Albergue life
Whose alarm is that? An albergue tale, and how not to star in it
A pre-dawn alarm, a dorm full of strangers and one pilgrim on the case. A Camino tale, plus the phone settings that keep you out of it.
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Money, flights, paperwork
How do I get to the Camino from the US? The Camino has no airport. It has front doors
There is no airport called Camino. Here is how American pilgrims reach three popular starting points, and why the trip there deserves a day (sometimes two) of its own.
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Which way, and when? XACOBEO 2027
Should I walk the Camino in 2027, or wait? Three questions about the Holy Year
2027 is a Holy Year on the Camino, and your friend says it'll be a zoo. Three questions to help a first-timer choose between 2027 and waiting.
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Feet & body
How do I prevent blisters on the Camino? Everybody has a cure. Find yours at home
Petroleum jelly, tape, two pairs of socks: Camino veterans swear by different things. Here is what skin doctors advise, and the one habit worth packing.
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Hard days & weather
What if I want to quit the Camino on day three?
Around the third morning, many first-timers' legs and doubts get loud. Here is why, what other pilgrims do, and when stopping is the right call.
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Can I do this?
Am I too old to walk the Camino? Ask the 57,000 pilgrims over 65
In 2025, more than 57,000 pilgrims over 65 arrived in Santiago. Here is what pilgrims in their 70s say helped them, and the honest part too.
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Albergue life
Will I sleep in an albergue? Snoring, earplugs, and what if it's me
Snoring in albergues worries light sleepers and snorers alike. What pilgrims do on both sides of the bunk, and why nobody should shake a sleeper awake.
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Hard days & weather
What if it rains on the Camino? Keep three things dry
Plan on rain on the Camino, most of all in Galicia. Three things to keep dry, how boot makers say to dry boots, and when cold is the real problem.
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Santiago & coming home
What happens when you arrive in Santiago? A plan for the first hour
You walk into the square in Santiago. Then what? The backpack rule, the line for the Compostela, the Pilgrim's Mass, and the quiet sadness many pilgrims feel at the end.
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