian Sea. The Portuguese Way combines coast, cliffs, rural interior landscapes, towns and cities with a lot of charm, which will enrich the journey on a cultural and historical level.

Both routes offer the possibility of making them in flexible stages, which can be adapted to the rhythm of children.

Plan the daily stages of the Road with children

One of the keys to planning the trip is to establish in advance the distances that will be covered each day, being realistic.

It is important to adjust the miles of each stage to the pace and capabilities of children to avoid overruns and problems in completing them.

Some recommendations that can help:1- Setting

short distances: If the stages are 10 to 15 km at most, it will be easier for the smaller ones to complete them without much fatigue. Imposing longer distances on them, as well as tiring them, can cause their mood to decline and they do not wish to continue.

2- Frequent stops: high to rest should be common. These moments should be taken advantage of to enjoy the environment, hydrate well and eat something.

3- Inform yourself of the services: having information of interest related to the services available along the way (sources, rest areas or assistance to the pilgrim) is essential to establish in which parking areas. 4- Flexibility of schedules: the

ideal is to start walking early and stop at noon, but with children it is necessary to adapt the schedules according to their energy level, fatigue or mood.

If you have in mind to make a different holiday plan in family than one more, the Camino de Santiago will be a great choice.

A beautiful and enriching challenge with which children and the elderly will together create indelible memories in connection with the nature, history and culture of Galicia.