If you haven’t heard of the Camino de Santiago, you are missing out!

The Camino de Santiago walk is a pilgrimage in Spain, and it has led to some of the most wonderful days of my life. Continue reading for Camino origin details, routes, and essential planning logistics, including packing lists and tips to get you through your first Camino!

My Camino de Santiago Walks:

My first Camino in 2019, I walked 900km in 42 days as a study abroad student through my university, and this was after extremely limited hiking experience.

After my first time in Santiago de Compostela, I knew I would have to come back as soon as possible, and now I’m hooked!

My first and second Caminos were along the route of the Camino Frances – the most popular of the Camino de Santiago routes. This Camino de Santiago route begins in St. Jean Pied du Port, in the South of France (800km).

My third Camino was the Camino Portuguese, which begins in Porto, Portugal (260/280km) but can also be completed starting in Lisbon (630km).

After finishing in Santiago, you have the option to walk to Finisterre and/or Muxia (an extra 90/120km!). These routes will be discussed in further detail, but for now, I will focus on general Camino tips!

Origin of the Camino de Santiago Walk

The Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James, is a pilgrimage across Spain to the city of Santiago de Compostela. Specifically, the cathedral, as that is where the body of St. James is buried. The routes vary in length, from 100km to over 1000km.

Originally, people would walk straight from their homes to Santiago, but over the years, that has become less common. Now and then, you will come across people who have done that, often from their homes in Spain or Portugal.

While the Camino Frances is the most popular route, there are plenty of routes. As mentioned above, the Camino Portuguese is the second most popular, and then the Camino Norte (865km), the Camino Ingles (116km), and the Camino Primitivo (320km). There are routes going through Seville in the south or even from Madrid, but those are not often walked.

The Camino shell! This is a pilgrim staple. It is a scallop shell to represent the Camino, as all routes lead to Santiago de Compostela. Most pilgrims have a shell attached to their backpacks to symbolize the fact that they are a pilgrim.

It is also a symbol that pops up throughout the Camino, as it shows you which direction to walk. Along the route, there will be arrows, lines, and shells to show you the way to Santiago. Every now and then, you could end up going in the wrong direction, but it isn’t that easy to get lost. These shells I have also found across Europe, from France to Belgium.

Pilgrim Compostela

Upon arriving in Santiago de Compostela, you can head to the pilgrim office and receive your Compostela. This is a certificate that is given to pilgrims upon completion of their pilgrimage. They look your name up in Latin and write it on the certificate.

Sadly, my first name does not have a Latin translation, but my middle name does, so I always request my middle name to be on my Compostela.

Unfortunately, the Compostela does not have the distance written on it, but they do sell a distance Compostela for 3Euro, in which they write how much distance you walked. They also sell tubes for you to keep your Compostela.

Pilgrim Credential

To get a Compostela, you need to walk at least 100km. Proof of how far you walked will be collected in your pilgrim credential. This is a document you can order online or pick up at a major cathedral or pilgrim office. In the last 100km, you must collect 2 stamps every day. Stamps you can collect at albergues (hostels) and most cafes/ restaurants. Before the 100km mark, you are only required to get 1 stamp/per day.

Albergues

This is the main accommodation for pilgrims. You can reserve or you can also just show up and hope they have a spot for you. It totally depends on how many people you are, how comfortable you are with not knowing where you will sleep that night, and what part of the Camino you are walking.

In the last 100km, I would recommend making reservations, as it is the most popular section to walk, and most people who start 100km away from Santiago, make reservations. Before then, it is a personal preference.

However, if you are in a group of more than 4 people, it may be a good idea to book if you all want to stay in the same Albergue. To sleep here, you just need to show your passport and your credential.

Most albergues will have showers, and often they will even have kitchens (see next section about food). The app Camino Ninja is my favorite Camino app because it tells you, in the town you are looking at stopping in, what amenities the town has (ATM, cafes, albergues, grocery stores, pharmacies…) and then what amenities the albergues have (kitchen, bunkbeds/private rooms, washer/dryer, wifi, communal meal, lockers…).

Food along the way

Just like everyday life, the Camino often allows for two options, eating out or staying in.

The best deal you will find along the way is a Pilgrim Meal: Ten euros for a three-course meal, often including wine. While it may not be a 5-star meal, it can fill you up.

The first course is often a salad or pasta, the main course is typically meat/fish and fries, and the dessert could be ice cream or yogurt.

While there are often different options, being a vegetarian can be tough on the Camino as most pilgrim meals are very meat-heavy. Of course, there are also options that are not the pilgrim meal.

Breakfast and lunch are fairly cheap if you stop at a bar/cafe for a coffee and croissant (around 2-3 Euros) or a sandwich and a cup of tea (maybe 5-7 Euros). A good thing to look for in towns is a bakery as they always have amazing food for a good price. 

You can always make it a bit cheaper by popping over to the grocery store with a friend and buying a baguette with whatever fillings you want or croissants for the next morning.

You can also cook a cheap meal at night by grabbing groceries and cooking at the Albergue (a bottle of wine in most grocery stores is only about 2 Euro), and if you can find people to split the cost of groceries, a good meal can cost 4 euros. This is especially nice after eating out regularly because, along the Camino, there are lots of carbs and meat and not a lot of veggies. (Though I have seen vegans walk the Camino and not starve!)

Packing List

Whichever route you take, it could result in what kind of clothes you bring, but a general rule is no cotton clothes! Cotton takes a long time to dry, and you may not always have access to a dryer. On top of this, the weather can vary depending on the time of year.

April/May/August/September may require more layers than June/July.

There are more washers/dryers on the French route than on the other routes. Walking the Portuguese, I was able to find a washer/dryer maybe once a week.

Usually, we would handwash in the sink and dry on the drying lines. This was not always great because sometimes it was a cold or rainy day, and you would either have to deal with damp clothes (which you can hang off your backpack to dry as you walk) or skip a day of washing your clothes.

The ideal pack size is about 36 liters, but it could be more or less, depending on how much you want to carry. I had an Osprey 36L with a pocket for my water bladder and a rain cover.

• Durable pants/shorts (3 total (I usually opt for 2 shorts, 1 pair of leggings))
• 2-3 pairs of socks (wool)
• 2-3 sock liners (ideally toe socks, they’re weird but prevented me from getting blisters in between my toes!)
• 3 pairs of underwear (and 2 sports bras)
• 3 Shirts (2 short & 1 long sleeve) (If wearing tank tops, ensure they cover your shoulders as it prevents your pack from rubbing against your skin)
• Rain jacket
  • Even if it does not rain, a wind/waterproof layer will help tremendously with colder weather
  • You can also be low-budget and use a trash bag.
• Lightweight/packable layers
  • Puffy jacket, leggings, lightweight fleece, running jacket, think thin layers that you can easily take on or off throughout the day to regulate your temperature. Remember the no cotton rule. Cotton is heavy and holds water, which will make your pack a lot heavier.
  • I usually had 1 light jacket that I wore most evenings or on colder hiking days
• Brimmed hat (baseball hat, bucket hat, etc.)
• Hiking boots (determine if you would want ankle support or not, I’ve done the French without it and the Portuguese with it, just make sure you break your boots in!)
• Hiking sandals
  • I wore them when my feet swelled too much for me to wear my boots and to let my feet breathe. I also wore them “out on the town”. On days it rains, I wore my boots because they’re mostly waterproof.
  • IMPORTANT!!! If hiking in sandals, please wear socks with them! Will you be judged? Probably. However, my teacher once opted against socks and sandals and ended up with a blister on the bottom of her foot so bad she could not finish the Camino.
• Light microfiber pack towel (for showers)
• Water Bottle(s)
  • It should be able to carry 2-3 liters of water in total. Up to you if you bring large water bottles or Water Bladders. Just be considerate of weight; plastic Nalgenes are a lot lighter than metal thermoses. Great options on the cheap are to go to any store and buy two SmartWater bottles. They are durable and fit nicely in the sides of a backpack.
  • I had a 1-liter water bottle and a water bladder. I only used my water bottle in the evenings when walking around town, but it means you do not have to stop every time you want to drink water. It keeps me drinking more water.
• Toiletries:
  • Toothbrush/toothpaste
  • Shampoo/conditioner ( I love a shampoo bar but am not a big fan of the conditioner bar)
  • Body/face wash
  • Personal medications
  • Sunscreen
  • Deodorant
  • Razor/brush/chapstick
  • Feminine Hygiene Products
• Cross-body bag (For keeping passport, credential, wallet, and phone accessible)
• Sleeping bag/ sleeping bag liner (I used a liner because it is lighter, and often you are given blankets, but many people carry sleeping bags)
• Sunglasses
• Camino shell (You can buy this along the way or pick it up at a pilgrim office, it just shows you are a pilgrim) You put it on your pack
• Optional:
  • Warm hat/gloves (depending on the time of year)Pillowcases (it is more comfortable than a disposable pillow case many albergues offer and convenient if they do not offer pillows, as you can stuff the pillowcase with clothes)Pocket knife (ideal if you want to make your own sandwiches on the go or if the albergues kitchen does not have a knife)Rock (If walking Camino Frances and starting before Cruz de Ferro/Leon)Flip flops (for in the shower, walking around town in the evenings)Journal (though I would highly recommend it!! (I organize my journaling by Stats (where I stayed, how long I walked, notes on the albergue), People I’ve met (and sometimes I include the stories I want to remember from them), and How I’m Feeling (self-explanatory)Hiking poles (This is also a personal preference. I have had poles on every Camino I have walked. The Camino Portuguese, I hardly used the poles. The Camino to Finisterre, I needed them. The Camino Frances, I used them half of the time. If I were walking any hilly routes, they would help me drag myself up the mountain and stabilize myself when I couldn’t feel my legs. They also helped on the steeper part down the hills (ESPECIALLY ON DAY 1 of CAMINO FRANCES!!)Kindle/1 book (I prefer a Kindle because it is many books for the weight of one. Some days I would read, and others I wouldn’t touch my book for a week)Tent and sleeping mat (some people like to camp!)Hiking Buff/headband (keeps your hair/sweat out of your face or helps on colder days to keep your ears warm! (I’ve had cold days in June and July where this came in handy)Dress/ change of clothes ( I had one dress (often an older one) that I changed into every day after showers. Made me feel a little more human. I would get rid of it (give it to a friend or leave it at an Albergue) at the end of every hike and then buy a new one in Santiago.Drawstring bag (I loved this, especially in the evenings walking around town or getting groceries. Also, if you want to ship your pack, this is great to have with you just to carry the necessities).
  • Swimsuit (Or you can use undergarments)

For more information and logistics on my individual Camino walks, please see my detailed posts highlighting each Camino…

Camino Portuguese: My Camino de Santiago Walk Including Cost, Lodging and Itinerary