World Vision’s Camino de Santiago Trek

The trek is accompanied by professional English-speaking local guides who have an excellent knowledge of hiking in the region. The guides are first aid trained and will support you throughout your journey. You will also be supported by assistant guides and a Different Travel Company UK tour manager.

The terrain will vary throughout the 5 days but in general you will trek up and downhill all day along country roads, forest tracks, gravel trails, paved streets and through woods and meadows. Each day you will experience undulating terrain but some days you will trek mostly uphill so it is essential that your training includes hill walking and trekking up and down gradients.

The section of the Camino de Santiago you will be walking is located in the Northwest of Spain in the region of Galicia also known as the Ireland of Spain. Here, there is usually a temperate climate all year round, however weather can be unpredictable, so it is important to be prepared for a variety of weather conditions and temperatures.

In general, the temperature each day can range between 11-19°C during the day but could drop to 9°C (or lower) at night. Weather conditions will vary but in October, it will be relatively warm (average 17°C) but still with a high amount of rainfall.

It’s important to be prepared for all weather conditions and temperatures by packing non-cotton trek layers and waterproofs. It’s better to have waterproofs and not need them, than to not have any when you need them!

Although the temperatures and conditions above are historically accurate, climate change can impact the seasons so you may experience uncharacteristic conditions during the trip which are out of our control. Should this happen the guide will assess the situation and make decisions to ensure the best enjoyment and ultimately safety of the group as a whole.

Breakfast and evening meals will be taken in a communal dining room at the accommodation or at local restaurants. You will enjoy hearty, delicious Spanish meals that will keep your energy levels high for each day’s trek. You will eat packed lunches which you will carry yourself each day or stop in small local restaurants. Please inform us in advance if you have any dietary requirements or preferences.

You will stay in hostels along the trail in dormitories, and while staying in the cities of Sarria and Santiago you will stay in simple guesthouses on a twin or triple-share basis.

The minimum age is 18 (or 16-17 if accompanied by a parent/guardian). There is no upper age limit.

An ideal candidate is someone who is open minded, positive, flexible and enjoys the challenges of the great outdoors. Adventure travel involves elements of the unexpected so do not expect the standards to be the same as you are used to at home. Remote areas are sometimes unpredictable (be it because of group pace, weather conditions etc.) and itineraries may be altered to allow for this. You must also be willing to train hard for this challenge!

Bathing facilities will be basic with showers and flushing toilets, but these may be shared facilities. You are recommended to bring your own toilet paper for use along the Camino. Please ensure you do not leave this on the ground. Pack it up into sanitary disposal bags or dog waste bags and carry it with you until you find a waste bin. When looking for the toilets look or ask for “aseos” or “servicios.”

If you do not already regularly exercise you should aim to start training (including plenty of hills) as early as possible. The best training is hill walking, which will prepare you for the type of terrain you will experience. Other activities which can complement hill walking include running, cycling, gym workouts, boot camps etc.

Building up your core and leg muscle strength is important so exercises such as squats, lunges, push-ups, planks and crunches will really enhance your training. These exercises can be done at home – no gym needed. You can download a number of free apps, which will help you train and track your progress, e.g. MapMyWalk, C25K (couch to 5k run), MyFitnessPal (for a variety of sports).

You must take your training seriously and arrive as fit as you can be, so you get the most out of this challenge.

This tour is classified as moderate to challenging. You will be walking for many hours and sometimes on steep gradients. It is essential that you are fit enough to trek for at least 8 hours at a time for multiple consecutive days. Regular breaks are taken, but long days walking are inevitable. You cannot be too fit for this challenge so you should train well before your departure.

The kit list for this trip can be downloaded here.