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The international bestseller that inspired scores of people who thought they were too old, too young, or not fit enough for an adventure. They found themselves on an adventure. Will you join this tribe of walkers,adventures and pilgrims?
The Camino Ingles is a shorter Camino in Spain, it follows a thousand year old pilgrimage trail and it qualifies you for the Compostela. If you’re looking for your first adventure, or your next adventure, this is the one for you.
They changed the route of the Camino Ingles, and many readers wrote to me about it. I went, I walked, I wrote. I’m about to launch the next edition, fully updated with lots of new content.
Coming Soon
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How much of the book is done
- Walking, Updating – now Publishing 80%
10 Myths about the Camino Ingles
Myth #1 - The Camino is only for Catholics
A Christian pilgrimage for over a thousand years, it is one of the “big three” pilgrimages: to Jerusalem, Rome and Santiago de Compostela. While the infrastructure was developed by the Catholic church the great pilgrimage is open to all in the true meaning of the word,
Catholic = Universal.
Walk it for your health, for achievement, and walk it to find God, or your own goodness on the Way.
Myth #2: You have to be fit and athletic
It’s a walk. If you can take one step at a time, good. get good shoes, if you need more help, grab a trekking pole. If you can’t carry your bags, there’s help. If you need help, it’s just a phone call away.
A couple of weeks training starting from one kilometer a day, will take you to 10 kilometers in not time at all.
Myth # 3: Camping out and roughing it is obligatory
In fact there is no camping!
Camping is discouraged, albergues or pilgrim hostels provide cheap accomodation, or you can book into private hostals or pensions or even hotels if you need to. All accomodations have hot and cold showers, toilets, beds and rudimentary kitchens.
Myth # 4: The Ingles is not the authentic trail
You do not have to complete the 800 km Camino Frances to receive the Compostela, the official Latin certificate. ( If you’re Catholic, this is one the requirements to get the indulgence granted by the church.)
The Camino Ingles, from Ferrol is over 100km and qualifies you for the compostela.
The route from A Coruña is only 75 km from Santiago, you can earn the compostela if you have walked the remaining 25 km in your home country first and collected stamps in your credencial to prove it.
Myth # 5: You need a guidebook or a map
You can either just follow the markers on the Ingles, or you can download the Wise Pilgrim app, or you can read a guidebook before hand. At worst, carry your guidebook on Kindle on your phone!
Myth #6: It's vital to carry everything
No – the lighter your pack, the easier it is to carry. Carry your basics, and anything else is for sale in most towns. I love the China Bazars in most towns, they have everything at down to earth prices. And for hiking gear there is always Decathlon, in Coruna and Ferrol.
Your backpack must weigh no more than 10 percent of your body weight. (psst – did I tell you about Correos? the backpack porting service?)
Myth #7: You have to rough it.
No, take it at your own pace. Getting a hotel does not make you less of a pilgrim.
Eat wonderful food, and drink beautiful wine at the ned of the day, for a fraction of what it costs at home.
And I haven’t even started on the cafe con leche, churros and chocolate!
Myth #8: The Camino Ingles is an easy walk
There are some flat sections, but there are no really easy sections to the Camino de Santiago. Some are easier than others, but none are a walk in the park, be ready for ascents and descents all the way. In truth the paths on the tarred road challenged me more than the muddy tracks.
Myth #9: Walking it alone is dangerous
It’s safe to walk alone. In the case of the Ingles, solo travelers are common. You will meet others, and you can choose how social you want to be.
Myth #10: It’s a punishment.
In the middle ages, some people were sent on the Camino as a repayment for their ‘crimes’, remember this was a gentler alternative to some medieval punishments like amputation or chopping off your head, or banishment. However a lot of people walked for the same reasons we walk today – as a pilgrimage.