On the Camino de Santiago, you can sleep in hostels or Albergues along the way. Camping is not the right fit in most circumstances when walking the Camino Frances or Portuguese. Let’s get into the reasons. Infrastructure on the Camino is not meant for camping When hiking with a tent, sleeping bag, mat, and all that goes with it you also need a campsite to sleep in. Campsites are often located far from the Camino trail and you will need to backtrack a bunch. Wildcamping is not allowed in Spain and you will get fined accordingly depending on the location that your camping in. It is not impossible to stay…

Blisters are an issue that pretty much any hiker will have experience with. Even with your favorite hiking shoes and socks, there’s always a chance. Here is how to do your best to prevent blisters on the Camino. Affiliate links may be mentioned in this article, by purchasing a product through those links I may receive a kickback. At no extra cost to you. Trailrunning shoes My advice is to take Trailrunning shoes instead of heavy hiking boots on the Camino, especially on the Camino Frances or Portuguese. You encounter a lot of different road surfaces, but a good chunk is asphalt. Walking with heavy hiking boots on asphalt is…

The Camino de Santiago is not a wilderness hike, and you can stay all along the route in Albergues or hostels just for pilgrims. You will have plenty of opportunities to do laundry on the Camino. In this article, I share what you need to know and how to keep your clothes clean. Laundry on the Camino – What you will need Nearly every Albergue will have a laundry machine and a place to hang up your clothes to dry or use a dryer machine. These are almost always coin-operated, and what I have seen will usually ask for 2 euros a load, having some coins on hand during the…

Water is vital on any hike, on the Camino de Santiago you have a bit more infrastructure than most other hikes. But even then, carrying your own water and refilling is necessary. I recommend you take at least 1.5 liters of water with you. And refill as needed during the day. I also like to camel up at any water source (or drink extra and refill). But I am a (small) Dutch guy at 1.88 meters or ~ 6.2 feet. So I burn through a lot of water during the day on hikes. Filling up your water along the Camino All along the Camino, there are water fountains you can…

All plans tend to fall apart when getting hit in the face, and with big hikes like the Camino, plans, ideas, and preparation sometimes don’t work out that way. Here are the mistakes I made on the Camino Frances and Portuguese. Not bringing hiking poles from the start Hiking poles took a while for me to be a cheerleader for, but when I finally gave them a proper chance I’m not going back to hiking without. I would highly suggest that you give them a try if you haven’t yet, and either pick them up at the beginning of the Camino you’re on or take them with you from the…

Lots of pilgrims walk with hiking or trekking poles on the Camino Frances, or any other Camino for that matter. I did the Portuguese Coastal without, and the Camino Frances with. And I have become a convert like many others. I never did much hiking with hiking poles in my younger years, and always felt weird with them whenever I tried them out. Hikes I did without trekking poles include the Hadrian’s Wall path, Dutch Limes, Camino Portuguese Coastal, and a section hike on the Appalachian Trail of Big Bald Mountain. I had it in my head that trekking poles were for the weak, and that they made an annoying…