Tips for organizing the Camino de Santiago: Practical guide for pilgrims

To fully experience an adventure, it is essential to devote time to know useful recommendations and to plan all aspects that can make the experience unique and fully satisfying. Point out our tips for organizing the Camino de Santiago, in this Practical Guide for Pilgrims, and make your way even better than you imagined.

 

8 great tips for organizing the Camino Santiago

Choosing the route, the best time of year to do it, the type of accommodation or what to carry luggage are some of the keys you will need to solve when planning your Camino.

Prepare to absorb all the essential information contained in our basic tips, because they will help you achieve it!

1. Plan time and distance

One of the first things to close in order to start organizing the trip are the days that will be dedicated to making the journey and how many kilometers will be traveled at each stage.

Knowing how long you have and how much you want to walk is essential to choose the route and starting point. You can choose to spend a whole month, and go doing it quietly, or do it in a week or just a few days.

We also have to be very aware of the physical state in which we find ourselves. Each person has a different resistance and rhythm, and it is essential to know our own limitations when adjusting the plan. Only in this way can unpleasant surprises be avoided when we are already in progress.

On average, a pilgrim usually walks between 20-25 kilometers a day. A distance between 50 and 60 kilometers for those who make the Camino by bike.

With these reference data in mind, a person who has not trained much, it is preferable to choose to start the walk with shorter journeys, to increase them as the days go by and take rhythm.

To establish good planning, these are the recommended distances per day depending on the physical capacity you have:

• Stage 15 to 20 km: suitable for beginners or people not accustomed to walking a lot, and for those who have time and want to make the way calmly.
• Stage 20 to 25 km: suitable for people who can keep a good pace and have some experience.
• Stage 25 km onwards: suitable for people physically prepared and used to walking long distances.

Photo of Basotxerri

2. Prepare yourself physically and mentally

Completing the Camino de Santiago safely, and having enjoyed the journey completely, is a great challenge in which both physical form and mental preparation come into play.

Previous physical training

To reach in good physical faculties to the exit grid and finish the Camino to Santiago, it is necessary to start training at least a few weeks before.

The ideal is to start with shorter regular tours at the beginning, between 10 and 20 kilometers, and to increase the distances as you get more resistance with the passing of days.

To habituate the body and favor the adaptation to the different types of terrain that you will find in the pilgrimage, the routes to train must include roads by land, asphalt and that have slopes.

It is very important to do training with the shoes and backpack you will use on your trip to get used to and be sure they are the right ones. Having everything controlled in this sense will rid you of annoying inconveniences during the experience.

Pilates or yoga classes can complement training, helping to improve muscle strength and flexibility.

Mental preparation

A challenge such as the Camino de Santiago requires not only physical preparation, but also mental well-being. The experience is also an internal “journey” of personal connection and introspection and it is necessary to know how to manage all psychological aspects during the journey.

Some important recommendations to take into account:

• Be optimistic and maintain a positive and open attitude.
• Never compare yourself with other pilgrims and set realistic expectations based on our capacities and needs.
• Take time every day to be calm, to reflect and practice relaxation techniques.

3. Counter time changes and meet the needs of each station

The time and changing weather conditions throughout the year can condition the pilgrim's experience. That is why we need to be prepared to face up to what is coming.

General recommendations and summer months

Whatever the station you decide to take the trip, it is advisable to check the metereological prognosis daily, and that you adapt your clothing and equipment to what each day brings.

Even if it seems more necessary in summer, your backpack can never miss the sunscreen, sunglasses and a visor.

Also, you should not forget to include a light raincoat and a small hermetic bag to enter the mobile or other electronic devices. In this way, they will be protected from moisture if, suddenly, a storm breaks out or there is a downpour.

In addition, in summer, with more heat and days of very high temperatures, more water and isotonic drinks are needed to prevent dehydration. You should always carry a bottle or a container with you.

Recommendations for the winter months

The winter months are the quietest and have their charm, because they offer a special and serene landscape.

With fewer people, they make it easier to make the journey calmer, but they also pose a bigger challenge.

Temperatures are cold and have less hours of light. Rain, humidity, wind and snow are frequent, especially in the north and in mountain areas. Adverse time and special conditions requiring these key points to be taken into account:

• Wearing appropriate clothing: with cold and performing physical activity it is very important to regulate body temperature. Thermal garments and wearing several layers of clothing help make it possible. Also, you can't forget a windproof windbreaker, a hat, a knuckle and gloves.
• Use comfortable, waterproof shoes: the trekking boots or shoes with these characteristics are the most suitable because they keep the feet completely dry in conditions of rain, mud and humidity, guaranteeing comfort.
• A trekking stick or the classic bourbon.
• Plan each stage based on light: the days are shorter and the hours of light shorter. This makes it necessary to establish very well the distance and rhythm of each stage of the road.
• Hydrating: with less heat it is normal to be less thirsty, but keeping us active you have to keep hydrating every little time. These months it is still essential to always carry a container or a bottle with water.

Photo by Simon Burchell

4. Organize the backpack with all the essentials

Making luggage is a headache for many people. And when, moreover, it has to be reduced to the minimum to travel with the essentials, to make decisions and to have to choose the basics, it tends to make it even more complicated.

However, spending some time calmly thinking about the things you should include in your backpack, controlling your weight very well, will make your way more comfortable and avoid worries.

In the previous point we have already advanced some keys, which we collect and continue to complete, to serve as a guide and you will not miss anything important:

• Technical clothing that facilitates sweating and polyester t-shirts, avoiding cotton t-shirts because they keep moisture longer and take time to dry.
• A light waterproof jacket.
• A hat or wool cap if the season is cold.
• Shorts (if hot).
• Some mute and pair of socks.
• A microfiber towel.
• Sunglasses.
• Trekking boots or slippers that are waterproof. Although mountain boots provide greater clamping and traction, they are also heavier, which is why hiking or trekking shoes are more recommended, which is lighter and more flexible. Perfect for walking long distances.
• A sleeping bag of thickness according to the time of the year when the road is made. It is essential when you sleep in hostels. Although many of them offer sheets, others may not do so, and blankets are often scarce.
• A well-equipped medicine chest can solve unforeseen and small problems that arise along the adventure. It should contain tirites for blisters and scratches, antiseptics or disinfectants and bandages for wounds, analgesics, personal medicines, stoppers and even a repellent, very useful in some places in summer.
• A container or a bottle of water and snacks that provide energy, such as cereal bars, dried fruits and nuts.
• An external charger or battery.
• Original and a copy or image of the ID or passport, credit card and pilgrim's credential. The credential is necessary to stay in the different hostels of the road and to achieve the Compostela at the end of the trip and reach Santiago.

Photo by José Antonio Gil Martínez

5. Choose the type of accommodation

The road offers various accommodation options for all tastes and pockets. They can be found from cheap stays to much more comfortable ones.

Public and private shelters

The public hostels on the Camino are the most affordable alternative when there is not much budget available. They are oriented to the pilgrims and it is mandatory to show the credential in order to stay in them. Usually, you can't reserve a place, and beds are allocated in order of arrival.

It is recommended to arrive soon so as not to stay out. They are not usually allowed to stay for more than one night, unless there is a cause of force majeure, such as getting sick.

In private hostels it is usually possible to book in advance.

In both rooms, it is common for them to have beds in shared rooms, offering basic services such as showers and cooking.

Hostels and hotels

For pilgrims with more budget and looking for comfort and privacy of a room, there are also hotels and hostels. In them, you can also enjoy other extra services.

In summer, which is full season high, it can be very complicated to find free rooms. To avoid problems of availability it is advisable to book well in advance.

Rural houses

Staying in a rural house managed by locals is another way of living the experience of the road, sharing impressions and deepening the culture and cuisine of the region.

In general, it is also better to book with enough time to secure a place.

Photo by Simon Burchell

6. Plan meals throughout the trip

What you eat and drink along the way will condition your well-being and physical performance. That's why it's very important to feed and hydrate well.

Food

The gastronomic offer is fully guaranteed on any of the routes that make up the Camino de Santiago.

It is very easy to find bars and restaurants with menus filled with dishes typical of each region, adapted to the needs of pilgrims, which are perfect to replenish energy after spending hours walking.

It is advisable to establish a good plan of daily food, depending on each stage and the prediction of stops you plan to make.

Next to dinner, perfect for energy recovery after tiredness of all day, breakfast is the other most important meal. Mainly because it is the “gasoline” that will allow you to start the day hard and face the first hours of walking.

A good, full breakfast should include carbohydrates (bread, toast and cereals), proteins (ham, turkey, milk, cheese or yoghurt), healthy fats (olive oil, nuts) and fruits.

Do not forget to always bring with you small snacks, such as nuts and energy bars of cereals and muesli, and some fruit. These are basic foods that will help you replenish forces as the hours go by, and wear starts to take a toll on you.

Hydration

Hydration is also vital and should not be neglected at any time. When exercising and sweating, you need to replenish the fluids that we're losing.

Even if you do not feel thirsty, every so often you have to drink water and isotonic drinks, rich in minerals, magnesium, vitamins and amino acids, ideal to better bring the feeling of fatigue. The water can be carried in a container or in a bottle and can be filled in the various sources found throughout the Camino.

7. Travel light luggage and plan your bike transportation

Today it is possible to make the Camino de Santiago more comfortably, without the need to carry the weight of the backpack or to worry about the transportation of the bicycle.

Several companies offer safe logistics and luggage transport services and all guarantees.

Baggage transport service

Post, for example, has been making the Postal Pack available to pilgrims for many years. Once hired, a postman is in charge of picking up your things every day on the way and taking them from hostel to hostel so you have them available in each new accommodation at the end of each stage.

Another modality is the Pilgrim Pack. With it you can send the backpack directly to the starting point you choose and at the end of the journey return it back to the desired direction. This option is very practical when you want to have clean clothes when you finish the Camino, when you have to make different stops or several connections before you reach the place where your adventure starts, or when this experience is only part of a holiday period, and that baggage you will only use on the pilgrimage.

Bicycle transport service

If you want to do the Camino de Santiago by bicycle, it can be very cumbersome to travel with it before you start it, and then at the end of the journey.

Various companies and also Correos, with the Bike Pack, give you the option to send your bike and the buckles to the point you choose and return it at the end, within Spain and other European countries.

8. Plan your Road with digital tools in detail

The use of digital tools such as apps, specialized websites or planners greatly facilitate the work of organizing the road and the day-to-day adventure. Fundamentally because they collect and organize practical and interesting information, making it accessible so it can be consulted at any time and place. Also allowing quick answers and up-to-date data.

GPS applications to map routes or locate in real time, applications that provide information on location, availability and ratings of hostels, plan breaks to rest or eat, record kilometers traveled in stages and daily progress, or offer you a weather and weather forecast, are just a few options.

In order to help plan the Camino in an easy way, we created our Planner of the Camino de Santiago. A very comprehensive tool with which you will be able to shape your ideal trip, choosing the route that best suits your tastes and needs, the hostels to stay in, or checking the reviews of other pilgrims who have made the same stages. All at once, and always accessible, without worrying if you have a connection to Internet.Sigue

these tips and don't leave anything in the air. With everything under control there will be no setback that takes your sleep away, and you will be able to focus on what is truly important, to live intensely the Road from beginning to end.