CAMINOLOVERS.COM – FROM PILGRIMS TO PILGRIMS WITH LOVE
Author: Matej
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Can you walk Camino de Santiago with a dog? My personal experience
Every true dog lover knows how hard it is to leave your beloved companion home for a month, while you embark on what can become the most memorable trip of your life–the Camino de Santiago. But can you walk the Camino with your dog? Will it be possible, and what obstacles will you face? Do…
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Can you walk Camino de Santiago in January? My personal experience
When you say pilgrimage in Spain, most people imagine summer time. Hot Spanish sun and cold drinks, endless skies and never-ending evenings (they called Spain the “land of setting sun” for a reason), and of course miles of walking day after day, until you reach the shrine of St. James in Santiago. It is a…
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Where to get a pilgrim passport in Pamplona in 2023?
Pamplona does not belong to the most common starting points of Camino de Santiago. Majority of pilgrims who want to follow the French way start either from Saint Jean Pied de Port, or from Leon, or from Sarria, depending on whether they want to walk 800 or 500 or just the last 100 kilometers to…
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Where to get a pilgrim passport in Porto? 2023 Guide
Camino Portuguese has gained a lot of popularity in recent years. Neither too short nor too long, neither too difficult nor to easy (for a true pilgrim experience), it is steadily climbing up the ranks of most popular pilgrimages. In 2019 for example (the last year before the pandemics), Porto was the 3rd most popular…
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Where to get a pilgrim passport (credential) in Lisbon?
Camino Portuguese has gained a lot of popularity in recent years. And though the way from Lisbon to Porto isn’t exactly a picturesque one, or a dream of a pilgrim, considering that you will walk almost entirely on asphalt roads (unless you follow alternative routes), many people like to start in Lisbon, for two reason.…
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Is Donativo Albergue Free? – Facts vs Myths 2023
Donativo albergue, or pilgrim hostel. Few people realize that back in the day (decades and centuries ago), when pilgrims headed to Santiago slept in churches or houses of local inhabitants, all albergues were donativos. There weren’t anything like private pilgrim hostels run by people with an aim of making profit (while serving the pilgrims). Many…
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How many days to walk the Camino the Santiago? We have the answer for all main routes!
Most of us have all sorts of obligations and ties back home. When planning the Camino, it is important to know how long it will take us to reach Santiago, so we can take appropriate leave from our work, and make the necessary arrangements with our loved ones. I’ve walked all major Caminos in Spain,…
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Via de la Plata on Bike – From Seville to Santiago, Interview
Doing the Camino on bike was always one of my goals, and something I wanted to try. But which way should I follow? Frances wasn’t really an option, and I did Norte just recently. San Salvador & Primitivo combination was tempting, but perhaps too difficult (if not impassable) on a bike loaded with luggage. Via…
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Doing the Camino as a Teenager – Pluses, Minuses, Personal Experience
Watching some movies about the Camino, or checking most popular online forums, you can easily get a wrong impression about the pilgrimage. It may seem like teenagers are a rare occurrence on the way, and that you’ll spend most of your time with people twice or trice your age. And though you can certainly learn…
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Best Time to Walk Camino Portuguese – Personal Experience
Camino Portuguese is a great way for “Camino beginners”. Whether you pick the coastal route or the inland one, the distance from Porto to Santiago is just about 250 kilometers, the terrain is mostly flat, and you can do this walk in 10 days. In my personal experience, Portuguese caminos aren’t as rich in natural…
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Where to Get a Pilgrim Passport in Sarria (+ Map)
Sarria, the most common starting point on Camino de Santiago. Situated exactly 100 kilometers from the shrine of St. James in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, which is the minimum distance you need to walk to officially complete the pilgrimage, and get your certificate upon arrival, it attracts hordes of pilgrims each year. Ranging…
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Walking the Camino over 70 – Is it doable, and how?
Leaving home for a month or two is not easy once you are working, raising children, paying bills, and barely noticing how time flies by. Sure, it isn’t the same for every profession. Teachers for example are a common occurrence on the Camino in the summer. They have six weeks of holidays in most countries,…
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How fit do you need to be to walk the Camino de Santiago?
Let’s start with facts. Camino de Santiago isn’t the most difficult long walk in the world. It is actually one of the easiest waymarked trails out there, when we look at trails that span over 500 kilometers (Camino Frances has about 780 kilometers all the way from Saint Jean to Santiago). The first reason is…
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Do I need to know Spanish for the Camino de Santiago? My personal experience
I’ve been lucky enough to walk the Camino many times. I followed different ways, ranging from the most popular Frances and Norte, to the lesser known San Salvador and Camino Olvidado, and anything in between the two extremes. When I walked my first Camino Frances I spoke no Spanish at all. Sure enough, I considered…
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What is the best bike for Camino de Santiago?
Some people say one does not experience the real Camino de Santiago on bike. I cannot disagree more. First of all, there’s nothing like “a real Camino”. Each pilgrimage is unique, and each of us embarks on this journey with their own hopes and dreams. Whether we eventually get what we wanted–or the way serves…
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Where do you fly to start the Camino? Best airports and routes 2023
Many things have changes with the pandemics. Some airlines closed down, some airports were almost shut for a year. But things are getting slowly back to normal, borders are opening again, and Camino is ready for a new wave of pilgrims hungry for spiritual and other experiences. If you have also waited for this opportunity…
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Eating vegetarian on Camino de Santiago – Everything you need to know
I love going for long trips over ancient pilgrims’ roads, or over distant mountain ranges in distant countries. And while people would think the main issues on such trips are planning, navigation, or staying healthy, for me really the biggest issue is food. I’ve been a vegetarian since 2016, and I actually prefer plant based…
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How to get to Irun – Starting point of Camino del Norte
Pilgrims start their Camino del Norte in various places. San Sebastian, Bilbao, Santander, or Gijon belong to the most popular starting locations, depending on how much time pilgrims have for their Camino, and also whether they want to skip the first hilly week ending in Bilbao. Those who want to cover the entire distance of…
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“Donativo” concept explained. Everything you need to know about donativo albergues
Following any of the Caminos in Spain, you’ll come across a variety of pilgrim hostels (called “alebrgues” in Spanish). Some will be run by local municipality, other by Catholic church. Many places are run by individuals as well, or small businesses, communities (either religious or secular). It provides for an excellent mix, and no doubt…
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Stray Dogs on Camino de Santiago – Myths vs Reality
If you’ve ever traveled to Latin America, or to certain parts of South East Asia, no doubt you’ve seen thousands of them. Dogs in poor health, often half-dead, spending their days spread out on the ground, waiting for a miracle, or for a stranger throwing them some food. Or those huge dogs in Nepal with…
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Can dogs (or other pets accompanying you on your camino) stay in pilgrim hostels?
Dogs are amazing companions. They help us cope with solitude, bring joy to our life, and can teach us what it means to love unconditionally. Living with a dog, or taking care of one, however, has also some drawbacks. Dogs need to eat, to go for a walk, they need someone to be there for…
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What is the best time to walk Via de la Plata?
The one thousand kilometers long Camino, traversing Spain from south to north, all the way from Seville to Santiago de Compostela, is a common favorite amongst the ranks of experienced pilgrims. The way has a lot of to offer, for both nature and history lovers, not to say for pilgrims who walk the camino from…
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Camping on Camino de Santiago – Can it be done, and how?
Many people tend to think that pilgrims do not camp while walking the Camino. Why should they, after all, with so many nice pilgrim hostels around? In my experience, at least one in every fifty pilgrims camps on the way, either most of the time, or occasionally, from one of the following reasons: They are…
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Can you lose weight walking Camino de Santiago? Personal experience + advice
You would be surprised how many people actually try to lose weight on the Camino. It is rarely their primary goal, or the main reason why they packed their stuff and left for a one month long pilgrimage in Spain (if not for a longer one), but it often sits high on their list of…
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Getting a pilgrim passport in Irun – Guide on how to find the place
A modern-day pilgrim tries to plan everything in advance. Ordering two (or four) pilgrim passports online (just to make sure they’ll have enough space for all the beautiful stamps they’ll collect on the way), paying more for shipping than for the actual passports, pilgrims hope to simplify the start of their pilgrimage. In the old…
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What’s the best time to walk Camino del Norte, from Irun to Santiago de Compostela?
Camino del Norte, or Camino de la Costa, or simply the “Coastal Camino”. Some people love it and will return every year, for endless beaches and pleasant temperature in the summer, and actually now with the climate change even in spring and autumn. Or perhaps they come back for the healing power the waves of…
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Can you walk Camino de Santiago in December?
Walking Camino in winter is not typical, but it isn’t something unheard of. Some of us simply cannot make holidays in spring or summer (whereas almost everyone can take some days off in December, or even a couple of weeks), and some of us cannot tolerate the heat of Spanish sun. I’ve also talked to…
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Can you learn Spanish while walking Camino de Santiago?
People embark on a pilgrimage for a variety of reasons. Some want to grow spiritually, or find the meaning of life. Others want to have a good time, meeting interesting people while traversing beautiful countryside of Spain. And some simply need a change, an escape, seeking an end, or a new beginning… Besides the primary…
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Walking stick(s) on Camino de Santiago – pros and cons, special tips
Walking sticks. Some people would hardy leave their house for a walk without them, whereas others hate to carry them. But should you take one, or two sticks on the camino with you? What are the real pros and cons, and what should you take into account when deciding about this piece of equipment? Last…
