Camino de Santiago

10 min readAug 19, 2020

Once in a lifetime experience

When I first heard about the Camino de Santiago a couple of years ago I wondered — What’s the fun of walking 6 hours many days in a row from town to town until arriving at a cathedral?. —
Well, it is precisely in this article where I intend to put into words how incredible this experience has been for me, and why I consider it will be for you as well if you decide to do the Camino de Santiago.

This experience goes beyond just walking from town to town as I mistakenly thought years ago, the Camino involves a compound of incredible experiences, which the ones I consider worth highlighting are (1) the opportunity of self-reflection, (2) the physical challenges required, (3) the adventure of walking on unknown paths, (4) the disconnection from routine, (5) the appreciation of variety of landscapes, (6) the exciting conversation with pilgrims from everywhere, (7) and the delicious gastronomy experience.

Now you might wonder whether the Camino is a journey to be experienced alone, among your friends or with your family. Fortunately, there is no wrong answer to this. It all depends on what you intend to achieve during these long hours of walking.
Along the way I found people that were doing the Camino alone, others were enjoying the trails while talking with their friends, and others were families enjoying the dynamic as a team despite the physical effort this extended hiking require. Still, even if you decide to do this by yourself, the truth is that you will never be alone in the Camino. This everlasting daily walk will make you constantly meet people regardless of how introverted a person you are.
I decided to do the Camino alone, which motivation was rooted in the opportunity of self-reflection I had heard the Camino provides on its beautiful trails, where thoughts and emotions usually arise while enjoying the pleasant landscapes.

Another important factor that contributed to do this self-reflection while doing the Camino, was the necessity of disconnecting from routine and connect with nature, which is something I always try to do on my vacations. However, I gave it a higher priority this year due to the global COVID situation. This pandemic has made of this 2020 an unusual year, affecting everybody in many different ways. Thus, the reason why I consider the circumstances couldn’t have been more adequate to do this.

“It is your road, and yours alone.
Others may walk with you, but no one can walk it for you.” — Rumi

Nevertheless, to ensure the aspirations I had set for this journey were accomplished, I set a couple of rules and followed a routine that permitted me to disconnect from everything and be able to connect with myself and nature. Although, I believe this incredible experience is to be lived as you wish. The rules and routines mentioned in the next section are just guidelines that I used to assure I was going to make the most out of the Camino.

Rules

Airplane mode ON: I would not only recommend avoiding the use of social networks but also turning on the airplane mode of your smartphone. This will prevent you from not getting disturbed by phone calls from the moment you start walking until you arrive at the next town.
No music when walking: One of the best things about the Camino is to start your walk listening to the chirping of the birds, the crunching of leaves while you walk, and the whispering of the wind through the trees. It would be a shame to silence these unique nature sounds by listening to the same music you hear daily while driving your car or when taking the subway.

Routine

Be Grateful: Start your walk by thinking on three things you feel grateful that day. It might sound like a silly exercise but the positive emotional effect created by doing this, not only in the Camino but every morning, will surprise you.
Self-Reflection: The time in solitude the Camino offers will allow you to observe your emotions, organize your thoughts, and reflect “where you are and where do you want to be”, finally, empowering you to create an action plan to be applied once you return to normal life. This exercise will help you overcome the inner voice that from time to time arise and sabotage our emotions turning them into negative thoughts that limit our beliefs.
Summary of the day: Hundreds of thoughts, emotions, and ideas cross your mind during a day. Hence, I would recommend taking note of them once the destination of the day has been accomplished. I did this exercise on my cellphone but you could also do it on a small agenda. Regardless of where you copy them, you will find these notes useful to review once you have finished the Camino.

General Tips

Homework before the Camino: Days before the beginning of this trip, take some time on your own to identify the areas you want to reflect about. When doing this consider if you have been ignoring an inner voice that from time to time reminds you that you are not completely happy with a specific area of your life.
Put yourself out of your comfort zone: Try to be more outgoing than you usually are. The Camino is a good excuse to break the mold and show yourself as you truly are since this might be something you suppress without realizing it. Also, you will be amazed by the number of people you will get to know characterized by their fascinating stories about why they are doing the Camino.
Bring a positive attitude: I believe this is a key element if you want to enjoy this experience to the fullest. Try to keep the positivity going even when the Camino gets tough physically and emotionally.
Have light breakfasts so the food won’t sit heavy on your stomach, consequently slowing you down in the first kilometers of the day.
Be aware of the unexplored paths along the trails: From time to time you will find yourself with the opportunity to divert a little bit from the trails and be rewarded with a sublime view.

Camino Frances: Picture taken somewhere in between Arzua and O Pedrouzo

Eat the “peregrinos menu del dia” regardless of how good the other options on the menu might sound. I found the Pilgrims Menu to be the more economic, fresher and served faster than the other options at the menu.
Lay down on the floor of Plaza de Obradoiro: It is difficult to put into words the emotions felt once the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela can be seen from the distance. These emotions only continue getting more intense and vivid until you finally arrive at the Plaza del Obradoiro and find yourself in front of this magnificent structure. This fascinating view is no doubt a reward of all the effort your body and mind have gone through since you started this journey.

Picture taken at the Plaza del Obradoiro

Besides these recommendations, there are a couple of tips that haven’t been addressed and those are what to pack, what I don’t recommend to pack, and what to not do. Even though this section is more related to physical preparation and not spiritual as the previous section, it has the same amount of importance. I consider that missing or not complying with some of the things I recommend below could negatively impact your experience in this adventure.

What to pack

The “obvious”: Even though it is obvious that you need to pack clothes, a toothbrush, shampoo, a smartphone charger, and so on. I feel the need of suggesting to pack just the necessary. As previously mentioned, your back, knees, and feet will suffer by not carrying a moderate weight (around 7 kg) on your backpack.
Earplugs: This is a must if you are going to sleep in Albergues, which are where most of the other pilgrims sleep as well. These places are very low cost, from 3 euros to 15 euros per night. However, one of the cons of staying at Albergues is that you will sleep in a big room surrounded by dozens of pilgrims. The earplugs will mostly silence loud noises and most of the people’s snores.
Sandals: This is another must that a lot of people do not consider. There is nothing more relaxing to take off your trekking shoes after hiking 25 kilometers and putting on your sandals to let your feet breathe. It is also recommendable for people that get blisters since letting the feet breathe will allow the blisters to heal as much as possible for the next day.
Blindfold: If you consider you are sensitive to light, I would recommend this item. Unfortunately, some people stay up late using their phones, and some others wake up early in the morning using the flashlight of their smartphones because it is dark in the room.
Camelbak: This is an item that I suggest since it will save you time and energy from either stop to take out the water bottle or to carry the water bottle along the trail. However, this is a nice to have, otherwise, you will be just fine with a plastic water bottle.
Small microfiber towel: Some Albergues provide towels, however, I would suggest you carry a small one with you just in case the Albergues does not provide it.
Snacks: Walking might not sound challenging enough but after doing it for 3 hours and realizing that you still have 3 more hours ahead, you will find yourself wishing to have snacks with you to fill up your stomach. I would recommend having chocolate, fruits, and dried fruits.
Spare change: Some of the bars and restaurants that are along the trails don't accept credit cards. Therefore, I would suggest to always have cash just in case you want to try any local food or buy a souvenir.
Vaseline: This is one of the most common recommendations you will find surfing the web when searching for tips when doing the Camino. It consists of applying vaseline to your feet every morning to protect your toes and reduce friction and rubbing as you walk, consequently, avoiding blisters. I believe this was the reason why I did not get one single blister during the 114 km I walked.
External battery charger: This item could become of great use if by any chance your smartphone or camera is running low on battery. I know this situation sounds avoidable by charging every device at night. Nevertheless, I had the experience in an albergue where there were only a few sockets that were all busy by the time I arrived. Hence, I was able to charge my devices with the external battery charger I had brought.
Medicine: Regardless if you consider yourself fit enough to do the Camino, I would suggest bringing some pills such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen that will alleviate the muscle soreness caused by the long walks. Also, if you have suffered knees or ankles injuries, I suggest you bring a knee or ankle support just in case you feel pain in these areas.
Pilgrim’s Passport: This is a document that identifies you as a pilgrim. It provides proof that you have walked the required distance to gain your pilgrim’s certificate also known as the Compostela. The pilgrim’s passport has to be stamped twice per day. What I did was to get one stamp from the Albergue I stayed and another stamp from the restaurant where I had lunch or dinner.

What I don’t recommend you to pack:

Stainless steel bottle: These types of bottles weight more than necessary. Instead, you could use a plastic bottle. I assure you that at the end of the Camino your knees and back will appreciate you for not carrying a heavy backpack.
Maps: The Camino is well signaled so you won’t feel lost at any moment. There is either a signal or a yellow arrow on every intersection indicating the correct path to follow.
Cotton shirts: Regardless if you are doing the Camino in winter or summer, cotton shirts will make a bad-difference when you find yourself soaking wet from the rain or sweating non-stop due to the severe heat. Thus, I would recommend bringing if possible breathable fabric shirts that dry up fast, like the ones people use to workout.
Unnecessary things: I know this sounds self-explanatory but don’t put more weight on your back and your knees than necessary. You might not feel exhausted during the first kilometers. However, after the third day, you will regret every unnecessary kilogram being carried on your backpack.

What to not do:

Walking too much too soon: Don’t try to walk more than recommended, which is around 20 kilometers, the first two days. Let your legs and body gain resistance progressively, which will make the Camino a more pleasurable experience for you.
Overestimating the rain: Even if you are doing the Camino during summer, rain might catch you off guard and unprepared. Therefore, I advise you to bring a light waterproof jacket.

“Everything you ever want is one step outside of your comfort zone” — Robert G. Allen

Regardless of whether you forget or don’t have some of the items I have recommended, I believe making this journey is a life-changing experience where you will be able to challenge yourself spiritually, psychologically, and physically. Based on my experience, I was able to observe my emotions, analyze the root cause of where they were coming from, and make action plans for those areas of my life where I considered I was lacking some motivation that was not allowing me to get the outcome I have been wanting.

The Camino de Santiago is something worthy to discover and I am not only referring to the breathtaking landscapes but the discovering and learning about ourselves.