Planning Your First Camino

Camino de Santiago Planning Tips

I thought it might be of interest, if you are planning your first Camino, to describe the process I go through.   I confess I’m a bit of an over planner, but hopefully you’ll see some merit in the process.  And the planning can be fun.  Not that I follow the plan in detail once we start walking……  I’ll explain below.

Why Plan your Camino?

Of course it’s possible to just turn up and ‘wing it’.  Many Pilgrims do.  But I find a bit of planning helps me avoid a few issues such as:

1. Running out of time to complete my Camino.
2. Having to rush my walk or skip stages.
3. Missing ‘must see’ things along the way.
4. Not being prepared for the right weather.
5. Not preparing the right budget.

My Camino Planning Sequence

I’ll use our next Camino as a example of the planning sequence that I use.  My wife Pat is coming on this one, so I need to take account of her likes / dislikes and also her previous Camino experience and the type of Camino she enjoys.   For example I’m happy to walk 25 kms through a desolate landscape and have a beer and a bar snack for dinner, before hitting my bunk in an Albergue.   Pat?   Hmm.  Maybe not so much.

So this is the camino planning sequence I am working through right now.

How Much Time do we have?

We both agree that anything less that 2 weeks is not really worthwhile.  We have to travel all the way from Australia for one thing. And the second is, that we are really only getting into the groove by two weeks.  So I have ‘negotiated’ 4 weeks.

There is also the question of course, if you are working, around getting time off work.  Much longer than 4 weeks can be tricky for me.  So 4 weeks it is, this time.

Do You want a Compostela?

To qualify for a compostela you need to end in Santiago.  Along with a few other conditions.  See here: https://oficinadelperegrino.com/peregrinacion/la-compostela/

Although Pat already has 2 compostelas, she would like more in honour of some relatives who have passed.  You can have the relatives name added to the certificate.  It’s called Vicario Pro.  So it would be nice to walk some new routes to us, and get a couple of compostelas (certificates).

Which Camino?

There are so many great routes.  We have both walked the Frances a couple of times and now prefer quieter routes.  We would also prefer to walk ‘new’ routes as that creates a nice sense of excitement and anticipation.  Pat has only walked the Frances.  I have also walked the VdlP, Invierno and Muxia/Fisterra.

I’d really like to walk another fairly remote Camino, but realise Pat might not enjoy it for a full 4 weeks!   So I’ve some up with a Hybrid.

• Camino Madrid. From Madrid to Sahagun, on the Camino Frances. (about 300 kms) then a train or bus to….
• Camino Sanabres, starting in Ourense, ending in Santiago. (just over 100kms)  I enjoyed the Invierno, and this should be similar I think.  and finally,
• Muxia, to Fisterra, to Santiago.  which being over 100kms will also gain Pat another Compostela. As well as some great walking and seafood!

So this ‘combo’ gives us about 500 kms walking, across three quite different routes, ending in Santiago twice.  There is also some great sightseeing along the way.

A ‘new’ aspect for Pat, will be the need to use Albergues quite a bit on the Camino Madrid.

Route Research

I like to have an idea of the route and any ‘tricky’ places along the way. I start with this website.  Looking at the length of the stages, the amount of hills, the options for places to stay and so on.  Mainly I’m checking for a day like……..30 kms with no villages along the way and only a 4 bed Albergue at the end of the stage, with no cafes of bars in the village!  It can happen…….

So I then watch YouTube videos or read blogs about the specific route.  In particular, I’m looking for those long days that might be a struggle for Pat and ways we can break up the longer sections.  It’s also a great way to get ideas for places to stay and those ‘must see’ sights along the way.

Camino Accommodation

The type of accommodation that you prefer may influence your choice of route and will certainly influence your budget!    We want to try to keep costs dow a bit, so we have agreed to use quite a few Albergues, and where possible, the cheaper private rooms.

Time of Year to Walk

The time of year for  you may be dictated by when you can get time off work, school holidays or other things.

For me, it’s the weather!  I don’t walk to walk in the cold and wet.  And I don’t want to walk in the burning heat.   And of course the weather does differ a little bit depending on the route.  Near the sea may get more rain. Down South is hotter.   So I spend some time researching weather websites, looking at the weather over the last couple of years.  So far I have been very lucky.   For us, the perfect weather is:

• 10-22C whilst walking.
• No rain!

Last year for example, walking the VdlP I experienced no rain all the way, and day time walking temperatures of about 8-9 C at dawn, up to 22-24C at the end of my walking day.  Perfect!   More luck that anything though I’m sure.

Your Camino Gear

Our gear is the same for every Camino.  Although this time we will aim to reduce our pack weight even more if we can.  We are getting older! Given we will use Albergues, Pat will need to carry a sleeping bag and towel, so she is conscious of keeping the overall weight down.  Before adding food and water, my pack is planned to be 6.8 kgs and Pat 3.8 kgs.  A couple of her items (sleeping bag and sandals) somehow ended up in mine!  But as she is half my size and bodyweight, I think it’s fair.

If for some reason you cannot carry your pack and need to use a pack transfer service, be aware that this is really only available on the more popular Camino routes.

Camino Ports of Entry and Exit

I haven’t started to look at flights yet, but I think flying into and out of Madrid will make sense.  We are starting to walk in Madrid of course.  And getting back to Madrid from Santiago is not hard, as we have done that before.  We normally fly but there are also trains.

Camino Body Preparation

We tend not to train too much, but prefer to ease into our Camino wit a few short days at the start.  Though we’ll do some local walks, just 5-6 kms, a couple of months before we depart.  Maybe 2-3 a week.

But we do other body prep!

• Losing weight!   We are both a bit overweight and so will make sure we reach our target walking weight prior to the Camino.  For me, this is the number one way to reduce injury!
• Medical stuff.  I need to get some minor surgery done before we go.  So I’ll leave plenty of time for that.
• We both have knee, foot and tendon issues. So I’ll ensure we get scans and hydrocortisone shots if required, just before we go.

Do You Need to Plan this Much?

No you don’t.   I enjoy the planning process as it helps me research and understand the route.   But once I’m on the Camino, I tend to put the plan aside and let things unfold.  The plan merely highlights any tricky sections along the way or alternatives I might want to consider.

But gear and body preparation?  Yes, that’s important.

Do share your planning tips or concerns in the comments below.