What is it like to hike the Camino de Santiago?

hello I am Goerge ,World Traveler Adventurer - Traveling 5 year

I noticed that no one has answered this question from a family perspective, so I thought I would add to it. The Camino, for our family, was one of the most challenging and unifying experiences we have ever encountered. We (My wife and our twin 14 year old daughter and son), walked the entire 838km Camino del Norte, through the spectacular, yet challenging coastal vistas of the Basque country, Cantabria, The Asturias and Galicia over 38 days.

(This is us day 1 with 29 kms to go for the day. My pack here weighs 24 kg plus all of us carrying too much)

We made a few first-timer mistakes, such as carrying way too many clothes, and unnecessary things. Pack light and simple. A good pair of walking shoes, a couple of t-shirts, shorts, socks and underwear, with some good wet weather gear and a headlamp or torch is all you will need (perhaps a very basic first-aid kit too). You can wash things everyday after your walk and it will all dry by morning, or even late afternoon if walking in the summertime. Every gram makes a difference.

(Looking down on the Beautiful Coastal town of Deba - Challenging hillside hiking)

Our research told us that there was often a lack of accommodation options on the Norte route, so we wisely carried two 2 kg / 2 person popup tents, which proved to be indispensable, as we often came up to Albergues that were ‘Completo’ (full) long before we arrived. This made the Norte experience at times a little like a race, but we only gave in to this feeling a couple of times and walked our own pace. It also gave us the wonderful opportunity to stealth camp, sometimes with the most beautiful vistas at our front doorstep.

As we are vegan and vegetarian, food options, even in the more cosmopolitan North of Spain were a challenge to find and we had to carry our food or snacks most of times. This, along with the fact that we remote work and carried laptops and cameras as well, often had my pack often weighing in-between 14kg at 20kg. So be mindful of what you want to take. Along the Norte route even 100grms more in your pack can be punishing over 32 kms of walking through the mountains.

(One of the many challenging coastal rises along the Bay of Biscay)

All in all however, the greatest thing that stands out for me in walking the Camino is the incredible sense of achievement you feel and this extends not just to the end of the entire walk, but the feeling you get when you have ascended a challenging hill or at the end of each day, once you have showered down.

It is the experiences we shared as a family while walking and talking, which will forever stay with us. It shaped us as family. It left an indelible mark on the way we relate to each other, the way we work together and the way we think of ourselves as a family. It affected the very dynamic of who we are and for this we are truly grateful for the experience.

All in all, it is an exceptional experience not to be missed!
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