Hospitality is one of the basements of the spirit of the Camino de Santiago. To receive the pilgrim, treat his basic needs, cheer him up and to make him trust in himself is the duty of the Hospitaleros.

Maybe you are interested to spend some time in a albergue as a hospitalero voluntario. You should have made the Camino to know what it is about and how to treat the pilgrims. You would stay in the refuge receiving the pilgrims, give them information and keep the house clean and in condition. If you want more information about this possibility, contact us on This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and we’ll answer all your questions.

Advices

Also you can walk all the year round the Camino, best month are April/May and September/October. June too is a good month but temperatures already can be high. Try to avoid the holiday-month July and August, where everybody is invading the Camino and sometimes it’s hard to get a free bed in the albergues. 

How to do the Camino right?

First get information about your trip. There are endless web pages about, where you’ll find all you need to know. (for example www.jacobeos.net). Plan walking days between 20 and 25 km, trying to avoid the cities and places which figure out in the guidebooks as end of a day. Everybody will go there so there’ll be no rest and no time to think your day over. Respect the rules and timetables in the, also respect the sleep of the other pilgrims to keep a friendly atmosphere between them.   And remember: do not hurry, take your time to enjoy every day.                      

The back bag

Always choose the smaller one, we have the tendency to fill up a big one with useless things. You go to the Camino where you find an excellent infrastructure and where you can buy everything what you really need. Bring only medicines you have to take, ask for small samples of bath gel and shampoo in you drugstore, don’t bring hairdryer or lots of cosmetic stuff. A hard plastic bottle of 500ml for water, which you can fill up at every fountain. Don’t bring books, they are heavy and if you are open minded you find enough entertainment. If you leave early in the morning, prepare your back bag before you go to bed so that you don’t wake up the other pilgrims.

Footwear

The shoes should be comfortable to you and your feet, use them at least during a month before starting the Camino. Some sandals for changing and for the albergue.

Clothes

Before buying new stuff look after at your clothes for following parts: two t-shirts, one with long sleeves, a polar jacket, shorts and pants, three pairs of socks, three underwears, wind protection jacket, rain poncho. A hat and/or neckerchief; in case that you walk during the cold season, gloves and a woolen cap.

What else do you need?

A sleeping bag ( light one), small towel, sun protection, toilet paper, small notebook and pen, soap for clothes washing, a small umbrella also gives you shadow on hot days, headlight and charger for you cell phone.

Never separate from following things:

Personal document (passport or id-card), credit card, phone card, card for medical attention, pilgrim’s passport (credencial) and some cash.

The shell, the stick and the water pumpkin are the classical pilgrim’s symbols. The shell you can fix out on your back bag, the stick helps you on steep parts up-and downhill. Do not use Nordic walking sticks, they oblige you to march and this is contrary to the deeper meaning of pilgrimage, they can also be an obstacle when you fall. The pumpkin you’ll find in different sizes all over the Camino.

If you go by bike

The Camino is made for walkers, so some part of the route can be difficult for bikers. Don’t get too much weight in your saddlebags. Look for alternative routes, remember that cyclists are the last to get into the refuges, plan your day honestly to your forces just in case that the albergue is full and you have to do some more km.

Never forget: it’s not the dress making the monk and not the pilgrim. Only your attitude, your respect for the others and for your surrounding, tolerance and patience makes you a real pilgrim.