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Tips for Doing the Camino de Santiago Get ready for what will undoubtedly be one of the best experiences of your life: the Camino de Santiago. A journey full of emotions in which you will finally understand the motto that floods the streets of Santiago: “No Pain, No Glory”. The satisfaction of completing the Camino de Santiago is unlike anything you’ve ever felt before. At Santiago Ways, we want you to fully enjoy your Camino journey towards Santiago de Compostela, which is why we’re offering you the best tips and recommendations for doing the Camino de Santiago. What type of training should I do before the Camino de Santiago? You don’t need to be in shape in order to do the Camino de Santiago, but it is recommended that you begin training for it beforehand, especially to get used to walking for several hours in a row, regardless of whether you’re already accustomed to walking for long periods of time or not. Of course, some preparation is needed before you begin walking to Santiago de Compostela. In order to guarantee that you’ll successfully achieve your objective, you need to start training before embarking on the adventure of traveling hundreds of kilometres on foot. To prepare yourself both physically and mentally, it’s a good idea to start walking in conditions that are similar to those you’ll find on the Camino de Santiago. Use the same clothes and footwear and get yourself out there, find itineraries that are similar to the Camino de Santiago routes, gradually increasing the distance you walk. A typical stage on the Camino de Santiago has a distance of between 20 and 30 kilometres. How much should my backpack weigh? When booking the Camino de Santiago with Santiago Ways, we will transport your baggage between each of the stages so that you don’t have to worry about the weight of your backpack. It’s important to point out that some of our clients prefer to carry their backpack on the Camino de Santiago. Keep in mind that what may seem light when your rested will feel different when you’ve got 10+ kilometres behind you. The recommendation is that the weight of your backpack should not be more than 10% or 12% of your body weight, or more than 10 kilos total. If you don’t know what to bring on the Camino, follow this premise: only take the essentials. Best time of year for doing the Camino de Santiago? Of course, you decide when to do the Camino de Santiago. The Camino de Santiago can be done in every month of the year. There are pilgrims who prefer to do it in April, May, June, September and October due to there being increased availability in the best hotels and rural homes, and because the temperatures tend to be milder and more pleasant. Others prefer the summer, although the heat is usually intense and the best accommodations tend to have less availability. Therefore, if you plan to do the Camino de Santiago in summer, we recommend booking your trip on the Camino de Santiago several months in advance. Those who are after solitude and a space for reflection prefer to go in winter, although it is more difficult to find hotels and rural homes that are open, and the climate can be quite tough in certain areas on the Camino de Santiago. Santiago Ways recommends that you book the Camino de Santiago several months in advance in order to ensure you get the best accommodations on the Camino de Santiago. Which Camino de Santiago should you do? There are many available route options for getting to Santiago de Compostela. The choice will depend on your own individual tastes and preferences, as well as what you’re expecting from the Camino, or even how many kilometres you want to walk. The French Way is the most popular while the Portuguese Way is becoming increasingly popular, especially the Portuguese Way along the coast. There are also many other route options such as the English Way, the Silver Way, the Lighthouse Way or the Northern Way, which is known for the beauty of its landscapes and the food.

History of the Camino de Santiago The Camino de Santiago has a magical history. The journey to the tomb of the Apostle in Santiago de Compostela is a pilgrimage whose history dates back way before our time. At Santiago Ways, we don’t want you to miss out on a single detail of the Jacobean route, which is why we want to take this opportunity to give you an in-depth explanation of the history of the Camino de Santiago: where the Camino started and all of its history up to the present day. The dream in which St. James appeared After being beheaded by King Herod Agrippa, the disciples of the Apostle St. James, Athanasius and Theodore, picked up his body and secretly took it with them to places of preaching until they finally buried him in Galicia. For centuries, all traces of his grave had been lost, until in the year 813 when Pelayo, a hermit, saw a brilliant star flashing over a woodland. According to the story, the Apostle St. James himself appeared to him in a dream, revealing that the place of the lights indicated where his tomb was to be found. When the burial place was unearthed, he discovered the body. And that is where the cult of St. James originated, as well as the history of the Camino de Santiago. From the discovery of the tomb to the current Santiago de Compostela In the place where the tomb of the Apostle appeared, a small church was erected, and around it, a whole city – Santiago de Compostela (Field of the Star). As of that moment, the pilgrimages began and millions of Europeans started off on their journey towards Compostela during the Middle Ages. This pilgrimage route received a boost as a result of the nobles and kingdoms of the different Christian kingdoms that were implanted throughout the Iberian Peninsula. At that time, the Camino de Santiago was becoming place where art, culture, commerce and settlers from all over Europe flowed together. But in the 16th century, after the disappearance of Mendizábal, the splendour of the Camino subsided and from that time on, there were very few people who embarked on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. This lasted until the 20th century, in which the interest in the Camino de Santiago resurfaced due to all of the hard work done by Camino enthusiasts, the new interest shown by the public administrations, the Pope’s visits and the renewed commitment of the Church. In 1993, the Camino de Santiago was declared a World Heritage Site. From the 20th century to the present day Camino de Santiago Last year, more than 300,000 pilgrims arrived to Santiago de Compostela from all different countries around the world. The vast majority of the pilgrims do the Camino de Santiago on foot. There are also a large number of pilgrims who travel by bicycle. For whatever reason, more and more people are convinced that the Camino de Santiago needs to be an essential part of their individual life journey.