Are you planning to walk the Camino de Santiago? One of the questions you may have is whether there are bathrooms on the Camino. This is a frequently asked question that comes up time and time again. This short guide will hopefully answer your questions on all things Camino and bathroom.
Can you shower on the Camino de Santiago?
Yes, you can definitely shower on the Camino de Santiago. Every albergue or hotel you stay in will have a shower of sorts. Some may be more basic than others, but most have good shower facilities.
At busy times, there may be a slight queue for shared showers, but it’s always easy to get access to one eventually. Most people shower at the end of the day after walking and I tend to find that the showers are always free in the morning, so there’s a chance to shower twice a day if you wish.
If you want to find out more about albergues, we’ve written a guide here.
Are there bathrooms on the Camino de Santiago?
There are bathrooms on the Camino de Santiago. All albergues and accommodation will have bathrooms. In addition, it is relatively easy to find bathrooms during the day when you are walking if you go through towns and villages.
The majority of the Camino routes go frequently through towns and villages and built up areas. Most days you are likely to be walking through at least one or two built up areas, rather than on remote footpaths. In built up areas, you are likely to find cafes, restaurants or bars where you can buy a drink and use the bathroom.
That said, there are one or two days on all Camino routes, where you can expect more remote setting and you may not visit a town. Public bathrooms are fairly infrequent on the Camino route. Therefore, there may be times when you have to use “nature’s bathroom.” For this reason, we recommend packing wet-wipes and some small bags, so that you can collect any rubbish.
How frequent are the bathrooms on the Camino de Santiago?
Public bathrooms are not frequent on the Camino de Santiago. But, cafes, restaurants and bars are frequent, you may find one or two during the day, and these all have bathrooms that customers can use. This is especially true on the Camino Frances.
You will find one or two days of walking, particularly on the Camino del Norte, where amenities are not very prevalent and therefore you may not find a bathroom for some or all of the day.
Walking the Camino de Santiago: A Guide for Women
Emma from Lotus Eaters Travel has written a guide for every woman taking on the adventure of a lifetime and walking the Camino de Santiago for the first time.
This book is full of tips on what to pack, advice on preparing for your journey and important details to help you get the most from the Camino. Whilst it does not include maps, it does include itineraries for the main Camino routes, as well as daily stage guides for the last 100km of the walk. You can find a detailed training plan to help prepare you for the Camino as well as extensive information on what to expect when you walk.
Inside this book you will also find information specifically for women walking the Camino, including a chapter on women’s safety and the answers to frequently asked questions like “what are the toilets like on the Camino?” and “How to deal with bed bugs on the Camino?”
It is split into three sections: Preparing for the Camino (packing, training, budgeting, finding motivation), Walking the Camino (choosing who to walk with, meeting people, accommodation, staying healthy, staying safe) and After the Camino (what to do next.)
How do you manage a period on the Camino de Santiago?
One concern that I had before walking the Camino, was how to manage menstrual periods during the walk.
Firstly, roughly 50% of people walking the Camino are women! And if If you are someone who gets a menstrual period and you are walking one of the full Camino routes over 30 days, then it is likely that at some point on the walk you may have your period. This should provide a little reassurance, as many before you have walked the Camino with a period and been just fine.
However, there are a few considerations that you may want to make before walking the Camino.
Period products
One consideration before you walk if you’re expecting your period on the Camino, should be period products. Of course, you can buy sanitary products in Spain at pharmacies and supermarkets, but you may want to plan ahead and take some with you. One thing to keep in mind, is the space and weight of our bag if you are carrying sanitary products with you. Personally, I choose to use a moon cup, because I find this easier to carry in my backpack than more bulky sanitary products.
The second reason that I opt for a moon cup when I walk the Camino, or long-distance hikes, is that (as noted above) sometimes bathrooms aren’t always the easiest to come by. For me, I would prefer a moon cup, which does not need to be replaced during the day, to a tampon or sanitary pad which may need to be replaced every few hours.
Managing your walking around your period
The next thing you might want to consider is how you manage your walking around your period. Of course, this will depend on your own personal cycle and how impacts your energy levels and comfort levels. Perhaps consider whether you can hike slightly shorter days during your cycle at times when you have low energy. Or, if you suffer with period pain, you may also want to change up your walking routine to accommodate this.
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