Camino de Santiago

Have you tried the search function? This subject has been discussed briefly before.

tb,

One of my friends in the photography club here did the walk a year or two ago. You may find this interesting.....

https://globalnews.ca/news/5119064/coldstream-man-walking-the-camino-documentary/

Hopefully the video is accessible in your area. There's a link to the film in that story.

I have done the Camino Frances and Via de la Plata (and part of other) routes of the Camino de Santiago.

The Camino is fantastic! The Frances has very good infrastructure and can be crowded, especially the last 100 km after Sarria.

Advice:
- Trail runners not boots (unless for some reason you have a need for ankle support). I love Altra Superiors with a removable rock plate.
- Don't rush. Build as much time into you schedule as possible. I built in huge buffers (49 days) and was happy that I did. After Santiago de Compostela, where I spend several days, I walked to Finistere, then did the Spiritual Variant of the Portuguese route.
- Do a bit of research in advance on Albergues. Vegetarian and religious ones sometimes have more 'soul'. The church in Grañón, Albergue Casa Susi in Trabadelo, Albergue Verde in Hospital de Órbigo were some of my favorites but people have different preferences.
- Tapas on calle Laurel and calle San Juan in Logroño and at A Taberna do Bispo in Santiago de Compostela.
- If you have the time and are not on a tight budget, spending the first night out of SJPDP at Refuge Orisson is worth it. It is amazing how many of the people you meet here you will run into over the following month or so.
- The Wisely:The Camino Frances app, at only 99 cents I believe, is worth many times the investment (for when you want to find a special variant or simply find your way out of town using offline maps).
- Install Google Translate and download at least Spanish and French. I met people from more than 40 countries and did not share a language with some of them.
Most important the Camino Forum at https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/
is a great resource for answers on everything.
¡Buen Camino!

You might find this trip report from forum contributor Ms Jo of interest.

I walk the Camino Frances from St Jean to Santiago in June / July last year...hardest thing I've ever done but THE BEST thing I've ever done. Next summer I'm walking the Via Podiensis to round out the route and can't wait!
So many tips...
Pack as light as humanly possible. There are many Pinterest pages with suggestions that helped me a lot. Just use common sense and pack what you think will work best for you. I kept my pack to 12 pounds. Jettisoned my small clothesline part way and it weighed even less!
Compeed - they sell it all along the Camino and it will do wonders for hot spots on your feet. I wore Injiji toe socks and they were perfect.
Break in whatever shoes you plan to wear. Try to do two or three back-to-back days of long hiking in them to see how they will REALLY work out there.
No matter what you do to train there is no way to really be ready for this walk...walking all day, every day, day-after-day, is like nothing else. But the more hills you can train on, the better. The first 4-5 days are brutal.
Go with no expectations or preconceived ideas. Just go and walk.
Don't make reservations. Get up early (5-5:30), walk until you are done for the day based on how you feel, and check in to the first place that looks good to you. The best places I stayed were places I happened upon and just walked in. Sometimes I stayed in albergues, sometimes in hotels or pensiones. Albergues were, hands-down, the best. Made some life-long friends and had experiences that I won't forget.
Keep at least 150 euros on you at all times. Sometimes ATMs are a few days apart.
Pilgrim meals are 8-10 euros and the best deal on the planet. Two courses, dessert, and all the Rioja wine you can drink.
If you are on Facebook there are many Camino forums where you can learn a lot.
Let me know if you have questions...it's the best experience there is and should be required of every breathing human! :)
Whenever someone asks why I walked the Camino I show them this...https://vimeo.com/224157559
It sums it up so perfectly.

Have walked parts of the Camino 3 times and hope to head back this fall. Walked from St. Jean last Sept, intending to walk to Santiago all the way, but broke my wrist 13 days into my walk and had to come home. 4 years ago, did about 400km starting in Pamplona and a year ago walked from Porto with my adult daughter. Going over the Pyrenees was magnificent. Blister free all 3 Caminos.

I have a FB page (Camino Jo) with lots of info and photos including a packing list. There are tons of helpful FB pages, covering everything from women only, slow walkers, vegetarians, other languages, and all of the various routes, etc.

This website is the most comprehensive and helpful: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/

Feel free to message me if you like. Am a fan of boots instead of trail runners, ponchos instead of rain jackets, and carrying my own pack which weighs 6.7kg without water.

I am planning doing the Camino Portuguese next year and have been referring to the Camino de Santiago forum. Lots of excellent information there and a very active forum.

do plenty of walking beforehand to get in shape - it is arduous.

Look after your feet.

Pack light.

Here is a YouTube link to a family of four who did this last year, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXkjkGjArH8&list=PLYF95BXc3mT_AxzDuMe4Mw6uR-LY3NRjP

It starts on Day 1 (11Jun18)and goes through the 40 plus days they did. They cover good information about food, sleeping quarters & the trip itself. There are also books out about it as well. It's on my Bucket List.