Go to Spain in the summer, ready for month-long walk taking only what you can carry in your backpack. Bring walking stick or staff for balance.
Check into any of the albergues, or hostels, along the Camino Frances/French Route across northern Spain. Some albergues accept donations while others list prices, typically 6 Euros to 10 Euros. Make sure that you walk at least 100 km, or about 63 miles, from the Cathedral beginning in Sarria, in order to receive the compostela, a certificate of recognition, at the end. Ask for a pilgrim credential/passport. You will have this stamped at each stop along your camino and then present it to officials in Santiago de Compostela.
Begin your pilgrimage by starting early in the morning and paying close attention to your own walking pace. Pacing yourself after someone else may frustrate or distract you.
Follow the yellow flecha, or arrow, walking west toward the city of Santiago de Compostela. Walk 20 or more kilometers each day, as you head for the Tomb of St. James the Apostle housed at the cathedral.
Stop and enjoy flora and fauna and talk to the pilgrims and the hosts in albergues. Visit monasteries and museums. Have coffee at a local bar-cafe or sit in the plaza mayor to see and hear local residents and other pilgrims.
When you arrive in Santiago de Compostela go directly to the Pilgrim Office to have your credential/pilgrim passport reviewed. Once it is approved, you will receive the Compostela. This is the official document confirming your Camino de Santiago. Your name is added to the centuries-old register of pilgrims.
Drink plenty of water at all points during your camino.
Remember that the camino can be challenging both physically and mentally. The physical challenge has to do with the length or duration of your camino. It is a good idea to get a medical exam before going on a lengthy pilgrimage far from home.
Check your feet often and treat your blisters right away can make a difference. Infections can result. Be very careful of falls. If you should fall and injure yourself, be sure to ask for help. Pilgrims can assist if you are far from a city or telephone. Villagers and other residents are well aware of pilgrims and will help you get medical attention if you ask. Carrying a bilingual phrase book will help the pilgrim who does not speak Spanish.
Begin carefully and slowly to see how your body reacts to the Camino. The terrain varies. Some enjoy walking uphill more than down, others find the flat hike more difficult on their joints than going uphill or downhill.
Purchasing groceries or supplies as you enter the town where you plan to stay overnight may become part of your routine. While there are ample resources in many of the larger locales, there are customs that pilgrims must integrate into their thinking and planning. For instance, stores, shops, restaurants and bars are closed in the mid to late afternoon. Keep supplied with water and snacks.
