A 1000-Kilometre Pilgrimage Route Across Spain – Part 1

The Camino pilgrimage route (also known as the Way of St. James in English) has become quite a tourist attraction in the last two decades, bringing together people from all over the world. There are numerous routes leading to Santiago de Compostela from all over Europe and the most famous and most popular among the pilgrims is the Camino Frances or the French route that starts in the French town of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.

Camino de Santiago was one of the most important Christian pilgrimage routes during the Middle Ages (the remains of St. James are said to be kept in the famous cathedral in Santiago) and most people started their pilgrimage from their own doorsteps. The 16th century was a turbulent time in European history and led to a decline in the pilgrim tradition that later reignited in the 1880s. Today, between 250,000 and 300,000 people traverse Camino de Santiago on foot or by bicycle each year.

We chose the longest route to Santiago, known as Via de la Plata, which starts in the beautiful city of Seville in southern Spain and has approximately 35 stops. We had 40 days to get to Santiago, which meant we walked every day (except those days when we felt a little under the weather). The reason we decided for a pilgrimage was mainly the trials that such a journey brings – a trial of endurance with 30-kilometre stages, a trial of survival with only a backpack (with a total weight of 8kg), a trial of sleeping in albergues in a room with other travellers who come from all over the world, and a trial of a modest life, which definitely came in handy during our year-long trip around the world.

The organisation of our journey began by researching the Camino de Santiago website where we purchased the “Credencial” or pilgrim’s passport, which allowed us to sleep in the pilgrim albergues and, what’s more, we also got cheaper meals in towns and cities along the way. You can also get a passport by visiting one of the information points at various starting points across Europe. In addition to the Credencial, it’s best to order the latest edition of the handbook on your chosen Camino de Santiago route with up-to-date information about the route, which albergues you can stay at, what other types of accommodation are available, restaurants along the way and other useful information about the route.

I will sum up our 40-day journey on foot into a short handbook, which future pilgrims might find useful when organising their journey.

The backpack is the most important part of the gear when making such journeys. It’s best to buy a more compact 10-litre backpack with many inside and outside compartments and the ideal weight of the backpack should be around 8kg (this depends on how often you use the backpack, how physically active you are and how toned your shoulder, neck and back muscles are). We had the hardest time picking out things we were going to need. Walking for 40 days straight is no small feat, besides, we weren’t used to getting by simply with a small backpack. My packing technique was based on a “soft-landing principle”, which means that a large heap becomes a middle-sized heap which then becomes a smaller heap (but still too big), which you then curse along the way. Things we packed in the backpack (along with the clothes):

• toiletries (a toothbrush; a small tube of toothpaste; a shower gel that was also used as a shampoo and a laundry detergent; a face and body cream; a sunscreen; a comb; dental floss; cotton buds; small scissors),
• medications (a pain relief cream; pain relief pills; a Tea Tree multi-purpose cream for mosquito bite treatment, swollen legs etc.; magnesium citrate for muscle pain; medication for bladder inflammation; medication that relieves allergies (pollen, insect bites); rehydration salts; probiotics to aid digestion, especially if you drink tap water),
• a sleeping bag, a waterskin (3-litre), two travel towels, trekking poles,
• a phone charger, a power bank (there are usually not enough wall sockets in albergues or they aren’t working),
• documents (passport, identity card, pilgrim’s passport or “Credencial”, a wallet, European Health Insurance Card or international travel insurance, copies of your documents, a Camino de Santiago handbook).

Pilgrims usually sleep in albergues, a sort of modest accommodation that can take in a large number of people. The albergues vary greatly. Some have only one room with many beds, others have many rooms, including rooms for two, three or four people, so all you need to do is ask (and sometimes pay extra). Albergues are outlined in handbooks and guidebooks, so you should get an idea of what to expect, though the situation changes each year (due to bed bugs, lack of work, new roads being built, new albergues being erected etc.), so it’s best to buy the latest edition (preferably German :) ). Usually there are toilets and showers that are separated, but in some places there’s just one bathroom for 24 or more people. When it comes to the kitchen, some are equipped better than others, and you can save some money using them as well as avoid the same food that the perpetual menú del día offers. Prices range from 10 to 15 euros per person and from 6 to 10 euros per person in Galicia (Spanish region).

You can get the menú del día or daily menu in the villages, which consists of three courses and can be found along the route all the way to Santiago. The price of the menu is usually 10 euros and it includes a starter dish (tuna salad, asparagus, eggs etc.), a main dish (fish, chicken, pork etc. with baked potatoes and sunny-side-up fried eggs) and a dessert (flan, ice cream or yogurt). The 10-euro menu also includes a bottle of wine, beer or water.

The day usually starts at 7 a.m. and people usually set out at 8 a.m. Some set out even earlier in the morning, which means they walk in the dark until around 7 a.m. when the sun starts to rise. The average walking distance is 25 kilometres per day, including stops, which means that you walk until 3 or 4 p.m., depending on the distance walked. After arriving in an albergue and dealing with paperwork, taking a shower and washing your laundry are a must. They are followed by a visit to the shop to buy things for dinner or the next day’s trip, a visit to the town or city, dinner, reading or socialising if desired, and then sleep at 10 p.m.

OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION

• Camino de Santiago routes differ greatly from one another – Via de la Plata is one of the most gently sloping routes (the exception being the last region, Galicia). There are yellow arrows for you to follow from beginning to end and they will lead you in the right direction. The route is therefore well marked and there are albergues along the way and the arrows also lead through towns and cities. Sometimes you can spot them on the ground and sometimes on trees, but they’re most often found on blocks of stone and wooden signposts, so finding them is pretty simple wherever you are and no matter the time of day.
• It’s best if you download one of the useful pilgrim apps, especially in the absence of the yellow arrows or if the route markings turn out to be misleading.
• According to our calculations, the average daily costs amount to 20 to 30 euros per person.
• The best time to set out on Via de la Plata is late spring or early autumn. That way (and I’ll keep my fingers crossed) you can avoid rain, snow, cold and the unbearable summer heat. Handbooks and guidebooks offer plenty of information about each Camino de Santiago route and you can find the information online. Forums are also a great source of information.
• The Spanish speak only their native language, so it’s best if you carry a phone with you and use Google Translate to express your wishes or ask for direction and instructions.

You can read more about our adventure at cestadolgaletodni.com.

¡Buen Camino!