Rest days on the Camino

[MaxHelado]

Hi, brand new to the forum but planning to walk the last 100k (or so) from Tui to Santiago later this year. I am a more mature walker and therefore plan to walk shorter distances over more days but can someone tell me what "the rules" are for rest days? If I need or want to take a day off (or more) can I do that and still claim my certificate in Santiago? I have read that I will need two stamps per day walking in Galicia and also that if I take a rest day I will need to start with a repeat stamp from the place I finished before the rest. Can anyone clarify? Many thanks.

 

[Via2010]

Hi Max,
if you take a rest-day, make sure that you take some additional stamps from the place you are staying (it is similar to people interrupting their pilgrimage - they ought to get a start-stamp again from the village where the have finished before).

For example from the cathedral, from a museum, from the places where you have slept.

Considering the short stretch Tui-Santiago I think only Pontevedra and Padrón may have enough attractions for a genuine rest-day.

All other places can be covered by planning shorter stages.

I would be reluctant to take a genuine rest-day in a seaside-village. This might qualify you as a "Tourist" and lead to problems, if you are claiming a compostela later.

BC
Alexandra

 

[MaxHelado]

Thank you, Alexandra. Impressed by your response in content and in speed!
I think shorter stages is definitely the best idea - just wanted to know if a day resting sore feet and legs would disqualify me and it seems that the answer is "No" but I should restart any rest days with a repeat stamp.
Pontevedra and Padrón sound like a great idea.

 

[trecile]

I would be reluctant to take a genuine rest-day in a seaside-village. This might qualify you as a "Tourist" and lead to problems, if you are claiming a compostela later.

I really doubt that would happen. A rest day in a seaside village should be no different than a rest day in Pontevedra or Padrón. The important thing is to have two stamps per day in the credential.

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

Hi, brand new to the forum but planning to walk the last 100k (or so) from Tui to Santiago later this year. I am a more mature walker and therefore plan to walk shorter distances over more days but can someone tell me what "the rules" are for rest days? If I need or want to take a day off (or more) can I do that and still claim my certificate in Santiago? I have read that I will need two stamps per day walking in Galicia and also that if I take a rest day I will need to start with a repeat stamp from the place I finished before the rest. Can anyone clarify? Many thanks.

just get lots of stamps wherever you are and the days you walk, they're nice at the pilgrim office, you won't have any problems.
Buen Camino

 

[Via2010]

If you claim to have walked for "religious motives" it is not very convincing, if you walk 8-10 km a day and stop at nice beaches for a rest day.

Upon my various arrivals at the pilgrims office I have experienced that sometimes the clerk really asked questions and once a pilgrim was denied the "compostela" and only offered the "Compostela simplex" as they thought he had only walked for sight-seeing (cultural, but no religious motives).

 

[trecile]

How many beachside villages are there between Tui and Santiago??

 

[David with new Kit!]

Disappointed to read that if you are doing the pilgrimage for "religious motives" that this means hardship and no enjoyment. Looks like if you take a day out it has to be because you are ill and not because you want a rest or have a tiny bit of enjoyment.

 

[trecile]

Disappointed to read that if you are doing the pilgrimage for "religious motives" that this means hardship and no enjoyment. Looks like if you take a day out it has to be because you are ill and not because you want a rest or have a tiny bit of enjoyment.

It's simply not true that you can't enjoy yourself or have fun rest days if you want to receive a Compostela. I wish that @Via2010 had not put that seed of doubt in anyone's mind. Perhaps @t2andreo, who volunteers at the Pilgrim's Office will chime in here.

 

[domigee]

It's simply not true that you can't enjoy yourself or have fun rest days if you want to receive a Compostela. I wish that @Via2010 had not put that seed of doubt in anyone's mind. Perhaps @t2andreo, who volunteers at the Pilgrim's Office will chime in here.

Absolutely. Nothing to do with a pilgrimage, imo. Don’t understand how it ever came up.... Ignore it is my answer

 

[henrythedog]

If you claim to have walked for "religious motives" it is not very convincing, if you walk 8-10 km a day and stop at nice beaches for a rest day.

Upon my various arrivals at the pilgrims office I have experienced that sometimes the clerk really asked questions and once a pilgrim was denied the "compostela" and only offered the "Compostela simplex" as they thought he had only walked for sight-seeing (cultural, but no religious motives).

My God would tolerate someone hitting the beach if they had the chance, providing it did no harm to another. I don’t think I’m on my own.

 

[Via2010]

Disappointed to read that if you are doing the pilgrimage for "religious motives" that this means hardship and no enjoyment. Looks like if you take a day out it has to be because you are ill and not because you want a rest or have a tiny bit of enjoyment.

Sorry, I did not want to cause a misunderstanding. I never experienced that the clerks of the pilgrim office denied the Compostela to someone who took some rest days or fell ill. But if their overall impression is that you were on a beach-holiday and only want the Compostela as a nice souvenir they certainly do right to deny it.

 

[AJGuillaume]

A simple example here: I am walking with my wife who is recovering from cancer. Walking is a therapy for her, but she gets tired very quickly as a result of her medication. So I have planned short stages, with a few rest days. Between Porto (we are actually walking from Lisbon) and SdC, we are taking a rest day in Vila do Conde, Viana do Castelo, Baiona, Pontevedra and Padron.
As I did when we walked the Norte in 2018, whenever we have a rest day, I just get extra stamps. I am 100% sure a Compostela will not be refused, as it was not refused when we walked from Switzerland to SdC with 11 rest days and 133 days walking.

 

[mmmmartin]

I think @t2andreo is taking a break from here.
SO: In October I was a volunteer in the pilgrim office in Santiago: the rule is two stamps per day for the final 100k. If you stay in a village or move on, the rule is two stamps per day. You can get them in just about any bar/church/albergue/hotel/shop. It helps the office worker if you put the date against each stamp. It won't matter if there are two or three from the same place as long as you make it clear what you did.
Finally, I personally found it better to have an extremely short day rather than a day of zero walking, largely because my legs seemed to prefer a small bit of exercise rather than none.
YMMV.