You will FAIL on Camino

📰 News

Camino Statistics - The Camino Frances remains the most popular route by far, but the surprising statistic is the massive increase in the number of people completing the Portuguese Coastal route, possibly coming over from the central route. This would explain the bed races I experienced when I walked it this August.

For a full and detailed breakdown visit the Pilgrim Office website

P.S I’m 98.6% sure ‘Peregrinos PY’ means ‘…Previous Year’.

👍 Recommended Gear I Used This Year

Albergues are such a special part of the Camino, but if you’re a light sleeper you will struggle to get a good night’s sleep.

Sleeping in a room with lots of other people comes with nighttime noises aplenty.

I cannot sleep in an Albergue without earplugs, and I use these, due to their high decibel reduction rating - it’s all about the decibels 😂 

They’re cheap, at $5 (£3.99) for 20 pairs. They say they’re single use, but you should get way more uses out of them than that. I often take extra pairs with me on Camino, giving them to tired looking pilgrims who have forgotten to bring some 🥱

These are a MUST take item for me.  

🏡 Camino Accommodation Recommendations

Albergue Albor – Camino Portuguese

Albergue Albor is situated in Caldas de Reis, 42 kms outside of Santiago De Compostela.

This place leads the way in how a private albergue should be run, it has bags of character and a cheerful host who goes the extra mile to make you feel at home. The host is also a fountain of local knowledge and only too happy to point you in the direction of local sights.

Beds at Albor can be reserved via Booking.com. The host did say some beds are held back for walk-ins each day, so if you see it’s full online, contact her direct to see if any beds are left. A bunk bed is currently $24 (£19), plus an optional extra few dollars for the continental breakfast.

A big plus is the aircon for the hot, hot, hot Spanish summer months, which keeps it lovely and cool inside the albergue.

Now, onto what has put Albor on the map and made it a sort after stop for pilgrims in the know. It’s the Albergue Albor stamp, which is legendary and a sight for sore eyes! It’s only available for pilgrims who stay at the albergue, so if you want this stamp make sure you secure a bed.

Caldas de Reis is also home to natural thermal springs, which are a real treat for those weary post walk limbs - asks the host and she will point them out to you on the map.

😔 You WILL fail on Camino

For some, the thought of making it to all the way to Santiago on foot can seem like an insurmountable undertaking. The sheer distance and the challenges entailed can evoke a host of fears

I’ll fail to reach the end, I’ll fail to carry my backpack, I’ll fail to make connections, I’ll fail to stop my feet getting blistered. On and on the thoughts go…if you let them.

There are lots of possibilities for failure.

I remember my first Camino in 2016 (Leon to Santiago), after completing the first day's walk, I sat in my room, my mind a whirlwind of self-doubt. "I can't do this," I thought. "I'm so tired, and my legs are killing me. I've told everyone I'm going to complete this, but I might have to quit and go home early."

All kinds of failures were swirling around me that day, some real and some imagined.

I did manage to make it to Santiago De Compostela that year. I’ve by no means slain my fear of failure, but I've no doubt that my relationship with failure has improved, thanks to walking the Camino.

The Camino offers up many potential opportunities to ‘fail’. Out there is different to your everyday life, so you’re bound to mess up a few times as you get to grips with your new normal. But I want to assure you that the Camino is THE best place to fail. You could not ask for a better, more supportive place to fail.

In 2016 I felt like I was failing every day, but I kept pushing forwards towards Santiago. I didn’t have time to dwell on my mistakes and mull it over and over in my head. I had a new town to get to and a finite amount of time in which to do it.

My daily missteps turned into daily lessons in growth.

I’m not saying only pack a toothbrush and walk it in your flip flops, lapping up every failure that hits you from start to finish. The odds of failing would be stacked much higher for flip-flop pilgrim – sure, they may finish it, but it wouldn’t be pretty.

What I’m saying is, if you try your best and come up short, embrace it. If, at the end of a walking day, your feet are blistered and you're feeling discouraged, ask yourself what can be changed to prevent this from happening again. If you don’t have the skills to fix your feet, maybe your immediate lesson is to seek out help. Failed to get a bed in the albergue and ended up in an expensive hotel, what can you do differently next time to secure a bunk.

The beauty of walking a Camino is the time it gives us to stop and listen. To the quiet found in nature, to a fellow pilgrim’s story, and to our inner selves. Turn inward and listen to the daily teachings an adventure on Camino provides.

To walk a Camino is to be open to failure, and to the beautiful lessons that can found in every stumble. This is a gift that the Camino provides, a gift that I recommend you try to bring home with you.