Little Luxuries for Your Camino

The walking can be challenging, so let us help you make the rest of your experience easier!

A few little luxuries can make all the difference to your Camino de Santiago experience.

It can be hard to remember everything when you are packing for your pilgrimage on the Camino. You’ll want to make some tough decisions to keep your bags light, so it can be hard to decide what to bring and what to leave behind. Our experts here at Follow The Camino have compiled a list of 9 little things that you may not have considered. You’ll be glad we told you about them!

You’ll certainly make use of these on the train or plane starting and ending your journey. If you do choose hostel accommodation though, they are a necessity.  In albergues, you’ll meet people who are loud enough to enter the snoring Olympics. So, if you can’t compete in their league you’ll need to make best friends with some earplugs.

If you book a private room these are less necessary. But if you are going in a group, with friends, or on the cheap, a pair of earplugs will be your best investment.

Just a small handheld torch is perfect.  If you are in a shared room and leaving before the others, use it in the morning so you can gather your things and make sure you’ve left nothing behind.  Your roommates will thank you for it, and you won’t lose any of your precious things.

Most of the villages you’ll be staying in on the Camino are very small. There is not a lot of light outside, so a small flashlight is ideal for helping you to find keyholes, look at maps early in the morning and any other subject you may need a little light spread on.

Yes, this little gem of a product is ideal for taking along the Camino with you! We take them on all our holidays because they save on room and weight in your bag, and they don’t leak. Ask in store for one that is good as soap and shampoo, and will condition your hair. You can get a little tin or cork container to keep them in while you walk.  They smell lovely, do a great job, and you are saving 3 plastic bottles from needing to be made with every naked bar you buy!

We love a good foot cream and we recommend you ALWAYS bring some on your walking holiday.  After a long day’s walk on the Camino, there is nothing like getting to your hotel, having a  refreshing shower and giving your feet some love.  Rub plenty of peppermint foot cream all over them and you’ll instantly feel the soothing bliss of the mint.  Trust us, this is one of the luxuries you will thank yourself for bringing. The Body Shop and Lush both do lovely foot creams. Treat yourself to a little luxurious Camino foot massage.

No doubt you’ll be using your phone to snap as many pictures as possible of the beautiful scenery, so it’s wise to take an external battery charger along.  As you know, some of your pilgrimage walk will be through the rolling countryside with nowhere to stop to plug in your phone. With the extra boost of power stored on your external, you’ll be snapping all the way to your hotel.

Better safe than sorry, right? This is more of a necessity than a luxury on the Camino. Even the lovely sunny Spain occasionally has a few rainy days. If you plan to take your phone out of your pocket at all then it’s best to have it protected with a waterproof cover.  If your route is near the beach (like our Portuguese Coastal Route) a case will keep the sand out of your phone too. A ziplock sandwich bag is ideal for this as long as you don’t plan going swimming with your phone.

So you may not want to hear it but here goes, there may be times out in the countryside and there could be a bit of distance between you and the closest loo. When you need to go, you need to go, right?

Be it behind a tree or behind a bush – you’ll be glad you brought some toilet paper in your backpack.  Just remember to dig yourself a little ditch and make sure you cover up after yourself. This eco-friendly option will allow you to do your business in a sustainable manner.

You’re welcome.

Hand sanitizing gels are a Godsend for when it’s not possible to wash your hands (as in, the aforementioned situation).

You won’t want to use hand sanitiser all the time, but when you need to, or if you’re having a picnic in a field it’s nice to be able to clean your hands before eating.

Just make sure that you let it soak in before you lick your fingers because these taste gross.

Yes, we know it seems obvious, but nowadays most of us use cards more than cash.  However, along the Camino, you’ll be staying in small towns and villages. Not all of them will have ATM’s or accept cards. So it is always best to carry some cash.

After all, you wouldn’t want to miss out on gorgeous handcrafted art or truly traditional food just because you couldn’t find a cash machine!

Make sure you have cash on you so you can treat yourself when you want to. You deserve a little luxury on your walking holiday on the Camino!

For everything else that you need to pack, check out our full packing list for the Camino.  We’ve done this once or twice before so have thought of everything to make your life easier.

Buen Camino!