25 MISTAKES I’VE MADE ON THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO.
I think one of the reasons people romanticise the Camino de Santiago so much is because, in many ways, it deserves it. There’s nothing quite like strapping my backpack on and setting out on the start of a Camino journey. Some of my favourite memories moments of clarity have happened whilst walking across Spain.
But despite all the beauty of Camino life, there are also blisters, bad decisions, questionable packing choices and moments where you seriously wonder if you’re on the right path.
Over the years, and across multiple Camino routes, I’ve made plenty of mistakes. Some of them were funny in hindsight. Some of them absolutely were not at the time.
So, here are 25 mistakes I’ve made on the Camino de Santiago and the things they taught me.
1/ Packing too much
I wish I could say that this is a mistake I’ve only made once during our long-distance hiking career, but that wouldn’t be quite true.
The first (and probably worst) example was packing full-sized hair straighteners on our first ever Camino. I have no idea why I thought they were necessary, but by day four or so I had already left them behind.
My new rule is to be cut-throat. Once I’ve packed my bag, I take one or two extra items out at the last minute. It keeps me honest.
Golden rule: your bag shouldn’t weigh more than 10% of your body weight. And don’t forget to factor in water and snacks.
2/ The wrong shoes
When prepping for my first Camino, I didn’t put enough thought into footwear. I did a cursory Google search for “footwear for knee pain” and just settled on the first recommendation. I ordered them, tried them, thought they felt OK, and set off without much more thought.
This turned out to be a terrible mistake.
I’d ordered my normal size without taking into account that feet swell in the heat. By the end of the first day, they were already too small. After a week or so, I was in agony. I remember crying on the side of the road, and eventually cutting holes in the shoes.
Since then I’ve learned that shoes need time, testing and proper road trials. There is no shortcut.
3/ Poor rain gear
If there is one thing that is almost inevitable on the Camino de Santiago, it is rain. The north of Spain can be notoriously changeable.
On our first Camino I packed nothing more than a tiny festival-style cagoule and John didn’t even pack that. When the first serious rain came, we were sheltering under trees while others with proper gear just carried on walking.
It’s best to go for either a poncho that covers your bag or a decent rain jacket. If you are walking in rainy season, waterproof trousers are also worth it.
You can find our guide to staying dry on the Camino de Santiago here.
4/ Not protecting valuables
On the Portuguese Coastal Camino I was carrying my laptop as I had been travelling beforehand. Even though I had a backpack cover, when the Atlantic rain really hit, most of the contents of my bag, including the laptop, got soaked.And it never quite recovered.
Now I assume everything will get wet at some point. Phones, passports, journals, headphones. Everything goes in waterproof bags or at least a bin liner. It really can save you.
5/ Over planning
There are long-distance hikes that need precise planning, but the Camino de Santiago isn’t always one of them. There are exceptions – if staying in private accommodation rather than albergues, for example.
It’s good to have a rough idea of stages, and sometimes to book a few things, but over planning can become a problem. If you get injured, meet people you want to walk with, or just need a rest day, it helps if you can change your plans. Flexibility makes a big difference. Booking with booking.com “free cancellation” is a great help.
6/ Walking too far in the first few days
We like long days and pushing ourselves. We’ve walked 50km into Santiago before and can comfortably do 30km+ days.
But one thing we’ve learned (and had to relearn) is that starting too big is a mistake. Your body needs time to adapt.
On a recent Via de la Plata walk we did a long day on day one and both ended up with little niggles that didn’t quite recover.
7/ Not allowing for an “off day”
Every Camino has off days. It just does. Bad sleep, rain, period pain, headaches, or just waking up feeling flat for no real reason.
I try to keep plans loose enough now that if we need to shorten a walk or change accommodation, we can.
8/ Avoiding municipal albergues
The first municipal albergue I stayed in was in Avilés on the Camino del Norte. It was one large dorm with around 40 beds, very hot, very loud and full of snoring pilgrims. I barely slept and swore I would never do it again. That was a mistake.
Once I tried a few more, I realised municipal albergues are one of the best parts of the Camino. They are basic, yes, but they are also affordable, social and often full of character.
9/ Social hesitation
On my first Camino I felt a bit overwhelmed by suddenly interacting with so many people every day. After Covid especially, it felt like a shock to the system.
I was worried about being too friendly and getting stuck walking with people (which I realise is silly) but also worried about not being friendly enough. I overthought it all.
In the end I realised you don’t need to overcomplicate it. A few words, a shared stretch of walking, a drink in the evening. That’s usually enough. You can make new friends, or just share pleasantries – it will just work out naturally.
10/ Wearing headphones when walking
I love podcasts, audiobooks and music when I walk. I still do.
But I’ve learned that if I use them too much, I miss things. Not just scenery, but people, conversations, and time to think properly. Now I try to balance it. Some listening, some silence.
11/ Not booking some accommodation
Over planning is one problem, but under planning can also cause stress.
In peak season, or in cities and popular towns, not booking accommodation can leave you scrambling at the end of a long day.
I also now research the best albergues on route thoroughly and decide and if there are any that I’m really keen to stay in, I’ll book them in advance.
A bit of structure in the right places helps everything run more smoothly. And I always think booking the first few nights is a good idea.
12/ Walking with injury
On my first Camino I pushed through a knee injury for far too long.
I eventually managed to get through it. But when John had an injury on our most recent Camino, I made sure he rested. And I sometimes wonder why I didn’t give myself the same permission. There are times when rest is the better decision.
13/ Packing white clothing
I made this mistake on my first Camino and somehow repeated it again on the Via de la Plata.
White clothing looks clean for about five minutes and then never again. It stains easily, is hard to hand wash properly and never really recovers. I would now avoid it completely.
14/ Walking when it’s too hot
Heat is one of the biggest challenges on Camino routes.
We’ve learned the hard way that sometimes the best decision is not to walk at all if temperatures are extreme.
On a recent hike in Mallorca I got heat exhaustion and it was genuinely scary. Start early, take it seriously, and know when to stop.
15/ Missing out on communal suppers
We used to avoid communal dinners because we thought they would be awkward. And I know a lot of people feel the same.
But we’ve since had some of our best Camino experiences at them. People from all over the world, sharing food, laughing, sometimes not even fully understanding each other.
If we didn’t do another Camino, it’s something we would really miss.
16/ Joining communal suppers when I’m not in the mood
That said, I’ve also learned that if I’m not in the right mood, communal dinners can feel like hard work.
It’s better not to force it.
17/ Drinking a few too many gins
Hard to call this a strategic mistake, but it definitely was one.
On the Camino del Norte I had far too many gin and tonics, slept badly, turned on the albergue lights at 2am while looking for the bathroom, and regretted every decision the next day. Think carefully before ordering a gin and tonic in Spain! The ‘free pour’ system can be a bit mad.
18/ Missing things on the way
Sometimes you are so focused on distance, time or arrival that you miss what is happening right in front of you. There are a few occasions when we’ve had to skip resting in villages, seeing viewpoints, or visiting interesting things on sight, because we felt we had too far to walk.
Now, we are very careful to make sure we have time for moments of stillness or exploration, as and when they call us.
19/ Not asking for local or pilgrim guidance
Locals know their area and they know the risks and issues. If you are worried about the conditions on route, it is always best to ask a local, or an albergue host. Equally, other pilgrims also have useful info that you might not.
We made the mistake on the Camino Mozárabe when we walked 5km, only to find that we couldn’t pass a river that had burst its banks. Because we had stayed in a hotel the night prior, we hadn’t seen any other pilgrims and didn’t have an albergue host to ask.
If you can’t ask locals, ask other pilgrims or check Facebook groups with people a stage or two ahead of you. We learned our lesson and relied on this heavily on the Via de la Plata this year when we knew flooding might be an issue.
20/ Walking on the road when it may not have been safe
Because of flooding issues on the Camino Mozarabe, we sometimes ended up walking on roads that weren’t really safe.
Looking back, we were probably too casual about it.
If something doesn’t feel right, it’s better to get a taxi or bus. Pride isn’t worth it.
21/ Skipping healthy food
It’s very easy to live on toast and tortilla in Spain.
But when you are walking every day, it really helps to make an effort with proper food too. These days I try to get my fruit and veg in where I can.
22/ Poor blister prep
Blisters can completely derail a Camino.
Prevention is everything. Taping early, using Vaseline, or the right socks – whatever your system is. And not ignoring small issues makes a huge difference.
23/ Not having the confidence to speak Spanish
I do speak a little bit of Spanish. But on my first Camino, I didn’t have the confidence to use it as much. And this was a mistake. It’s easy to slip into speaking English, especially on the more popular Camino routes where most bar tenders and hosts speak it. But it goes a long way to just try a few words.
Since I’ve walked more remote Camino routes, like the Mozarabe, I’ve had to work harder with the Spanish speaking and it’s paid off in dividends. A real highlight on the Via de la Plata recently was when I made a little joke in Spanish and made a hospitalero laugh – it made me realise how far I’ve come.
24/ Not packing comfortable evening shoes
A spare pair of shoes is one of the most important things you can pack.
Taking off hiking boots at the end of the day and slipping into something comfortable is a small but very real joy.
On one Camino I brought a pair that were so uncomfortable I barely wore them, which sounds minor but really annoyed me.
25/ Ignoring small warning signs
This is something I’ve definitely learned the hard way.
On the Camino it is very easy to brush off small warning signs. A bit of discomfort in your foot, a slightly dodgy weather forecast, a tired feeling you convince yourself will disappear after a coffee.
But those small things often add up into bigger problems if you ignore them for too long.
I’ve pushed on when I probably should have rested, changed shoes earlier, or taken weather warnings more seriously. Most of the time you can get away with it, until you can’t.
Now I try to pay attention to the small signals much earlier, even if it feels slightly overcautious in the moment.
More Camino resources
If you’ve landed on this page, you may be interested to know that we’ve got oodles of comprehensive guides to the Camino de Santiago on this website. Routes guides for major routes, packing guides, training information and more.
>>FIND OUR CAMINO DE SANTIAGO PAGE HERE<<
Written by Emma
Wine Lover. Yogi. Hiker. Writer.
British travel writer and long-distance hiker, native to Kent. Emma has walked the Camino de Santiago more than ten times, completed trails across Europe from the Corfu Trail to the Fisherman’s Trail, and covered thousands of kilometres on foot. She always writes from first-hand experience. Her goal? Inspire just one person to go on their first long-distance hike.
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