El Camino de Santiago: What to Know Before You Go

Sunrise on Day 1 of my pilgrimage

El Camino means ‘the way’ in Spanish. El Camino de Santiago refers to ‘the way of Saint James.’ St. James was an apostle who is thought to be buried near the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Historically, people have embarked on a sacred walk (pilgrimage) to this cathedral to repent for their sins and/or achieve spiritual enlightenment. The pilgrimage began right at your doorstep and ended at the cathedral in Santiago. In recent years, the Camino has become very popular and people from all over the world travel to Spain to walk the Way of Saint James.

100km to go

It’s up to you. There are multiple well-traveled paths to choose from. The most popular route is ‘the French Way,’ which starts in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in southwestern France. This route is over 700 kilometers and takes about a month to complete. The trail starts off strenuous as pilgrims hike over the steep French Pyrenees.

I started my pilgrimage in Sarria, about 115km east of Santiago de Compostela in the Galicia region of Spain. I chose Sarria because this leg of the journey is relatively flat, it takes only about a week to complete, and it’s known for having the most beautiful scenery. Also, 115km is the minimum distance that a pilgrim needs to walk in order to earn a Compostela, an official document verifying that you completed the Camino.

My 115km pilgrimage from Sarria to Santiago

The Galicia region was incredible. There was so much natural beauty everywhere you looked. It felt surreal at times.

These roses made me feel like I was walking through a fairytale.

Your Camino can be as social or as solo as you like. I chose to walk the Camino because I wanted time to myself to ponder some of life’s great questions. I studied philosophy in college, and I missed the ability to read, write, and think without all of life’s interruptions.

All the albergue (guesthouse) hosts were kind and welcoming.

It was thrilling to live out of my small backpack for 6 days. I had only two sets of clothes with me: my hiking clothes and my pajamas. During the day I wore my hiking clothes, and at night I wore pajamas. I carried my water bottle, snacks, toiletries, phone, charger, and a silk sleeping bag liner. It was liberating to live so simply, and I’ve enjoyed carrying this minimalist approach into my daily life.

Carrying the backpack I lived out of for 6 days

Espresso and freshly squeezed orange juice were in abundant supply along the trail.

Coffee break

For the most part, Galician cuisine was hearty and bland. Even a croissant in Galicia is thick and substantial, not light and flaky like I expected.

Thick and hearty croissant. Look at that fork standing straight up!

A Spanish omelette can be found on nearly every restaurant’s dinner menu. The Spanish omelette is similar to a potato quiche and is often served with a side of bread. I thought it paired quite nicely with a local cerveza.

Galician omelette

I did my Camino in the fall and it was still crowded. I can’t imagine how busy it must be in the summer. I thought the weather was perfect in early October. I loved waking up to a chilly morning and then enjoying a warm and sunny afternoon.

Many pilgrims encounter bed bugs while on the Camino. Thankfully, I did not. To protect yourself against bed bugs, I highly recommend a SILK sleeping bag or liner. Silk is amazing because it keeps you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It’s one of few fabrics that can protect against bugs because of its high thread count. An absolute MUST.

Pilgrims on the trail

Fellow pilgrims will tell you that it’s not a race and then wake up hours before dawn to start hiking. Their goal is to be the first ones to make it to the next town so that they can reserve a spot at the ‘best albergue.’ (There is no best albergue). They will also tell you to ‘take it one day at a time’ but then read Yelp reviews of albergues and plan where they will stay weeks in advance.

Personally, I recommend taking the Camino one day at a time, like it was intended. Live in the moment and don’t worry about your future accommodations. I never had a problem finding an albergue with availability. But I went in October, which is considered ‘off season.’

Wall of Wisdom on the trail

The Camino was an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience. I’m so glad I did it, and I definitely recommend this pilgrimage to anyone who enjoys hiking, nature, and having some time to themselves.

Arrived in Santiago!

Have you hiked the Camino? Do you have questions about it? I’d love to answer them! Thanks for reading and Buen Camino!

– Travel Alli

P.S. Want more Camino content? You can check out my post on Fisterra, the final stop of the Camino, here.