Buy the right shoes – blisters may be small but they can completely ruin your walking experience. Make sure your shoes are waterproof (e.g. gortex – often have GTX in the shoe name). Hiking ‘shoes’ are suitable on these trails and roads, and it’s not necessary to go for full gung-ho hiking boots. Purchase them two sizes too big and wear thick, merino wool socks. This was the advice I received and I never got a blister, however I did follow a few other tips too – see below. Read more about shoes and wearing them in here.
Walk slowly – the fittest people I met were hobbling a week or two into the Camino because they went too fast at the start and developed tendonitis (even though they did heaps of hiking back home). Long distance walking is a different ball game. On my first day I was told I was walking too fast, so I slowed down (even though I didn’t feel like I was walking fast). I never got tendonitis or any injury, despite being one of the unfittest people to start the hike.
Regular naked foot stops – stop every hour or so to remove your boots and socks. Give your feet a good, loving rub. Tell them they’re doing a great job.
Don’t walk too far each day – give yourself time to walk slowly, have regular rest stops, and take in the magic of the Camino. Take quiet time to observe the people, buildings, animals, smells, flowers, bridges, sounds, paths you cross on your way. Whenever possible, start off walking a smaller distance your first few days (e.g. 16-20km) and then slowly build each day. I found 30km was too far in one day – it all became a chore and I lost interest in the precious little things. If you’re sending your bags by car, you’ll need to plan where you’re going to stay the next night, so choose a town that is at a distance that suits your body (check the altitude of hills you’ll be conquering and walk a shorter distance on those days).
Take shelter in the churches – I’m not a churchy person, but visiting the churches is a pretty special honour. They offer warmth and protection from the elements, and even the most basic ones are serene and beautiful.
Never shower in the morning – it softens your feet and makes them more prone to blisters. As someone who showers every morning just to wake up, I wasn’t sure if I could cope without my morning shower. But I did, and I never got blisters.
Show your feet some love – when you get to your home for the night, have a hot shower or bath and massage your feet and calves. Tell them they’ve done a great job and you love them (seriously, do this!). Then lay on your bed with your feet up against the wall at a 90 degree angle for about 15-20 minutes.
Siesta! – give your whole body some TLC with a beautiful afternoon kip.
Enjoy your second wind – after siesta, you’ll feel refreshed and ready to conquer the world again. Check out the local sites, church, pilgrim hangs and catch the sunset.
Pilgrim dinner – offered by many restaurants, the Pilgrim Dinner includes soup, main, dessert and a bottle of wine to share with your table (or to yourself if you dine alone!). It was 11 euro in 2013 and great value for money.
Learn basic Español – speaking the local language always shows respect to the locals, and you shouldn’t expect them to know your language (many won’t). I learnt some basics but didn’t learn how to say the alphabet, which was quite confusing when I was making a booking and they wanted to spell out my name. It may look like our English alphabet but it is pronounced very differently. Get some tips here.
If all else fails, drink! – I don’t mean getting trashed every night and being drunk and disorderly in the streets (although some will). Hangovers on the Camino can’t be very fun, but be sure to have a taste of the local wines, beers and liqueurs. They change as you pass through each region. Hot tip – a shot of Pasharan will warm you up and ease your pain long enough to get you to your home for the night.
