I asked my boss at the time if I could take three weeks off to walk as much of the Camino de Santiago that I could – a dream of mine since learning about it in college a few years prior. Well, he did not give me those three weeks because he didn’t believe in giving that much time off to anyone, much less an entry-level person.
However, the US Government gives us a few holidays each year that the company I worked for at the time recognized so I was able to combine those with nine of my ten PTO days for the year and take a nice fourteen days off to achieve my dream.
Let me tell you that when I researched the heck out of this trip, I really did. Let me go off on a quick side note to tell you why. When I was fifteen, I wanted to go to Italy SO BADLY, but the movie Taken had just come out and who saw it? My dad. He was not about to let his daughter go off to Italy by herself after seeing Liam Neeson’s fictional daughter get taken away. So, I had to do research and find a travel agency to babysit me. I used Travel for Teens and in the year 2010, that was awesome. I did a photography trip with fifteen other kids my age and a few supervisors and we had a great time. More about that trip in a different post.
The reason that that side story is important is because I was now twenty and I wanted to go to Spain by myself. However, I get really excited about things and told my dad, who said, You’re not going alone. I’m coming with you. And he did. And so did my two brothers. I thought this would be annoying, but it turned out to be the trip of a lifetime. We had a lot of fun together and were able to walk over 200 miles of the Camino de Santiago.
This trip was really, really special for me and I still talk about it all the time. I can almost guarantee that if you decide to go, it will be one of your greatest memories, too. It was 200 miles of the nicest people ever and I wish I could remember the names of the people who brought me my phone that I left on a bench, or the person who brought me my backpack that I left in the communal bathroom, or the person who made the most amazing gazpacho I’ve ever had.
TIPS
- I highly recommend learning some basic phrases in Spanish. You’ll be traveling through towns that are not Barcelona or Madrid and many of the locals barely know English or not at all. You’ll need to know these for sure:
- “Hello, I’d like to reserve a bed, please.”
- “Do you have any beds available for tonight?
- “I would like to order…”
- “My name is…”
- “Where can I find the Camino de Santiago?”
- Bring a LifeStraw water bottle. It’s the only filter that I trust because many of the fountains or sinks in Spain do not have potable water. You’re going to have to buy water in some towns that don’t have an “agua potable” fountain, but if it’s the middle of the night and the stores are close and all you have is the bathroom sink in your hostel, I would definitely trust that super filter in the LifeStraw water bottle…but make sure you read their disclaimers and the directions on the bottle’s packaging. If you hike this trail right, you will be getting thirsty so it’s important to stay hydrated!
- Have good hiking shoes. You want these to be as light as possible and as waterproof as possible. I wore a pair of Ahnu’s that I loved dearly. I put about 2,000 miles on those boots before they finally kicked the bucket. My younger brother hiked the whole 200 miles in regular running shoes and had a great time. So, there’s many ways to do it. The one day it rained we had to use the blow dryer at the hostel (not all places have this) to dry them out. We got lucky.
- Make sure you go on a lot of test hikes in the boots you plan on wearing before you walk the Camino. This is really important. Walking may seem like an easy thing to do – and let me tell you some people ride horses on this trail, run, and bike it, but walking is still hard. You need to practice. I recommend starting with three miles and work your way up to fifteen miles. Unless you’re way more athletic than me, fifteen miles will be about your max for a day. A trick to doing this is to walk half the distance in one direction so you’re forced to walk the same distance back home. Always take your phone with you and know who you can call to pick you up in case of an emergency, though.
- Change your socks. Yes, there are three items that involve your feet! That’s because your feet are going to be the things that get you from your starting point to the beautiful Santiago de Compostela Cathedral at the end. While I was trudging through a meadow on my journey an old lady saw me and in Spanish told me, “¡Cambia sus calcetines!” This means, change your socks! She’s right. If you pack one thing extra, make sure it’s socks. If you feel a hot spot or you just have sweated through your socks, change them. A pair of dry, clean socks will be your friend and prevent all kinds of blisters and other foot problems. Your feet will thank you. You can also take a break on the trail and just air out your feet. Anytime you are sitting around, I highly recommend airing out your feet. Just make sure it’s outside so you don’t stink up the cocina in the restaurante you’re eating at.
- Download the maps on your phone. A lot of the Camino is still very rural (or it was in 2010). Also, buy a travel guide because sometimes your phone will die because you’re too busy taking pictures or videos or using your mile tracking app. I highly recommend this travel guide. It’s easy to read and gives you a lot of great information. Make sure you get the latest version!
- Bring a hat. That Spanish sun is no joke and if you’re fair skinned or not, keeping that sun out of your eyes is important! It will help you feel less fatigued. You can also pick up one at one of the stores to support the local economy. They have some great options!
- Bring cash. Unless those rural towns have really upgraded since I’ve left, you’ll want some euros in your pocket. In 2017, I think I took about 500 euro with me and ended up getting an additional 200 out because I wanted to buy a few more souvenirs.
- Pack light. I had a fifteen pound backpack. That was a little too much. I wish I had gotten it down to about ten pounds. I’ve listed what I packed below, but I’ve also noted which items I would eliminate. There are services that will bus your backpack from one hostel to the next so it’s waiting for you when you finish that day’s hike, but if you’re stubborn or short on cash like me, you’ll be schlepping that thing with you the whole way. We threw out some stuff and redistributed some stuff among our group so everyone was level-loaded. This was important to not hurt ourselves by carrying too much weight. It will take you a few days to hit your stride. Try to plan out eleven to fifteen mile days – this is a very comfortable pace. The lower days, use as rest days in the bigger cities and just explore. It’s a beautiful place and filled with history! (We took the northern route from Leon to Santiago.)Invest in an eye mask and ear plugs. Now, if you aren’t good at waking up on time with an eye mask on- don’t wear it. You need to be out of those hostels by a certain time and you’ll definitely want to get out early to beat the heat if you’re traveling in the summer (I highly recommend going in May/June). But, chances are you’ll be staying in hostels with a bunch of strangers and guess what – you might snore and other people might snore, too. So those ear plugs at a minimum will be your friend.
Packing List (for a 14 day journey)
- Light, waterproof hiking boots that you’ve worn in previously
- Seven pairs of good quality socks – these are worth the investment I used SmartWool
- Seven pairs of underwear – nobody wants a sweaty butt!
- Seven shirts you can hike in – You really only need three. One to wear, one to wash, and one as a back up. I used to lay mine out on top of my backpack as we hiked so it would dry in the sun if it didn’t finish drying over night. I used long-sleeve shirts because I am fair-skinned and hate putting on sunscreen.
- One or two pairs of something to sleep in – go light on these and be ready to sleep in them for multiple nights after your shower.
- Three pairs of hiking pants – I used some leggings and a pair of hiking pants from a sporting goods store. My brothers and dad all used shorts or hiking pants. Whatever you do keep it light and if you need a belt – bring a belt.
- Shower shoes – just get the cheapest pair of flops from your favorite place to get these things. They just need to keep your feet off the floor when you shower and give you a chance to air out those toes!
- Comfortable hair ties – I used elastics when I went, but now I have these silk scrunchies that I love! So, if you have long hair, make sure you get something comfortable. If you don’t have long hair, get a bandanna or whatever keeps the sun off your head.
- Hat – like I said, take one with you or buy one. This is very important.
- Sunglasses – it is very bright in Spain and your eyes will thank you.
- Toiletries – Don’t fall for that gimmick of the bar shampoo. You can certainly do that if you’d like, but a bar of soap and a travel size bottle of shampoo will do just fine. You’re really going to need the soap the most to get all of the sweat off of you. I just threw it in a plastic bag or a metal tin and called it a day. I liked the plastic bag because it kept my backpack from getting wet or soapy. Don’t forget your glasses, contacts, solution, chap stick, a roll of toilet paper (just in case), body/face lotion, and sunscreen.
- Money – obviously. Get some cash and have a good credit card. Know how to withdraw extra money if you need to and let your bank know you’re traveling before you go. Try driving to different airports and parking for the duration of your trip to save money. Instead of flying out of Richmond, VA we flew out of Newark, New Jersey and saved over $500 per person this way. We had about $500 plane tickets and $200 parking fees. Totally worth it.3
- Phone charger and solar charging block – you’ll need juice! So prepare. You’re also going to need to get an adapter if you’re going to Spain from the US.
- First Aid Kit – yes, this is important. Make sure you have compedes in there and extra band-aids for blisters and cuts. Include a small thing of aloe gel if your fair skinned and prone to sunburn.
- Camino de Santiago Guide book – see the tid bit about this above!
- Hiking backpack. Make sure it latches around your chest and waist and you learn to properly fit this to your body. It’s very important and will save you a lot of back and shoulder pain.
- Rain cover for your hiking backpack! It rains, in the plains, in Spain…
- Rain coat for you! What’s worse than hiking fifteen miles on your tenth day and being super hungry and have a blister coming on? Being wet, too. Bring a rain coat with a hood. Make sure the hood stays on your head when walking – not all coats are made the same.
- Small day bag. It will be nice to leave your pack locked in the hostel while you go exploring. So bring a small bag that you can throw the essentials in.
- Water bottle. You can buy one each day, but I highly recommend the LifeStraw.
- Microfiber towel – you’ll want a shower every day and you’ll need something to dry off. By using a microfiber towel you’ll save a lot of weight and it will dry faster.
- Medicines – if you need em, make sure you bring em!
I hope you choose to journey on the Camino de Santiago! A few parting tips…research your route thoroughly before you go and have fun. Try to just breathe in the air and have an open mind and heart with each person that you meet. You’ll learn so much and have so much fun, I promise. One foot in front of the other. ¡Buen camino!
One Day Education 