You always think you know everything and that you’ve informed yourself well about the Camino de Santiago, but deep down you believe the journey is easy or that’s how it’s been sold to you. The reality is that the Camino de Santiago is difficult. What do I mean by this? There are many factors that make each journey and each day different. Below, I will describe some that, in my experience as a walker and helping pilgrims, I have encountered.
The First Challenge: Getting to Spain
First, let me tell you that just getting to Spain is an inconvenience. You have to take a plane, change countries, customs, and time zones. All this is the first test to start the Camino de Santiago.
Don’t Rush on the Camino de Santiago
You always start with enthusiasm, but you want to go very fast at the beginning to achieve your goal, and this ultimately brings consequences. I think you almost always forget to enjoy the journey and only think about reaching Santiago de Compostela.
Avoid Overexertion on the Camino de Santiago
People often tell me that they start very quickly at the beginning because they feel good and start doing many kilometers. You have to keep in mind that you’re carrying a backpack, always with too much weight because you want to bring too many things.
Adapting to New Conditions on the Camino de Santiago
Other reasons you might not notice are that you sleep in a different place every day, with different mattresses and pillows. Also, Spanish food is wonderful, but your body is not used to it. All these things are reasons you must keep under control for your journey to be wonderful.
Listen to Your Body on the Camino de Santiago
As the days go by, pains appear in your body that eventually warn you it’s not used to this, and since you’re so disconnected from it, you don’t pay attention. The truth is, almost no one pays attention to their own body. All this, if you haven’t had a lapse in attention and slipped or tripped.
Exercises and Stretches on the Camino de Santiago
In the mornings, you should warm up your body with gentle exercises to start walking. At the end of the stage, if you have any pain in your ankles and knees, you should look for ice, whether it’s a bag of peas or ice packs. I know it’s hard to find on the way, but get creative and find something cold.
Rest and Recovery on the Camino de Santiago
In the afternoon, you need to stretch your legs and your whole body. Later, as much as possible, you should rest well; for this, I recommend noise-canceling headphones or earplugs. I think this would be very helpful because sharing places to sleep has its downsides. You should drink plenty of water and walk slowly, enjoying the journey.
Plan Your Stages on the Camino de Santiago
Another thing you might not realize is that stages can vary a lot for various reasons. From my experience and after talking with many pilgrims, I have concluded that if you go over 30 kilometers per stage at some point, you will end up with a significant injury that will make you rest. The most common is tendinitis of the anterior tibial tendon; this injury is the most typical among pilgrims. So, it’s best not to go over 20-25 kilometers. Remember that your goal is to reach Santiago de Compostela and that you need to distribute your energy for the entire journey.
More Tips for the Camino de Santiago
Well, I wanted to tell you some important things, but there are many more, like blisters, shoes, walking sticks, the position of the backpack, and posture with the backpack. Well, I’ll tell you more in other articles. For now, just one thing: enjoy it, use common sense, and buen camino.