Start slow: the first week is calibration, not a race

Start slow: the first week is calibration, not a race

The Camino is long; week one is where tendons and skin negotiate with your ambition. Many pilgrims feel strong on day two and pay for it on day six. Treat the opening days as data collection: note hotspots, pack pressure points, and mood at 15 km versus 25 km.

1. If your schedule allows, plan a rest half-day or short stage after a tough climb. Irún, Roncesvalles, and O Cebreiro are famous for teaching humility—listen when they do.

2. Social pace is real: walking with faster friends can be fun and expensive. Permission to split for a stage or two is healthy. Buen camino includes meeting again at dinner.

3. Sleep matters as much as shoes. Earplugs, eye mask, and a consistent wind-down beat scrolling until midnight in a lit dorm.

By day seven you will know more about your real pace than any spreadsheet predicted. Adjust from there; the trail rewards flexible plans more than stubborn ones.

By day seven you will know more about your real pace than any spreadsheet predicted. Adjust from there; the trail rewards flexible plans more than stubborn ones.