The things nobody tells you before you set off on the Camino de Santiago
Walking the Camino is an incredible experience. But after a few days on the trail, you start learning things that no packing list quite prepares you for.
Your feet hurt. Your clothes need washing. Something inevitably breaks. And by the time you arrive at your accommodation, all you really want is a shower, a comfortable towel, and somewhere to put your feet up.
With Xacobeo 2027 — the next Camino Holy Year — bringing record numbers of pilgrims to the trail, more people than ever will be setting off with a packing list in one hand and a lot of unanswered questions in the other. So here are the little things I wish I’d known before walking the Camino, and the small comforts that made the biggest difference at the end of each day.
If you’ve been putting off the Camino de Santiago “for someday,” 2027 is worth circling. It’s a Xacobeo Year — also called a Holy Year or Año Santo Compostelano — which only happens when 25 July, the Feast of Saint James, falls on a Sunday. It’s a rare event, occurring just 14 times a century, and 2027 will be the first since the pandemic-affected 2021–22 Holy Year.
During a Xacobeo Year, the Cathedral’s Holy Door opens for pilgrims, Santiago fills with concerts and cultural events, and pilgrim numbers rise sharply — 2025 alone, a non-Holy Year, already saw over 530,000 pilgrims receive their Compostela, so 2027 is expected to be busier still. That also means accommodation along popular routes like the Camino Portugués books up faster than usual, particularly for summer dates.
If Xacobeo 2027 is part of your plan, it’s worth reserving your stops — including your recovery stay by the coast — well ahead of time.
You’ve walked all day. So don’t rush.
Take your boots off. Have a shower. Put on something comfortable. Soak your feet. Stretch if you feel like it. Wash your clothes. Put the kettle on for a herbal tea. And let yourself recover.
That’s what Camino Care is all about. We’ve put together these little extras because we’ve learned that after a long day on the Camino de Santiago, it’s the small things that make the biggest difference.
And for guests who book directly through our website, the Camino Care basket is our little complimentary welcome gift.
Don’t wait for the first blister.
Vaseline or an anti-chafing balm can help reduce friction, while a good foot cream helps with dry, tired skin. And when a blister does appear, having the right plaster nearby can make the difference between carrying on comfortably and spending the next stage in agony.
At Lavra Seaside Retreats, our direct-booking guests receive a complimentary Camino Care basket with Vaseline, foot cream, regular plasters, and blister plasters.
Because you don’t need to carry everything with you. We’ve got some of it waiting for you when you arrive.
After several hours of walking, a hot shower is wonderful. But soaking your feet afterwards? Heaven.
We’ve put together a little foot-care ritual with bath salts, a soft towel, and a foot mask — because sometimes your feet deserve a little more attention than a quick shower after a long Camino stage.
You might feel fine when you arrive. Then you sit down. And suddenly getting back up feels like a much bigger project than expected.
A few gentle stretches can make a surprising difference, which is why you’ll also find an exercise mat available for guests to use for stretching, yoga, or simply moving your body after a long day on the trail. We’ve also added a magnesium sachet to the Camino Care basket — a small thing, but a good one for sore calves after a long stage.
One of the biggest lessons of the Camino is that everything in your backpack has a weight.
You really don’t need to carry enough clothes for the entire journey. Wash as you go instead. A few laundry detergent sheets take up almost no room and make it easy to freshen up your essentials along the way.
And when you stay with us, laundry detergent is waiting for you — one less thing to carry from Porto to Santiago.
Beyond the basics, there are a handful of small items that experienced pilgrims tend to carry — none of them heavy, all of them useful more often than you’d expect:
A spare pair of shoelaces. They snap more often than you’d think, usually miles from the nearest shop.
A short length of duct tape, wrapped around a pencil or lighter to save space. It fixes almost anything — blisters, gear, a torn strap.
Electrolyte or rehydration sachets. Light, cheap, and genuinely useful on hot stages, especially through inland Galicia in summer.
A basic anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen, so you’re not searching for a farmacia mid- stage.
A universal sink plug. Handwashing clothes is much easier when the sink actually holds water — not every albergue or guesthouse has one.
None of these need to weigh you down. Most fit in a single small pouch, and you’ll be glad to have at least a few of them by the second week.
After several days of walking, the little things become important. A quick shower. Clean hands. A tissue when you need one. An alcohol wipe for a small scrape or cleaning something up. Sunscreen you didn’t have to hunt down in a pharmacy after a long, shadeless stage through Galicia.
So we’ve included hand sanitiser, alcohol wipes, tissues, sunscreen, shampoo, and shower gel in the little collection of essentials available to our Camino guests. Earplugs are in there too, for a proper night’s sleep before the next stage.
What should I pack for the Camino de Santiago? Pack light and plan to wash clothes along the way rather than carrying a full week’s worth. Priorities: quality socks, a blister kit, anti-chafing balm, a small repair kit, and laundry sheets. Every extra item adds weight you’ll feel by day three.
What is Xacobeo 2027 and why does it matter for pilgrims? Xacobeo 2027 is the next Camino Holy Year, occurring because Saint James’ Day (25 July) falls on a Sunday. It brings the opening of the Cathedral’s Holy Door, a plenary indulgence for pilgrims who meet the requirements, and significantly higher pilgrim numbers than a normal year.
How do I prevent blisters while walking the Camino? Start foot care from day one rather than waiting for a blister to appear — use an anti-chafing balm or Vaseline before you set off each morning, keep feet dry, and treat hot spots the moment you feel them with a proper blister plaster.
Is it better to walk the Camino during a Holy Year? A Holy Year adds spiritual and cultural significance and a livelier atmosphere along the route, but it also means more crowds and more competition for accommodation. Booking early — especially for summer 2027 — is essential.
What small items do experienced Camino pilgrims recommend packing? Beyond the obvious essentials, small extras like spare shoelaces, duct tape, electrolyte sachets, a basic anti-inflammatory, and a universal sink plug solve problems that come up more often than first-time pilgrims expect — and none of them add meaningful weight to a pack.
Why you should pack a tiny Camino repair kit?
A loose button. A broken strap. A little tear. Nothing dramatic — until you’re miles from anywhere and realise you have nothing to fix it with.
A mini sewing kit and a few safety pins take up practically no space and can save the day. We’ve got those covered too. Ready to start planning your Camino? Book directly with Lavra Seaside Retreats and your Camino Care basket — with foot care essentials, laundry sheets, and hygiene items — is on us. Explore our rooms or check availability for 2027.
Buen Camino.