A Woman's Directory For Travel and Life.

WAVE Journey is your one stop online resource for women
oriented businesses and services around the world.


CAMINO DE SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELLA
If you've ever wanted an adventure of the spirit and soul, this is it!

CAMINO FRANCES ROUTE
PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR PILGRIMS

The advice that you are going to find here is from our own first hand experience and that of
other pilgrim friends.  We hope it helps you along your journey.


Following the Yellow Arrows:  All along the route of the Camino Frances you will see yellow
arrows painted on rocks, roadways, buildings, trees and many other surfaces, this is your
guide to Santiago.  The yellow arrows guide you on a relatively straight path from east to
west.  Keep in mind that if you do not see a yellow arrow about every fifteen minutes, you
have possibly gone off the path and will need to retrace your steps to the last arrow you saw
and continue on from there.  Most people find it very difficult to lose their way on this route
while following the yellow arrows, but it has been heard of pilgrims walking an entire day in
the wrong direction.  Another sign that may mark the route is the scalloped shell and can
also be seen marked on many buildings, roads and trees.  If you are walking any of the other
Camino routes in Europe, be sure you know what mark to follow for that particular path.  As I
found out the hard way in France, yellow arrows there are not the symbol you want to follow -
it's the scalloped shell or a red and white horizontal stripe marking the GR65 on the Le Puy
route.

Food:   In each village or town that you come to there will be at least a bar or cafe where you
can find food of some sort at most times of the day.  Grocery stores are usually in larger
towns as are pharmacies.  In the evening you will be able to find a restaurant located close to
the refugio that will offer a Pilgrim's Menu, usually a three course meal including wine or
bottled water for about 10 Euro.  The nice thing about this is that you will get a chance to
sample some of the foods of that region and to enjoy dinner and share stories with your
fellow pilgrims.  Tapas is always a good thing to try as a snack, or if you decide to, you can
make a meal out of it.  Start your day out with a good breakfast if possible, you will be able to
find a cafe/bar that is open for coffee and will make toast and maybe bacon and eggs.  It is
not uncommon to find pilgrims drinking a beer with their bacon, eggs and toast at 8am.  Beer
is cheaper to buy than a bottle of Coke or orange juice.  Carry some bread, cheese and dried
meat (such as chorizo) and fruit to eat throughout the day to keep your blood sugar levels up.  

Water Fountains:  At frequent intervals along the route there will be ancient water fountains.  
Quite often they will be located in the center of a village and will have a sign or symbol to tell
you if the water is potable or non-potable.  Do not drink it if it says non-potable.  You may
share the fountain with the local farm yard, but you will be fine as long as you fill your bottle
from the running water source and not from the standing water.  If in doubt, ask at a bar/cafe
if they will fill your bottle from their taps.  Make sure that you drink at least 2 litres of water a
day to keep hydrated.  Knock on wood, over 3000 kilometres walked along the French and
Spanish Camino and no ill effects from drinking from the fountains.

Bathroom Kit:  As most items are readily available enroute, you only need to carry small
quantities of items such as toothbrush and paste, soap, shampoo, deodorant (trust us, you'll
need it), face and body moisturizing cream, antibacterial hand sanitizer, razor and comb or
brush.

First Aid Kit:  For most pilgrims the most serious thing they will have to deal with along the
route are blisters on the feet, aching joints and cramping muscles.  Most items that you will
need can be purchased along the way in the Farmacia and are generally reasonably priced,
so only bring small quantities of each item so as not to carry too much unnecessary weight.  
A small pair of scissors, sewing needles, moleskin or second skin and an antibiotic
ointment will work well for dealing with blisters.  Anti-inflammatory ointment will be helpful for
aching joints and muscles, as will a tensor bandage. A couple of Band-Aids will also come
in handy.  Use plenty of sun block to protect your skin from sun or wind burns, especially on
your face.  A product for blisters that is easily found in European pharmacies is Compeed.  
Some people love it, others hate it.  If you use it, make sure that the Compeed and your foot
are thoroughly wet before removing it - I prefer to let it fall off itself, that way it doesn't take the
skin with it.


Medical Assistance:  In Spain there are some medical facilities along the route that will offer
assistance and care to pilgrims.  Many of these services are free or charge a minimal fee for
help with problem blisters, stomach upsets and sprains.  If you're from outside of the EU it is
wise to make sure you have your own travel health insurance policy in the event of a serious
injury.

Language:  The main language spoken along the Camino is Spanish, and just as you have
gotten used to the pronunciation of some commonly used words for basics, you cross into
another region with its own dialect and essentially a whole new language.  You will find very
little English spoken, but it is not usually a problem as people from all walks of life learn to
communicate with a form of charades and attempts at speaking slowly and loudly.  Don't
forget that people are not stupid or deaf because they don't understand you!  During summer
months it is mainly only the Spanish who are brave enough to attempt to walk the Camino -
the heat can be unbearable and that is when they have their holidays.  At other times you will
have quite a mix of pilgrims from many parts of the globe - France, Netherlands, Belgium,
Germany, Switzerland, Italy, United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada, United States, Australia,
New Zealand, Brazil and Mexico are among the most common nationalities.  So, a small
Spanish  language guide book (not Mexican Spanish) and a good sense of humor will help
you along the way.
WAVE Journey
Women 's Adventures, Vacations & Experiences ~  
Your Journey Starts Here!