Modern thoughts and medieval paths on the El Camino

Once again thousands of people flock to Spain to start the El Camino and make their way to Santiago de Compostela. Many have already did it and even more are planning to complete the trip. I shall give some useful advice to new pilgrims.

Who can dare the El Camino?

The most basic question is physical condition. Most people agree that the El Camino can be completed by anyone without some kind of cardiovascular illness or severe orthopedic condition. Set your daily limit according to your fitness so 20 kilometers is easy to accomplish within approximately 5 hours. You may need a bit more strength around the Pyrenees on the steep slopes but you’ll have time to relax on the plains of the Meseta.

Ride or walk?

The most simple and exhausting way is to do it on foot. The El Camino is a well marked path with specially designed and built sections along the way. Follow the yellow shell marks! More and more people try cycling. They have to make detours sometimes but a special bicycle map is available. The other classic option is on horseback or with a donkey. You can rent a horse on certain parts of the way and stables are open in some places though be prepared that some albergues strictly forbid the entrance to animals.

Accommodations on the Camino

You can start the pilgrimage wherever you want to. The unofficial starting point for the way is St. Jean de Pied de Port on the French side of the Pyrenees. You’ll get the pilgrims passport at your starting location which entitles you to use the accommodations along the Camino. The albergues are mentioned in every book and there are signs telling you where to go. Today it has become a tourist business so there are a lot of albergues offering different levels of service. The price ranges from a donation to roughly 10€ per night. You’re not allowed to spend more than one night in most albergues and you have to leave early in the morning. This is a basic rule of the El Camino. The majority of the people start at dawn to avoid the heat though it reaches its maximum at 4 o’ clock in the afternoon. Sometimes the official albergues are full. In this case you have to spend a night in a motel or a hotel but this can be quite expensive.

Things to look after on the El Camino.

Probably the most important thing is a pair of tested and comfortable walking shoes. Don’t buy the most expensive adventurer boots because I’ve seen people doing the Camino in a pair of sandals. Choose something that fits your feet and stands the heat. There’s no good recipe against blisters but the best thing to do is to pierce and empty them as soon as possible. Dry them well and by time you won’t have to worry about them since your feet will be very hard. Don’t use bandages or patches!

The heat is quite strong on the Meseta plains because there aren’t any trees or shade. Wear some kind of hat! The other important thing on the Camino is to have enough water since there aren’t many wells with drinking water between villages. If you run out of water ask the locals for some! Food is easy to get and there are a lot of restaurants and bars along the way. Take at least 20€ a day but more is better. ATMs can be found in larger cities so plan your transactions in advance. Medical service and hospitals are also available in these cities. It is good to know that there’s a huge crowd on the last 100 kilometers during the summer since this is the shortest distance required to get the compostela at the end. The El Camino doesn’t have a generally accepted aim or goal; you have to find it out on your own! Boun Camino!