The Camino de Santiago has been around since the middle ages, a pilgrimage route stretching 500 miles across Spain. According to legend the remains of Saint James the Apostle, Jesus’s buddy, reside in what is now the cathedral in the small city of Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain.
Every year a few hundred thousand people from all corners of the globe hike the Camino. This year we joined the pilgrims in walking the Camino Frances, the “French Way,” from Saint Jean de Pied de Port, France, trekking across the Iberian Peninsula to Santiago de Compostela.
Hints of the medieval heritage along the road to Santiago
When planning the first stage of our sabbatical, hiking the Camino de Santiago quickly shot to the top of the list of the major goals we wanted to accomplish.
For reasons we couldn’t quite articulate, we felt called to the pilgrimage route, and the Camino became a cornerstone to our first long stint in Europe.
As I’m writing this, we are thirty days in to the pilgrimage – a mere forty minute’s drive or two day’s walk away from the famed, mystical city of Santiago.
I’ll be honest – we’re a bit exhausted, our feet have seen better days, and our left sides are tanner than our right from walking westward for one month – but there’s just something about the journey that is unique and like nothing else you’ll ever experience.
There are many rumors surrounding the Camino – why you should do it, what it’s like, and how to prepare.
Curious? Read on as I debunk some of the top myths you’ll hear about the Camino de Santiago, and maybe even convince you to embark on the journey to see for yourself.
Myth #1: The Camino is just for Catholics.
The Camino de Santiago originated in medieval times as a Christian pilgrimage, one of the “big three” routes: to Jerusalem, Rome and Santiago de Compostela.
The infrastructure was developed by the Catholic church and Spain is a Catholic country, but these days the great pilgrimage is not exclusive to the church.
A cross looking over the meseta, wandering in front of Burgos Cathedral.
The Camino takes on a different meaning to everyone who takes it on. While religion of course still plays a part, it’s not a mandatory aspect of the Camino.
Many walk it for health, for personal achievement, and while seeking guidance during a transitional period of their life in addition the traditional religious reasons.
Myth # 2: You have to be in tip top shape.
While the concept of traveling 500 miles on foot seems that it would only attract the young, fit and crazy, that’s far from the truth. Pilgrims come in all ages, shapes and sizes.
The youngest pilgrim we encountered was just four years old, the youngest member of a family band with guitars in tow and taking a leisurely two months to complete the journey.
The oldest we met was 86, having completed multiple Camino’s. He wore a sign taped to his backpack that read, “Just shut up and walk.”
The smallest pilgrim we came across was a tiny Chihuahua named Paco who walked alongside his owner. If those little legs can make it to Santiago, there’s no reason that mine couldn’t!
Views of the Cathedral in Astorga, pilgrim statues in a chapel along the way.
While of course it helps to be fit and to have trained on some level for the hike, it’s inevitable that you will come out on the other side in much better shape than when you started.
At it’s core, the Camino is just a walk, and it’s by no means a race. Given the right shoes, a firm resolve to the task and enough time, anyone can do it.
Myth # 3: You have to camp.
The Camino is not the Appalachian Trail. Camping is not a requirement and is actually deterred along the way. While the image of Travis and I pitching a tent is quite comical, fortunately there is no truth behind it.
Camping along the Camino de Santiago is strongly discouraged, and you can even receive a citation for it. You won’t find many drifter-types along the way, thus keeping the safety aspect of the hike well in check.
The Camino is packed with an extensive network of albergues, the Spanish version of a hostel. For the price of a cheap meal you can have a clean bed for the night, so there is no need to rough it in the great outdoors to save money. You’ll be spending enough time outside as it is.
View of the bridge in Saint Jean de Pied de Port, the shell of the pilgrims walking the Camino.
Myth # 4: You have to hike the entire trail.
Contrary to both logic and popular belief, you do not have to complete the entire Camino de Santiago to receive the Compostela, the official certificate of completion for hiking the trail.
Wait, what? So why the heck did we start in France?
While the traditional Camino Frances route is 800 kilometers in length, only the last 100 kilometers are required to be able to consider yourself a true pilgrim who has hiked the way.
Day one’s hike on Napoleon’s Pass of the Pyrenees Mountains
Given the serious distance and time commitment required to complete the traditional Camino Frances, many pilgrims break the hike up into stages, completing a week or two of the journey at a time. As there are no time restrictions placed on completion of the Camino, this opens up the experience to more travelers.
So the million dollar question… Did we walk the whole thing? We’re on track to finish in two days, so I’ll count that as a yes!
Myth # 5: You need to carry a guidebook.
If you were to glance into just about every backpack on the Camino you’d find the classic guidebook, John Brierley’s A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino de Santiago... Except for our’s.
Call us bad pilgrims, but we hiked the Camino without the insight of a guidebook at hand.
Is the Brierley guidebook helpful? Of course! But carrying a 288 page book in your backpack, pocket sized or not, is not mandatory.
- The Wise Pilgrim app – This offline resource on iOs or Google Play houses a very accurate elevation map, albergue directory and overall guide for planning your Camino.
- Pilgrim.es – Our number one resource for planning our Camino. There are many bloggers who have developed entire sites featuring the most current information and resources… Use them!
These days, utilizing a few select online resources can be just as effective as the guidebook, and can be accessed offline from your smartphone. Save the precious real estate in your backpack, and access the information on your phone that you’re already carrying.
Myth #6: You must carry everything you’ll need.
As my friend Caroline always reminds me upon packing for a big trip, you’re not going to the moon. Nor are you climbing Mount Everest.
In the case of the Camino, the lighter you pack, the happier you’ll be. Bogging yourself down with too much gear is a recipe for disaster. There’s no need to carry items for every possible worst case scenario, as anything you could potentially need will be available for sale daily along the way.
Overpacked? Never!
The Camino has an amazing infrastructure – villages complete with restaurants, hotels, hostels and pharmacies are found every few kilometers. Of course some towns are better appointed than others, but the basic essentials are never far if you’re in a pinch.
You’ll find everything for sale from band aids and ibuprofen, to Crocs and sports bras in Camino-themed stores in most towns.
Pack as light as possible, I’d recommend no more than a 36L backpack. The rule of thumb for the Camino is for your pack to weigh no more than 10 percent of your body weight. Stick with that limit and you won’t regret it.
Myth #7: You have to rough it.
While staying in the albergues is considered to be the true pilgrim experience, sleeping in a private room doesn’t make you any less of a pilgrim.
The walk itself is extremely challenging, let alone if you’re not sleeping at night. There is no shame in bypassing the snoring, lack of sheets and multiple morning alarm times of the communal dorms in exchange for a blissful night’s rest and a private toilet. You’re all still walking to the same place.
Many albergues offer private rooms in addition to the dorm setup, so you can still get in on the camaraderie minus the lack of personal space.
Myth #8: There are easy sections.
Truth be told, there are no easy sections to the Camino de Santiago. Some are easier than others, but none are a walk in the park.
Each stage has it’s challenges – the killer ascents in the mountains, then the stress on your knees when hiking down, not to mention the unrelenting heat of the plains… Each type of terrain challenges you in a different way.
Views from the first day’s hike over the Pyrenees and through the meseta region.
My advice: Start each day as early as possible, and hit the road by no later than 7:30 a.m. to cover as much ground as possible during the most enjoyable hours of the day. And when else in your life are you awake early enough to catch sunrise?
Sunrise over the mountains outside of Leon.
Myth #9: You shouldn’t hike it alone.
In our modern era many people assume that it’s not safe to travel alone, particularly as a woman. In the case of the Camino, solo travelers are more the norm than the minority.
The Camino de Santiago is the ultimate solo trip… And if you do decide to walk the Camino alone, chances are high that you won’t be alone for long. The camaraderie that results from sharing the experience bonds travelers from all backgrounds.
At the risk of sounding a little kum-by-yah, I’ll go out as far to say that you’ll walk away with friends you’ll maintain for years to come.
And as far as safety goes, the Camino is extremely safe. Like when traveling anywhere, use common sense, but overall crime is very low. The hiking paths are patrolled daily by civil guards, and contrary to the movie The Way, we haven’t witnessed any backpacks stolen by local hooligans.
Myth #10: It’s all blisters and bedbugs.
They say that in the middle ages criminals were ordered to walk the Camino de Santiago as punishment, and in exchange were given penance for their sins.
While to many, the thought of voluntarily walking 500 miles might seem like punishment, there are great times to be had on the Camino.
There are the expected side effects of a 500 mile hike, but the benefits that come from completing the journey far outweigh the sometimes lack of creature comforts.
I like to compare the atmosphere on the Camino to a summer camp for grown-ups. Evenings are spent exploring quaint towns, searching for the best pinxtos in Spain and sharing meals with some of the most interesting and diverse people you’ll ever meet.
Searching for pinxtos in Pamplona, tuna and mango in Astorga, and stuffed peppers in Villafranca del Bierzo.
The Camino pulls together people from all walks of life, all working towards the same goal. Whether your journey is spiritual, in pursuit of health, or for the sake of a good old fashioned adventure, you’re bound to walk away changed.
But don’t believe everything you read… Get out and experience it for yourself!
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