Camino de Santiago training. A Zero to Hero program
You’ve been thinking about walking the Camino de Santiago for years and now finally you have time to do it? If you don’t know where to start planning and how to get into better walking shape for your first pilgrimage we have a lot of useful information on the Camino de Santiago on our site. This particular post is dedicated to training for the Camino.
Over the last 8 years, we’ve walked 11 Camino de Santiago routes and had all of it; the bad, the good, and the ugly. From our Camino experience, we can say that the right preparation is the key to success.
Stingy Nomads participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. If you click on the link and purchase the item or make a booking, we will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost. Thank You for supporting us and assisting us to produce quality, free content.
Do I need to train for the Camino de Santiago?
If you’re a relatively fit person who does cardio training, regular walking, or hiking you still might need some training. Don’t underestimate the walk as we did with our first Camino. I suggest building up the distance by walking 20-25 km/12-15 mi with a backpack every day for a week or two in the same shoes you’re going to wear on the Camino. If you don’t have time for this (and you're a fit person) you should be fine on the Camino if you stick to moderate distances, around 20 km/12,4 mi per day in the beginning, and gradually increase it.
We walked the Portuguese Camino from Lisbon and started with very long distances about 35-40 km/21-25 mi per day. After a couple of days like that our feet were destroyed! We had blisters and could barely walk. We’d done a lot of high-altitude hiking and climbing before and considered walking the Camino an easy stroll. We were very wrong! To walk 600-800 km/370-500 mi (depending on the Camino route) is not easy. You do get tired, get blisters and sometimes small injuries, etc.
How long in advance should I start training?
If you don’t exercise/walk regularly I suggest to start training for the Camino at least 3 months in advance. The earlier you start the better. Walking is a good exercise with many health benefits. The great thing about walking is that you don’t need any special gear (only good shoes). You can practice it anywhere; in a city, town, countryside, park, mountains, or on a treadmill.
Insurance for the Camino de Santiago. Walking every day for weeks with a backpack is physically challenging it's highly recommended to have Camino travel insurance in case you need some sort of medical assistance. Blisters, shins splints, and knee injuries are the most common problems that pilgrims deal with on the Camino.
If you have any Camino questions check our Camino de Santiago FAQ post where you can find answers to some of the most popular pilgrims' questions.
Camino de Santiago training program
Camino training stage 1. Weeks 1 to 4
Start your training by walking 5 km/3 mi a day 3 times a week. It takes around 1h30min. to walk this distance at an average pace. It’s better if you cover 5 km/3 mi in one go. If you feel comfortable with the distance after one week you can start increasing it by adding 1-2 km/0.6-1.2 mi every week till you reach 10 km/6.2 mi (about 2.5-3 hours walking).
After a week or two of walking, you can start adding some weight. First just a small backpack with water and snacks. Make it more or less 2 kg/4.4 lbs. You can add a book for extra weight.
If you’re a relatively fit person you can skip the first stage and start training from stage 2 or even 3 if you're walking fit.
Camino training stage 2. Weeks 5 to 9
If walking 10 km/6.2 mi with a light backpack is easy enough for you, start increasing your distance. Add 1-2 km/0.6-1.2 mi per week until you reach 15 km/9.3 mi. If you walk 4 km/2.4 mi per hour (average walking pace with a pack) 15 km takes about 4 hours to walk. You can increase the backpack weight to 4 kg/8.8 lbs.
You can start adding some hills to your daily walks especially if you’re planning to walk one of the mountain Caminos (Camino Primitivo, some parts of the Camino del Norte, the walk over the passes on the Camino Frances).
When your daily distance goes over 10-15 km/6.2-9.3 mi you can start taking breaks or splitting your walks into two parts. On most days on the Camino pilgrims stop at least once for coffee, breakfast, or lunch. You’ll have some breaks during your walk.
Training stage 3. Weeks 10 to 13
Continue increasing your weekly distances by 1-2 km/0.6-1.2 mi till you reach 20 km/12.4 mi. Pack your backpack for the Camino to see how heavy it is and continue walking carrying that weight. Try to make it 6-7 kg/13.2-15.4 lbs the lighter the better.
By the end of the 3rd month, you should be able to walk 20 km/12.4 mi with a 6-7 kg/13.2-15.4 lbs backpack comfortably. At a comfortable walking pace, it takes more or less 6 hours.
If you don't want to walk with a big backpack you can use a luggage transfer service on the Camino. They deliver your backpack/suitcase from place to place every day. You can walk with a small day pack. If you decide to use the service you don't need to walk with a heavy pack while training.
Training stage 4. Weeks 14+
If you have more time before starting the Camino you can continue training. You’ll likely have longer walking days, over 20 km/12.4 mi. Once a week you can do a 25-kilometer/15.5 mi hike/walk with a backpack.
You don't have to walk long stages on the Camino. If you feel that your limit is 16 km/10 mi or less you can split the route into shorter stages using our free Camino planning tool. That way you don't have to push your limits and can have a more enjoyable walk.
Training indoors
If due to the weather conditions or for any other reasons you can’t walk outside, walking on a treadmill is a good alternative. It has several advantages, first of all, you don’t depend on the weather. Second, you can adjust the incline to train for the hills which is great especially if the area where you live has no hills or mountains. Third, once you’re in the gym you might get inspired and add an extra workout to your training and get into better shape.
You can set your walking challenge; it might encourage you to keep up with your walking routine. Find out how long is the Camino route that you’re planning to walk and see how much time it will take you to complete it. After every day of your training add up the distance till you reach your goal. There are many apps and online walking challenges that you can join to get more inspiration.
Recommended gear for the Camino training
I recommend buying a pair of shoes (if you don’t have one) for the Camino in advance. This way you can start walking in your new shoes from the beginning of your training. It’s not a good idea to walk the Camino in brand-new shoes. It increases your chances of getting blisters a lot. Find out the pros and cons of wearing different types of shoes on the Camino de Santiago.
We always walk the Camino in Merino socks, they've proven to be the best for long-distance walking.
A week or two into your Camino training if you feel comfortable you can start walking with a backpack. It is better to use the same backpack that you’ll be walking the Camino with. I recommend a 35-40L backpack for the Camino. You can start training with a small backpack carrying just water and some snacks and increase its weight gradually.
If you’re planning to use a luggage transfer service and walk with a daypack then use a small backpack for training. A 15-20L backpack will be big enough to use as a daypack on the Camino.
If you need more information on what shoes and backpack to buy for the walk check out our Camino de Santiago packing list.
Another item that works great for the Camino training is a GPS watch. It’s not as essential as having good shoes but it helps a lot with training. You can track distances, heart rate, burned calories, progress, and set goals. We both have Garmin Fenix 7 watches and use them a lot every day when we go running, swimming, walking, or training in the gym as well as for walking the Camino.
How to reduce physical exhaustion on the Camino?
Even if you train for the Camino, try to walk more or less 20 km/12.4 mi per day during the first week. If you feel tired or start getting blisters, rather stop early or even take a day off. Don’t push yourself hard from the start, just take it easy. After a week of walking, you can start increasing your distances and will be able to catch up with your itinerary. One of our main Camino de Santiago tips is always listen to your body and walk at your own pace.
Mental preparation for the Camino de Santiago
Physical challenges are only a part of the Camino. It’s easier to prepare and train for it. A long walk is a mental challenge as well. Sometimes it’s a bigger deal than tiredness and blisters especially if it’s your first long-distance route. Walking the Camino is not always fun and exciting with a lot of interesting things to see. It can be frustrating, uninspiring, and sometimes even boring.
Prepare that you’ll be forced to go outside of your comfort zone on the Camino for many reasons:
- Long walking days
- Bad weather
- People speaking a different language
- Every night you sleep in a different albergue sharing a room with other pilgrims
- You don't sleep well
- You feel lonely
- Lack of privacy
- You feel sick or very tired etc. the list can go on.
It’s difficult to prepare for these situations. All you can do is to acknowledge them and be ready to experience some of them during your Camino. The best is try to stay positive and don’t let the problems completely spoil the pilgrimage.
If you start feeling emotionally overwhelmed from being surrounded by strangers, not having any privacy, or just need a good sleep I recommend finding a private room. When I walked the French Camino alone I met many people and enjoyed the company but at least once a week (sometimes more often if I could find a budget room) I stayed in a private room.
If you feel like you need a break, find a private room for a night or two to rest and relax before continuing the walk. Don’t worry about falling behind your itinerary. In the worst case, you can skip a stage or two and take a bus/a train to catch up. It’s important to enjoy the walk and not to stress out because of it.
Inspirational books for your Camino de Santiago training
- In Praise of Walking: A New Scientific Exploration, 2020.
- The Walk of a Lifetime: 500 Miles on the Camino de Santiago, 2019
- Steps Out of Time, One Woman's Journey on the Camino, 2019
Questions or Comments?
Got any questions or comments? We would love to help! All questions and comments will be answered by us personally in Buy Me a Coffee. Click below and ask away.
Feel free to support our site by buying us a coffee!
The pretty half of Stingy Nomads, responsible for all our land adventures (hiking, climbing, walking the Camino) and following them write-ups. Alya loves walking since she was a child, she prefers to walk 1000 km with a backpack rather than to do a 10 000 km road trip (actually any road trip). Alya is a big fan of Latin America, the Spanish language, and dancing. Every time we go away she desperately misses our dog Chile.
My daughter and I are planning to walk the Camino Portuguese this fall. Neither of us have done it before and both are really looking forward to the experience!!!
Hello Sandra. Thank you for the comment. The Portuguese Camino de Santiago is a good route for first-time pilgrims. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
Buen Camino
Very informative
Great ,valuable advice and tips, everyone can learn new things every day, this will be my new learning place for the Camino, experience is the biggest teacher of all.
Hi there,
My name is Jude, I have walked the Camino Frances 4 times and was wondering about the climbs and decents on the Primitivo equated to climbs and descents on the Frances, so are the climbs on the Primitivo like St Jean to Orison every day or say O Cebreiro every day? that kind of comparison?
I can train for hill climbing but want to know if I choose this route what to expect.
Kind regards,
Jude.
Hello Jude. The Camino Primitivo has more ascents and descents pretty much every day especially in the part from Oviedo to Lugo you go up and down a lot. There are a couple of ascents that are as long as the one to O Cebreiro on the Camino Frances.
Buen Camino
@Stingy Nomads,
Thanks for the prompt reply, are they more difficult than O Cebreiro? I live in Northumberland and can pick anywhere to incorporate more difficult climbs within training, if they are similar but more often then that will be more stamina training for me along cardiovascular.
I want to be as fit as possible as this is a shorter Camino I am hoping to extend it to Muxia then back to Santiago to fly home. Hard climbs everyday will be fine as long as im prepared, I can read books and look at maps but as there is no substitute for experience I prefer to ask anyone who has been there and done that, you also know other Caminos too.
Hi Jude. I recall only one day where the climb was quite tough on day 5 from Pola de Allende to La Mesa, around 600 m up. As I said you go up and down every day but it's all manageable especially if you are used to walking. I think some hill training will definitely help you but you don't have to prepare for any hectic climbs.
If you walk from Santiago to Muxia or Finisterre you can take a bus back to Santiago you don't have to walk it to get back unless you want of course.
Buen Camino
Are the stage 3 walks daily walks? I don’t know if I can commit to 4-5 hours of walking a day.
Hello Jackie. You don't have to walk for 4-5 hours every day. Twice a week should be enough to prepare for the Camino walk.
Buen Camino
Adding an incline helps to simulate outdoor walking and engage different muscle groups.
Hi,
I was thinking to try to do el Camino Ingles as this is my first time doing the Camino de Santiago and seeing your advice, maybe is the best option to start.
I will be alone and in September. I think is the best option for the weather.
The route doesn't seem too difficult and I was thinking to take my peace and instead of doing it just in 5 days take a bit longer at 7 days.
I was a Scout when I was young and I like a lot walk. I know what i cam do and I can manage the mental stress. After covid to be honest I feel more weak than usual.
I need some advice for my training because I have just 2 months to prepare my body to this. Is it doable?
Almost everyday I walk go and back to work and it is 2.7 miles - 4.3 km each way. On my day off I like go for long walks but obviusly here sometimes I stop for a bit. What do you suggest to do?
Thank you for all your information I found all very useful.
Paola
Hello Paola. Thank you for the comment. The Camino Ingles is a good option for you. For a first Camino, I can suggest as well walking the Camino Frances from Sarria or the Portuguese Camino from Tui. The last 100 km to Santiago on either route. A bi advantage of waking the last 100 km on one of these two routes is that there are plenty of accommodation options. Both routes are very social as well you can meet other pilgrims which is great if you're going to walk alone. The Camino Ingles is a more isolated route. You can plan your itinerary the way that you walk 15 km per day on average.
I'd recommend walking at least once a week 10-15 km per day so that your body can get used to the distance. To make the walk a bit easier you can use the luggage transfer service. They deliver your backpack from albergue to albergue every day. You walk with a small daypack. Extra weight makes walking much more difficult. On a day on the Camino, you can stop as much as you can. Every time you feel like you need a break. There are many cafes and restaurants along the route where you can stop for coffee or lunch. I think it's possible to walk the Camino if you start training now. Your walk to work is almost 10 km you just need to add 5 km to it on your free days to make it to 15 km.
Buen Camino
My partner and I are going to the Camino Portugese from Tuy at 23 September this year.. Now we are walking 2 hours with a small backpack as our luggage will be transferred from hotel to hotel.. Do you have suggestions for us? Especially the weather is a bit of concern as we both live in THailand and hot every day, Thank you very much
Hello Rien. We have many posts on the Camino de Santiago including the best time to walk and a couple of detailed posts on the Portuguese route. You can check here https://stingynomads.com/camino-de-santiago/. As for the weather, it won't definitely be hot and you might get some rain. I'd suggest packing some warmer clothes (long sleeve shirts, rain jackets, long pants). I'd suggest that you start walking longer days 20 km per day a couple of times a week.
Buen Camino
Love your videos and information!
We are thinking of walking from Vigo to Sanitago the first week of August. What training do we need and is there a lot of elevation change the last 100km?
Hello, Suzi. There are not many ascents and descents on the Portuguese Camino from Vigo. You can stick to the training program from this post. I can't think of any special training for your chosen route.
Buen Camino
Hi,
I'd like to start preparing now with my training for Camino hopefully next year. I am struggling with a possible osteoarthritis but I really want to build up my fitness for life and Camino 2023. I feel it's now or never! Do you have a slow build training plan?
Hello, Elizabeth. Thank you for the comment. We don't have a slow training plan. I'd suggest you start by walking 1-2 km a day without a pack every second day. Once you feel comfortable with it add 1 km. And continue building up your distance till you reach 5 km. If it's difficult to walk 5 km+ every second day try to walk that distance 3 times a week. Add a small light pack (just a water bottle and some snacks). DOn't set unrealistic goals at the beginning of your training. Do it slowly but surely. Even if you get stuck for weeks walking 2 km a day it doesn't matter you still have plenty of time to prepare.
If you have the possibility to join a gym you can try walking on a treadmill for some people it's easier than walking outside. You won't be weather dependent and you'll be able to see exactly how far you walk. As you get more walking fit keep increasing your daily distances bit by bit. On the Camino, you can walk an average of 15 km per day and take rest days. You don't have to be able to walk 25km+.
I'm sure if you are persistent in your training you'll be surprised how much you can achieve.
Buen Camino
Hoping for 2023 possibly alone don’t know yet
Going in 2023. Going alone unless I can hook up with other solos.
Hello, Barb. I'm sure you'll be able to find people to hook up on the Camino. There are always many solo pilgrims who are happy to have company.
Buen Camino
Hi there, I am planning on doing the French Camino in May. Do you feel that an Apple watch can do the same as the Garmin watch?
Hello, Gino. I've never had an Apple watch but I believe they work similarly to the Garmin show you distance, pace, heart rate, ascent, etc. If so you can use them instead of the Garmin watch.
Cheers
Greetings from India! My sister (who lives in the UK) and I are doing the Camino de Frances mid May to June. We are both over 60, fairly fit - but I have just recovered from Covid. I went for a walk for the first time in 3 weeks this morning - after 40 mins and 3.5km I was tired. I plan to join my sis mid April and do some long walks together. But I need to build up my fitness levels before then. Right now even 5km a day seems a challenge! I would be grateful for any suggestions, thank you:)
Hello, Sara. I'm sure as the time passes you'll get back to the shape you were before getting the Covid. For now, I'd suggest starting with walking 3 km per day over 2 or 3 times e.g. 1 km at a time. As you start feeling stronger you can start increasing your distance till you're able to walk 3 km at a time comfortably. Then increase it to 4 km, 5 km per day. As you progress you can do 10 km per day in 2 goes with a long break (a couple of hours). If you have a gym nearby you can start walking on the treadmill. It helps a lot to build strength. You walk in a controlled environment if you feel tired at any time you can stop and rest. I'm sure if you start now slowly but surely you'll build up enough strength to walk the Camino.
You might consider as well walking only a part of the French Camino or skipping some parts to make the total distance a bit shorter. You can decide on it on the Camino.
Buen Camino
Yes, please sign me up for the newsletter!
Hi guys
Love your stuff. Packed with great and useful information.
I am an ultra runner and plan to run solo from South to North of Spain using the camino de plata for most of the route.
I will plan on 50km a day with maybe one day off a week to resupply. I run well in the heat and have experience of multi day running in the desert.
I also live in Spain now for 3 years.
I will study your information closely but any crucial tips for me?
Btw. Congratulations on the 3rd team member.
Best regards
Paul
Hello, Paul. Thank you very much for the comment. Since you're an experienced trail runner our main advice is to plan your itinerary carefully to make sure you end every day at a town or village. The part of Spain where the Via de la Plata goes through is not densely populated towns are quite far apart. As a trail runner, I imagine you'll be carrying a small pack so camping is not an option.
Good luck
Hi
I'm planning to walk part of the Portuguese route. 8 days of roughly 20 km per day., in April 2022.
As practice I walk 8 km per day at the moment, and 3 days a week I walk 15-18 km. Sometimes with a back pack, planning to that more often.
Do I need to go up to 20 in my training?
,
Hello, Bernadette. It's great that you have already started training for the Camino. Your training program sounds good I'm sure you'll be able to complete the planned route. I'd suggest walking 20 km with a backpack (if you're planning to carry it yourself) a couple of times before you start the Camino to get the feeling of the distance. As you probably noticed it's more difficult to walk the same distance with a backpack than without it.
Buen Camino
I did prepare for my first Camino, Porto to Santiago de campostela. Much along your guidelines. Kept it at around 20k per day. Carrying 8 kilos+water. Still; towards the end I had serious struggles as my legs, ankles and feet were swelling and the front of the leg was hurting more and more. An explanation could be that it was less than half a year since I had an heart attack. Took months after the trip to settle down to normal size. I used the Hoka Sky Kaha. No blisters ever with my Hokas. I hope to start the Norte from Irun in March. I am in the prosess of constructing a hiking cart based on a backpack with a frame. All to reduce the load on this old(71) and pretty worn body. The cart will be possible to turn into a backpack when meeting obstacles, such as stairways, but too heavy to carry over distances.
Is it possible to walk from Irun trailing a cart behind?
Hello, Bergsvein. Thank you for the comment. I'm very sorry to hear about your health problems on the Camino. To be honest I'm not sure it's a good idea to walk del Norte if you had tough times on the Portuguese Camino from Porto. From our experience, Camino del Norte is more difficult and challenging with many ascents and descents along the route. March might be not the best time to walk it; in that part of Spain it's quite cold and rainy, plus some albergues might be still closed for the off-season.
As for pulling a cart, there are some parts of the route where you walk on a footpath or muddy road you'll have to carry your backpack on your back. Often, these parts have steep ascents and descents. If you really want to walk del Norte consider using a backpack transfer service and walking with a small daypack carrying only valuables and water? You can use the Spanish postal service Correos. They deliver your luggage door to door on every stage of the Northern Camino. It costs 5-6 Euro per backpack per stage.
Buen Camino
@Stingy Nomads, thank you very much for an answer as truthful and painful as can be. That's kind of why I want to do the del Norte, if it makes sense? One finds out as one walks along, and if one survives the ordeals, just pack it in while it still is time, which is something I have plenty of. I was thinking of taking a tent, air mattress and sleeping bag, cooking gear and utensils in my cart. Don't much like albergues, and I fear luggage transport will not fit in with my plans. Rain and wind is shit, though 2022 will be the year with sunshine upon dreaming pilgrims. Calculating some 15 k a day, but it wouldn't worry me if it became less. More of a worry is that it doesn't work with a cart on parts of the route. I better reconsider my choice.
Thank you again, very kind of you.
Bergsvein
I understand your intention, Bergsvein. One more thing I'd like to warn you about is that wild camping is illegal in many parts of Spain. Finding a good and safe spot for camping on the Camino often might be a problem. Instead of walking 15km a day, you might be forced to walk over 25km+. In some parts of the Camino, you walk past towns, cities, and residential areas not really a place to pitch your tent. We met a pilgrim on the Camino del Norte in October with a tent planning on camping most of the way but after a couple of nights in his tent, he was so cold, wet, and tired of looking for a good camping spot that he ended up staying in albergues and sending his tent back home.
I don't want to scare or discourage you but to give you an idea about the extra challenges (besides walking) you might encounter on the Camino.
Good luck!
Doing my first camino next year starting from Porto
Hello, Louise. If you have any questions about the Camino, don't hesitate to ask.
Cheers
Good advice. Walking distance everyday can make the body very angry. Repetitive motion injury left me considering abandoning my walk on the French Way. Three days of rest and massage followed by a weekly rest day allowed me to finish after a 100 mile train ride from Burgos to Leon. Lack of training and a zealous itinerary almost did me in.
Hello, Ernie. Thank you for your feedback! Many pilgrims including ourselves underestimate the Camino. We had to slow down and take rest days on our first Camino because we walked way too long distances from the beginning thinking it was an easy walk. After a couple of days of walking over 35-40 km per day we had terrible blisters and barely could walk at all. We learn from our mistakes. Hopefully our Camino training advice will help some people.
Cheers