I have heard mixed recommendations for training to walk the Camino--some say no preparation is necessary, others train for months. I did some training for the Camino and was glad that I did, but my sister (who is more athletic) did not train for the walk and did fine. My basic suggestion is that you know your body (strengths and weaknesses) and know if you need to do any preparatory training or not. Here's my basic training schedule, most of which was done in the boots I planned to wear for the Camino. **Important! Even if you don't need to train for the physical fitness aspect, you will want to break in your boots!!** 2+ months away: I walk my dog 1 mile every day. This was my baseline before training, and meant that I had a slight edge over being completely sedentary. 8 weeks away: I began walking 2-3 miles roughly 2 times per week, and continued to walk 1 mile each other day of the week. 7 weeks away: I started experimenting with weights in a backpack. I walked on a treadmill (because of bad weather) and made sure I was walking at a 3mph pace. I did 3 miles in 1 hour with 11 lbs. on my back the first time. 6 weeks away: The second time I walked with weight it was 3 miles in 1 hour with 16 lbs. This was strenuous, so the next time I went back down to a lighter weight. 5 weeks: 3 miles in 1 hour with 13 lbs. This week I also started spiking up one day a week, and did 7.2 miles with my mom with no pack. 4 weeks: I did several 2 mile walks with a weighted pack. 3 weeks: more 2 mile walks, and one 6.3 miles with a weighted pack. 2 weeks: more 2 mile walks, and one 10 mile with a weighted pack. 1 week: more 2 mile walks, and one 10 mile with a weighted pack. where I trained As you can tell, I never actually trained for doing multiple long days in a row. But as you can also see, my body adapted very quickly to the walking, in regards to both distance and weight. The first long walk in week 5 with no pack was very tiring, but eventually even that distance with a pack was not too bad. So, did training work? Yes and no. I was very comfortable with the weight in my pack (more about that on the Packing page) and my bag was very comfortable. The weight was no problem at all. But I trained on a very flat, very well-kept trail, and it turns out that was the tough part for me. The trail of the Camino was much more rocky (it is well-kept, but it's often full of little stones or made up of small pavers with edges, etc.) and it was much more hilly than I expected. For these reasons, my feet did hurt and, not surprisingly, my ankles hurt (a lot). Additionally, the longest distance I walked while training was only 10 miles and we ended up walking about 12-15 miles each day (20-24km). It turns out even just a little extra length really made me struggle. the camino Now, after the fact, my body feels much stronger than it was before. The Camino was good, steady cardio for me, and it felt good to push myself and struggle but still succeed.
¿Cómo son los símbolos que identifican a un peregrino del Camino de Santiago? La vieira, la calabaza...Conocerlos todos es fundamental para el peregrino.
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The first and most important question you should ask yourself about the Camino is if you should do it at all. My mom heard about the trip from a woman at her church, and my sister and I just jumped at the chance to go to Europe without thinking about it too much. Mom, of course, thought about it a lot more, and was hoping to have a real religious pilgrimage. The spiritual aspect was much less important for me and Susan. Here are some important questions for reflection I recommend to help you decide if the Camino is for you. 1. Are you doing the Camino for primarily religious reasons? Pro: There is a lot of time for private, internal meditation. Con: Mom was very disappointed by the lack of churches on the route. She got to go to church just once while we were on the Camino, and again in Santiago. The towns you will pass are often so small that they do not offer daily mass, and you will certainly not want to wait around until it's mass time if you arrive at a town with a church hours early. 2. Are you doing the Camino for personal renewal or spiritual reasons? Pro: Getting out and walking all day every day is refreshingly (and surprisingly) not-boring. It felt good to concentrate on where my feet should go next, and to be so unplugged from daily life. I loved being outside all day, and it feels good to not sit in a car. There is something very refreshing about walking wherever you want to go; there is something deeply satisfying about being outside all day. Con: The last stretches of the Camino (roughly the last 80 or so km) are crowded and unpleasant. Much of the walk is either on or directly next to a blacktop asphalt road, sometimes a major highway. This is incredibly unpleasant and disruptive if you are trying to unplug / meditate / enjoy nature. 3. Are you doing the Camino for sport purposes? Pro: We did the minimum 100km in just one week, which included a holiday. So, we only had to use 4 vacation days from work. Compared to the Appalachian Trail or similar in the US, the Camino was good because there were cafes and hostels readily available, meaning we did not have to pack food or tents. Con: Unless those pros are a major major deal to you, DO NOT walk Sarria to Santiago for sport. You will be sorely disappointed by the commercialism, crowded trail, and frequent road walking. You will probably also be disappointed in the difficulty of the hiking: many serious hikers consider this portion of the Camino to be "flat" (though it is absolutely not flat--more on that below). Additionally, I admit my mom and I were both looking forward to losing weight and we did not! In fact, we both gained weight. So, don't count on this trip to trim your figure. These first three questions correspond to the three categories that are options when you arrive in Santiago at the pilgrim's office. But there are other factors: 4. How athletic are you? (Are you physically prepared?) Pro: The Camino has relatively good access to moderately-sized towns which have pharmacies and other facilities in case you have problems on the trail. It's also not at all uncommon for people to take taxis between towns (see our experience on the Itineraries page) and for people to take extra days as "rest days" to heal blisters, sore feet, etc. Con: As I mentioned above, the last 100km is often billed as "flat". This may be true, but only compared to crossing the Pyrenees! If you are only doing the last 100km, however, you will not have that frame of reference and the trail appears very hilly. You do need to be in moderate shape to do even just the last 100km. 5. How well do you cope with travel annoyances? Pro: Hostels are pretty cheap (most are 10€). There are occasionally hotels along the route, and you can call ahead to many hostels and they will reserve you a bed. The rain I experienced (which I was told is typical) was not hard most of the time--rather, it was misty or cloudy most days. I am not a morning person, but it was very easy for me to adapt to getting up early and hitting the trail. Con: Hostels are not for everyone. People snore or get drunk on wine and stay up late giggling. The showers are not especially private, usually, and the bathrooms are out of toilet paper more often than not. Other peregrinos have reported bed bugs, although we never saw any signs of them. These are precisely the reasons my dad opted not to come with us. It's an important factor, since you will not get any reprieve unless you shell out money on a hotel. 6. The basics: Can you afford it? Can you take time off work / caring for your family / etc.? Pro: It's relatively easy to tailor your trip to your needs. This was a main factor in our decision to do the minimum 100km (time off work). We also found the trip very affordable: we averaged 33€ per person per day, including all food and lodgings (but not including airfare and train tickets). Con: You'll need to decide if, given all the above information, it's worth it to make the short trip. If you can, I recommend that you do the whole Camino (other websites can give you better info on the whole French Way and other routes). If you can't do the whole thing, think about your motives carefully and consider just staying in Santiago and touring the town itself (which is fabulous). The bottom line As I mentioned above, this was my mom's idea and I just wanted to go to Europe. If I could go back in time, I would have much rather just spent time in Santiago (and perhaps Madrid and Barcelona), seeing art museums, touring historic sites, and visiting the cathedrals. Alternatively, if we were more prepared physically and could have taken more time off work, the Camino would have been more meaningful as a true pilgrimage if we would have walked the whole way. Another option would be to just do a portion of the route farther away from Santiago, as it's less crowded and more beautiful. However, I am very glad that we did even just this minimum Camino, because the experience was valuable as personal development for me and I really enjoyed unplugging and being outside so much. If you want to go because you read about it in one of the (many) famous Camino books and you would be doing it as a sort of tourism, consider planning a different kind of trip. If you want to go because you are interested in the sport, consider doing only a portion of the trail farther away from Santiago.
A list and photo gallery of objects I deemed worthy of loading onto my back and hauling across Spain.
DAVE: we had an amazing stay the night before in Villafranca. The albergue was a lovingly restored building of stone and wood, cared for by two lovely sisters. It was originally run by their grandfather, passed on to his children. I must say, I could have stayed there for days. Our original timeline was to depart the following day at 7:00 am. But, those plans were scuttled when we awoke at 7:00. Oh well. We left around 7:45. Our journey today was to be a 26 kilometer walk, mostly along a main road, with elevation. Nothing we looked forward to, but an alternative route would have been longer and much more difficult, elevation-wise. We chose the more direct route since it was already going to be a long day. We left in the dark, as we always do, and wormed our way out of town. No need for headlamps this morning, since we were following the main road for a good portion of the walk. We had no expectations today, othher than assuming the walk would be boring and ugly for most of the way. We were so wrong. Sure, the path was close to a main road for much of the morning walk, but our path hugged a beautiful rushing stream. The sounds of the rushing water, the occasional waterfalls, and the farmland that was undoubtably irrigated from the stream made this journey today one of the most peaceful and beautiful. The route today was a climb from start to finish, with the grade becoming quite steep for the last 4 kilometers or so. We passed through quaint little villages and marveled at the private homes and albergues with their crafmanship of stone and wood. We climbed and climbed with no problems, but the last few kilometers was challenging. One particular stretch had us walking among what appeared to be an ancient path through the woods. I named this particular path "dear God, when is this going to end?". Well, it eventually ended in a tiny village gwo kilometers from our final destination tonight. We rested, had a beer and crepes (yes, that is correct. Crepes). We then ascended through the now barren hills (reminded me of the mountains from Sound of Music, except for Laercio singing Don't Cry For Me, Argentina instead). We finally reached our destination at Laguna de Castilla for the night, tired but happy. We re-connected with old friends we met a while ago on the Camino. To ight is rest and reflection on what we have done today. It was such an unpected journey of beauty and serenity. One to remember for a long time. Buen Camino
Información completa del albergue Camino del Perdón: dirección, contacto, características, precios, plazas, horarios, equipamientos, ...
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Historia completa - Complete series
Castillo de Ponferrada Iglesia de Santa María. O Cebreiro O Cebreiro O Cebreiro O Cebreiro O Cebreiro O Cebreiro O Cebreiro O Cebreiro Iglesia de Santa María. O Cebreiro Cruzeiro de O Cebreiro Liñares Padornelo Alto de San Roque Alto de San Roque Hospital de la Condesa Hospital de la Condesa Hospital de la Condesa Hospital de la Condesa Viduedo Iglesia de Santiago. Triacastela Iglesia de Santiago. Triacastela Monasterio de Samos Monasterio de Samos Capilla del Ciprés. Samos Camino de Santiago. Samos Monasterio de Samos Camino de Santiago. Samos Camino de Santiago. Samos Camino de Santiago. Samos Peregrino. Casa Franco Calvor Camino de Santiago. Calvor Cruzeiro. Lugo Catedral de Lugo Murallas y Catedral de Lugo Iglesia de San Pedro. Portomarín Capilla de las Nieves. Portomarín Gonzar Gonzar Ligonde Ligonde Cementerio de los Peregrinos. Ligonde Cruzeiro de Lameiros. Ligonde Iglesia de San Tirso. Palas de Rei Órreo. San Xulian San Xulian Sambreixo Castillo de Pambres Cabazo de Leboreiro Iglesia de Santa María. Leboreiro Capilla de San Roque. Melide Alberge de Ribadiso Alberge de Ribadiso Ferreiros Castillo de San Antón. A Coruña Torre de Hércules. A Coruña Torre de Hércules. A Coruña Torre de Hércules. A Coruña Pedrouzo Arca Iglesia de Santa Eulalia de Arca. Pedrouzo Monte do Gozo Monte do Gozo Catedral de Santiago de Compostela Catedral de Santiago de Compostela Plaza del Obradoiro. Santiago de Compostela Peregrinos. Santiago de Compostela Sombra en la Catedral. Santiago de Compostela Universidad. Santiago de Compostela Cataratas de Ézaro Iglesia de Santa María de Finisterre Iglesia de Santa María de Finisterre Monumento al peregrino en Finisterre Iglesia de la Asunción de Monbuey. Zamora Monbuey. Zamora Catedral de Zamora Iglesia de San Juan. Zamora Zamora Casa de las Conchas. Salamanca Universidad. Salamanca Universidad. Salamanca Universidad. Salamanca
Información completa del albergue Camino del Perdón: dirección, contacto, características, precios, plazas, horarios, equipamientos, ...
● DisCamino es un proyecto que consiste en hacer realidad el sueño de personas con diferentes discapacidades de peregrinar a Santiago de Compostela
Ein kurzer Beitrag über meine Erlebnisse auf dem Jakobsweg, dem Camino Francés, ist auf fokusblick zu lesen.
Información completa del albergue Camino del Perdón: dirección, contacto, características, precios, plazas, horarios, equipamientos, ...
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Antiguo lugar de señorío nobiliario situado al S del Valle de Esteríbar, junto al río Arga. Fue el único del valle que liquidó en metálico tres sueldos, el "rediezmo" de 1268. Un siglo después se hallaba despoblado. En 1427 sólo lo habitaba el escudero Miguel García de Arleta. El palaciano Martín de Arleta y su mujer Juana de Artieda vendieron (1487) el desolado de Egulbati a Santa María de Roncesvalles. Tuvo carácter de lugar de señorío hasta las postrimerías del Antiguo Régimen (comienzos del siglo XIX), pese a lo cual lo gobernaba el diputado nombrado por Esteríbar* y un regidor elegido "por alternativa" entre las familias (3 en 1802). Arte Junto al palacio se levanta la Iglesia de Santa Marina, con sencilla portada románica y espadaña en el hastial. Conserva un retablo pintado a mediados del siglo XVI en la órbita del taller de Pamplona. En sus inmediaciones se encuentran restos de una antigua calzada y varias estelas discoidales. Palacio Aparece como de cabo de armería en la nómina oficial del Reino, y como solar remisionado del pago de cuarteles en el rolde del tesorero de 1513. Según la relación de la Cámara de Comptos de 1723, pertenecía en esa fecha a Martín de Arleta. En 1782 solicitaron rebate Tomás Antonio de Azagra y Estefanía de Huarte y Arleta. Nuevo rebate pidió en 1792 Julián Antonio de Ozcáriz y Arce. En el siglo XVI, tal como aparece registrado en el Libro de Armería, el escudo era de azur con una faja de oro y once aspas o sotueres de oro puestos en orla. Su estructura actual engloba diversas dependencias en torno a un patio central. Fotografía tomada durante la etapa del Camino de Santiago Zubiri-Pamplona, en el verano de 2010
Información completa del albergue Casa Mariela: dirección, contacto, características, precios, plazas, equipamientos, reservas, ....
In the year 2011 I spent six weeks walking the Camino de Santiago, the 800 kilometre pilgrim trail in northern Spain. It was a great experience – not only the privilege of doing this walk wit…
