INTRODUCTION

This blog gives a basic overview of our walk along the Camino Frances in June 2024.  We were a group of 8, comprising friends and family, ages ranging from mid-60s to mid-20s.  

To navigate use the labels on the right => =>, which will hopefully take you through the walk in a logical order.

The walk we did was a roughly 116km section of the Camino Frances - the Camino Frances is the most popular route on the Camino de Santiago, beginning (I use the term loosely as there are numerous starting points, but this is probably the most popular one) in St. Jean Pied de Port in France and stretching for 790km to Santiago de Compostela. The section we walked began in Sarria, Spain and finished in Santiago de Compostela  This section is the most popular section on the Camino Frances as it satisfies the minimum requirements for getting the Compostela (certificate stating you have walked the Camino de Santiago) - i.e you have walked a minimum of 100kms and you have arrived at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.  We walked for 9 days in total - our shortest day was 11kms and our longest day was 18.5km.

We didn't "rough it" on this Camino - I pre-booked our accommodation and we had private rooms with en-suite bathrooms.  (I'm sure the purists would be horrified!) We ate in restaurants, often but not always choosing the Pilgrim's menus.  The men carried their backpacks, but the ladies sent theirs ahead (we used Jacotrans and their service was superb.)  Our accommodation was in reasonably priced hostels, pensions and albergues. I have mentioned the accommodation we used and reviewed it on the page for each day.

The typical walking day saw us leaving relatively early in the morning and walking with the aim of getting to our next destination in time for lunch. If breakfast was provided at the accommodation we would have a small, simple breakfast before beginning our day's walk and then walk about 5kms before stopping for a coffee break and then continue on to our destination in time for lunch.

As far as travel arrangements go, I planned our walk and made all of the bookings myself.  We flew into and out of Santiago de Compostela and I arranged a private transfer from Santiago de Compostela to Sarria for the start of our walk. 

Please give me a shout if you have any questions or if you see any mistakes on the blog!


Happy walking!!

Itinerary

* note that distances are approximate - these distances are from Google maps, but in our experience, the guide book sometimes takes you slightly off road. 

Our distances according to Strava were:

Day 1    14km

Day 2    11km

Day 3    18.66km (we took the more scenic woodland option & also went to the ruins)

Day 4    13km

Day 5    12.95km

Day 6    15km

Day 7    15km

Day 8    16.12km

Day 9    12.32km (we did take a slight detour to see the pilgrim statues)

NB: The reason we began our walk on a weekday is that the route from Sarria => Santiago can be quite crowded and we aimed to avoid the crowds as much as possible.  A lot of people start walking on weekends, so you get quite a large "wave" of pilgrims leaving Sarria at once.  We wanted to avoid the crowds as much as possible, so felt that starting on a Tuesday meant that it would (in theory!) be a bit quieter on the trail.  The plan worked, we really weren't affected by crowds except for the morning we left Portomarin, where we had a school group walking with us for a short time.

Camino information, etiquette, lingo and random facts

I thought I would give a brief overview about the Camino and some of the Camino-specific concepts and language.

What is the Camino de Santiago and why do people walk it?

The Camino de Santiago (Way of St James) is a pilgrimage route from various locations in Europe, ending at the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. St James spread the gospel in this part of Galicia, before returning to Jerusalem where he was executed. Legend has it that his followers transported his remains by boat from Jerusalem and buried him in Santiago de Compostela, where they were later discovered by a shepherd in the 9th century. Pilgrims have been walking the Camino for over 1000 years.

Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

There are many different routes to Santiago de Compostela, most named for the place from whence they originate.

Many Catholics and other Christians still walk the route for spiritual reasons, but nowdays all sorts of people walk it for all sorts of different reasons.

The Camino can be done on foot, by bicycle or even on horseback.


Certificates, passports and sellos

If you complete the last 100km of any of the Camino routes you qualify to receive a Compostella (if you completed it for religious reasons) or a Certificate of Distance if you completed it for any other reason. .

The Credencial de Peregrino, or Pilgrim's passport, is a little book that is used to prove how far you have walked and where you have stopped, it is also proof that you are walking the Camino and that you thus qualify to sleep in the pilgrim hostels and buy the pilgrim meals along the way. You get your passport stamped whenever you stop at a cafe, hostel, bar, restaurant or church along the way. All the cafes, hostels etc have their own personalised sellos (stamps). The credencial is a lovely reminder of where you have been.  NB. We need to get a minimum of 2 sellos a day to qualify for our Compostellas.

My credencial from our 2016 walk


Albergues

Albergues (pronounced al-burr-gay) are pilgrim hostels, they vary from very primitive "donativo" hostels, where you sleep in a dorm, share a bathroom and pay what you can afford, to more upmarket albergues with dormitories as well as private rooms, some with en-suite bathrooms. In some albergues the pilgrims cook their own meals in a communal kitchen, others offer dining-rooms with a pilgrim menu. Most people walking the Camino stay in albergues, but there are many other forms of accommodation, including pensions (small hotels), B&Bs, hotels, and paradors (very fancy hotels).

Routes, stages and distances

There are various guidebooks available, the most popular being the John Brierly guidebooks. These guidebooks break the various routes into stages and a lot of (fit!) people follow the standard stages which are normally in excess of 20kms per day, but it is by no means essential to do so. Many people don't book accommodation and simply walk until they are tired and then stop and find an albergue.

Food on the Camino

The menu del dia (menu of the day) is a meal offered by Spanish restaurants at lunch time and is generally a 3 course meal that is very affordable. The Menu de Peregrino (pilgrim's meal) is usually an evening meal, offered to those walking the Camino, and is generally 3 courses and a carafe of wine and is usually about 2-3 euros cheaper than the menu del dia. Both are really affordable and generous meals. Baguettes, tortillas, sandwiches and the like are available for between 3-6 euros. 

Our plan is to eat a small breakfast before leaving in the morning (some places offer breakfast, some don't) stop for a "second breakfast"/snack mid-morning and then have lunch and a well-deserved beer at the end of our walk. This lunch would usually be a baguette, a tortilla or tapas. We then like to have a Menu de Peregrino for supper. Last time we walked we would always make sure to have some snacks in our rucksacks, just in case we were between stops at a meal time or the accommodation didn't offer breakfast.

Arrows and shells

The most common waymarker on the Camino is a yellow arrow, you will see them wherever you walk on a Camino. The scallop shell is another often used marker and you will also see scallop shells hung on pilgrim's rucksacks. Scallops are indigenous in Galicia and legend is that medieval pilgrims would continue their pilgrimage past Santiago to Finnesterre and collect scallop shells on the beach, which they would then use as proof that they had completed their pilgrimage.





Greetings and etiquette

The universal greeting on the Camino is "Buen Camino" (pronounced Bwen camino) which roughly translated means "have a good Camino" and is usually uttered by pretty much every passing pilgrim.

You might also hear pilgrims use the word "ultreia" as a greeting or word of encouragement.  This word has been used on the Camino since medieval times and is derived from the latin word "ultra", meaning "beyond" or "further", "ultreia" basically means "let's go further!" or "persevere".

There are a few points of etiquette which should be noted:

Dont put your rucksack on the beds in the albergues - unfortunately there have been cases of bed bugs on the Camino and these little critters are spread from one albergue to another on the bottom of rucksacks. (we never encountered any bed bugs on our last Camino, but every now and again there seems to be an outbreak of them, I think its more common in dormitory situations)

Tipping - In most situations, tipping in Spain is not expected and is entirely at the discretion of the customer. The majority of Spaniards will not tip as many restaurants that provide table service will already factor this in with the addition of a service charge. Look for “servicio incluido” on the bill.

The Camino has a strong sense of comaraderie and so it's the norm to greet other pilgrims, usually with a "Buen Camino".  It would be considered rude to ignore passing pilgrims.

Some albergues expect you to leave your shoes at the door, there will be a shoe rack for this purpose.

The Way

The Camino is often referred to as "the Way". There is a movie of the same name, set on the Camino Frances, starring Martin Sheen and his son, Emilio Estevez, which I highly recommend.

Guidebooks.

If you'd like to look at a guidebook the one I'd recommend is A Pilgrim's guide to Sarria-Santiago by John Brierly, the 2022/2023 edition.  Available in the UK here and SA here <= scroll down the page.

Packing list

This was my packing list and it worked well.
It's important to note that your rucksack should never weigh more than 10% of your body-weight.

* NB all clothing must be quick drying!


backpack** see notes below
rain cover for backpack

guide book (we only used one between us)
passport
pilgrim credential in a ziplock bag (get yours from your local Confraternity of St James office, see links page)
medical aid card - travel insurance
airtickets / rail documents
money
phone and charger cord
spare reading glasses (I'm very dependent on my specs!)

hiking poles
day pack (a lightweight, foldable hiking bag for the days I sent my backpack with Jacotrans)
hiking boots or sturdy trainers** see notes below
lightweight plastic sandals eg Keens (to go out at night and to wear to walk in if you get blisters etc)
lightweight rain-jacket (doubles as wind-breaker)
lightweight rain-poncho

small camping towel (for swimming)
lightweight fleece pullover

3 x underwear
3 x 1000 mile socks (or 3x hiking socks and 3x inner socks)** see notes below
1 x zip off hiking trousers
2 x hiking shorts
3 x hiking tops
quickdry T-shirt, jogger pants & lightweight cardigan - this was my "evening outfit"
pyjamas
hat
buff
swimming costume (if you plan on swimming)

500ml water bottle
piece of plastic to sit on (eg black bin liner)

travel clothesline (one per couple)
large safety pins (to pin socks etc on your rucksack to dry as you walk!)
extra shoe laces
plastic ziplock bag

shewee (I love my shewee now that I have the hang of using it, there are youtube videos!)

toilet paper in bank bags

small pack of tissues
bag for toiletries
small soap in mesh bag
travel-sized bottle of shampoo
travel-sized bottle of conditioner
hair elastic
face cream
body lotion
roll-on deo
sun block
mascara (that's just me....)
lip-ice
tooth brush and mini-paste x 2
mini hairbrush
shower cap
disposable razor

First aid kit: (one per couple, pack it to suit your needs, below is what I pack)
plasters
alcohol wipes
antibacterial cream
Compeed blister plasters
Ibuprofen
Imodium
anti-nausea tablet
asthma pump
cold/flu medication
Rehydrate
saline nasal spray
anti-mozzie stick
sachets of Cystopurin
sachets of Gaviscon
Arnica tablets
Bepanthen or similar 

**Backpack - bearing in mind that your backpack should not weigh more than 10% of your body weight, you need a light-weight backpack. It's also important that your backpack fits you properly so that the weight is distributed more towards your hip area than your shoulders. We use Osprey backpacks (see below for image of mine) and find them really good. I would strongly suggest trying on a few backpacks, making sure it fits you properly, that it doesn't pull on your shoulders and that it is not too heavy. Make sure to do a few training walks with your backpack fully loaded.


***Shoes - There is an ongoing debate in the Camino community about shoes. Some people go with full on hiking boots, others feel that trainers are better and some believe that hiking sandals such as Keens are the way to go. Personally, I am tending towards the trail-running type of shoe, but I am taking a pair of Keens with to wear at night and will probably walk in them sometimes too. Whatever you choose, good shoes are imperative and they need to be properly walked in.  It is also important to note that you need to buy shoes a size larger than you normally would, to allow for your feet swelling with the daily walking.


*** Socks - I highly recommend the 1000 mile hiking socks that have two layers to prevent blisters.  Wrightsocks also have the double layer and are apparently also excellent.


On a limited budget, I would spend my money on decent shoes, socks and a backpack first and then buy the rest of my kit with whatever is left.


Do not pack jeans and heavy clothing etc!

Budget, Travel, Links and Tips

TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS

As far as travel arrangements go, I planned our walk and made all of the bookings myself.  We flew into and out of Santiago de Compostela with Ryanair and I arranged a private transfer from Santiago de Compostela to Sarria for the start of our walk. 

BUDGET:
We budgeted roughly £800 per person (this does not include flights or pre-Camino nights in Santiago, but does include 2 nights in Santiago at the end of our walk). Our actual expenses came close to this budget - food and drinks brought it a little over, but having said that, we did really enjoy our food and drinks!  Had we been a bit more conservative, we could quite easily have kept within budget. I paid €27 per person for our transfer to Sarria (there were 8 of us), and €470pp for accommodation.  We budgeted €30-35 per person, per day for food and drinks.

TIPS:

*Guide book - the one I'd recommend is A Pilgrim's guide to Sarria-Santiago by John Brierly, the 2022/2023 edition.  Available in the UK here and SA here <= scroll down the page.

*Regarding the shoes you plan on walking in (also see the info in the Packing section) make sure to buy a size larger than you normally would.  I saw this mentioned so many times in the Camino community, but I thought I knew better and walked in shoes my usual size last time.... big mistake!  Your feet will swell because you are walking relatively long distances daily, if your shoes are your normal size they will pinch and cause pain and blisters... trust me on this.

*Galicia - the area we walked in - has notoriously changeable weather, so expect some rain.  You will need rain gear for yourself as well as your rucksack.  This is a hilly area of Spain, so expect some hills.

*Money - it is always a good idea to carry some cash, some places on the Camino don't take cards and there are not always ATMs available in the more rural areas.

*Cell phones - I would advise getting a Spanish SIM on arrival in Spain (unless you are coming from the UK and have automatic roaming in the EU) WIFI can be patchy in the rural areas and you will want to be able to communicate in case of an emergency.  

* The lingo - do yourself a favour and learn the basic Spanish words you might need... beer, wine, hello, thank-you ... the important ones!  I recommend the Duolingo app.  There is also a book called Camino Lingo, that has a paper and kindle edition.

*Training - in my personal opinion you actually DO need to do at least some training before tackling even a short section of the Camino like the one we are doing. I had read comments by some people who were of the opinion that you could pretty much train while ON the Camino... I don't think that would have worked for us.  Although you are not walking really long distances, I think you will enjoy it more if you are at least moderately fit.  Also, it is worthwhile to do at least a few long walks carrying your fully-packed rucksack if you plan on walking with it.

*Hiking poles - while there is not much in the way of really rough terrain on this stretch of the Camino, hiking poles can take some of the pressure off your joints (knees especially) if used correctly and I find they also help with balance on the downhill stretches.  It comes down to personal preference, but I was very happy that I had mine.  I would suggest watching some youtube videos to learn to use them correctly (I had been using mine completely wrong before I watched the video)  

*Go with an open mind and relaxed attitude.  The accommodation is not going to be what you are used to.  The food may sometimes be a bit iffy.  There could be noisy crowds on some stretches of the walk.  The weather may not play ball.  There are bound to be challenges here and there, but if you approach it with curiosity and patience you WILL find the joy in it, I promise you that.

LINKS: 

Confraternity of St James in England

Confraternity of St James in South Africa





There should be a Confraternity of St James in your country and most offer an online shop where you can order your Camino Credencial (and any other things you may want, eg guidebooks, buffs etc). They will also supply you with a letter stating you are doing the Camino, to provide when you apply for your Schengen visa if this applies in your country.

Info on the Camino Frances here

A very good website with lots of information about planning for the Camino: Road to Santiago

Camino Adventures

Jacotrans - for transportation of packs if necessary

Google map of the route






BLOGS:

A Taste of the Camino - the blog I created about our 2016 Camino walk

Lavacolla to Santiago de Compostela

We did it!  A 12,32km walk brought us to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela today.
The day started cloudy and cool but dry - ideal walking conditions. The walk today wasn’t as pretty as the past 8 days, but not too bad considering we were coming into a city.

We stopped for breakfast about 4 kms into our walk - I have developed a Cola Cao habit (it’s not cola at all, but rather a mug of hot, frothy milk and a sachet of THE most delicious hot chocolate powder to mix into it) so opted for that and some cake, the breakfast of champions!

Then it was off again. Our next stop was at Monte do Gozo, a hill overlooking Santiago that gave us our first glimpse of the cathedral. It also gave us the opportunity to act like total charlies which is something we are always very willing to do - in this case it involved posing with some large sculptures of pilgrims.

By this point we were ready for some liquid refreshments and wandered into a bar, where Grant nearly got us thrown out by asking the waitress for “3 titties”…. He was trying to ask for a brand of “on tap” sangria, but it all got very lost in translation and quite awkward! The sangria was good though, so all’s well that ends well!

Off we set again and now it was downhill all the way into Santiago. The rain had found us again, so it was quite a wet walk. A HUGE group of school kids suddenly appeared in front of us about 2kms out (still can’t figure out where they came from?!) so instead of following them all the way to the cathedral, which would have been a bit of a nightmare, we made another stop - I HAD to have another Cola Cao, but this time with churros… heavenly! That sugar rush carried me all the way to the Cathedral!

Walking into the square outside the cathedral was incredible. Quite euphoric! I admit to getting a bit teary-eyed. What a journey it has been! We were a very “happy band of pilgrims” and had so much fun doing this walk together - we’ve laughed (a lot!) had some really wacky moments, some very tough moments and made some incredible memories. Good times indeed!

We are staying at, Casa da Balconada.  I highly recommend this little boutique hotel, the location is perfect, so close to the cathedral.  Cristina is a lovely lady, who goes out of her way to make you feel comfortable.   

A Brea to Lavacolla

One more day to go! 16,12kms today.

We had our first (and only) communal dinner at the albergue last night. Chez, Glynt, Grant and I were at a table with a French couple who have lived in Louisiana for 40 years. (Nice people. Fascinating accent!) Being a particularly introverted introvert and something of a hermit, the idea of chatting to strangers over spaghetti (of all things!) has me breaking out in hives, but I have to admit it was quite a fun evening. (Who am I even?!)

We had a slow start this morning, breakfast at the albergue and then off we set. Today was a walk of contrasts - some of the walk was really pretty, through wooded areas with beautiful gum trees and other parts were alongside the main road leading to Santiago, so were quite urban and not particularly pleasant. I think we all felt pretty conflicted emotionally too, on the one hand it’s quite exciting to be counting down the kilometres to the Cathedral of Santiago - the end is almost in sight, but on the other hand it also signals the end of the walk that we’ve been looking forward to for so long. Bittersweet!

25km to go!

Spot the dog!

We had drizzle for a while but it finally stopped as we got to a coffee stop and then lo and behold, the minute we set off again the heavens opened! Fortunately it didn’t last too long.

There were a lot more hills than we expected today and some of them felt long and really hard. When I mentioned this to Grant this afternoon he pointed out that the elevation was in fact quite a bit less than the elevation on our usual walk in the woods back home - that really surprised me (to the point that I went back and checked to see whether he was kidding me! He was right.) It’s amazing how a hill hits differently when you have walked over 100kms in the last week! Our bodies are definitely feeling the strain!

Under 20km!

The best sellos!  Wax stamp!

under 15km!

We stopped for lunch at an albergue, aptly called Last 12K, and had a fun meal - some good laughs - before walking the last couple of kms to our albergue. I swear those last 2kms felt like 5kms! 

We are now showered and having a good rest before the last push tomorrow!

We are staying at Pension Xacobeo Lavacolla tonight - our final night before we reach Santiago de Compostela!

Pension Xacobeo Lavacolla is a lovely albergue, ideal for the final night before walking into Santiago de Compostela.  The proprietor is very friendly and helpful and the rooms are very clean and with all the necessary amenities.  Highly recommended.