Camping on the Camino?

[whiteblaze]

I imagine That some people on the Camino de Santiago might actually be camping out in a tent along the route to Santiago. I saw on a few maps an indication of “” camping “. So what are the guidelines on a trail of this nature which permit Pilgrims to be independent of available housing be at a hospital or a B&B? I love to live under the stars and do not mind being self sufficient on this venture.

 

[trecile]

I have added the "camping" tag at the top of this thread. Click on it to find more threads related to camping.

You have to keep in mind that the Camino is not a wilderness hike. You are walking through several villages/towns/cities every day so you probably want to maintain a higher level of hygiene than if you were hiking in the back country.

 

[cardifflad52]

I imagine That some people on the Camino de Santiago might actually be camping out in a tent along the route to Santiago. I saw on a few maps an indication of “” camping “. So what are the guidelines on a trail of this nature which permit Pilgrims to be independent of available housing be at a hospital or a B&B? I love to live under the stars and do not mind being self sufficient on this venture.

When I did the Frances earlier in the year I came across a woman from Germany with her dog camping out the entire route then I noticed someone else doing the Frances so it is a possibility and in October someone completed the Porto Camino coastal route in his lanshan tent apart from 2 nights in the alberques .. if I do the caminos again I would certainly do it and just book in somewhere once a week to recharge my power banks

 

[JerryStroebele]

Early in life I read somewhere that sleeping in a tent does not count against your time on earth. It must be true, I have tent camped and backpacked a lot and I am now 78. However, I believe "wild camping" is not allowed in Spain and most commercial camp grounds are stuffed with campervans or trailers. Ironically, many of them have small bungalows for rent. They are just fine and economical. Some albergues have a grass area where you might be able to pitch a tent. Probably for a small fee. On my first Camino I carried a tent 500 km and then mailed it back to the US. A real delight (and a dire necessity!) on any Camino is a hot shower in the afternoon followed by a communal meal in the evening. Why miss that? Buen Camino

 

[CanadianBarb]

I walked the del Norte September and October and had I realized how much trouble I would have getting accommodation I would have happily packed an extra 2 lbs to take my bivy sac and a light mattress. As it was I ended up sleeping twice outside on a plastic sheet since I could not manage another 10 km walk and one of those nights it rained... I heard that in the summer several people had to sleep on the beaches also since it seems like about 1/3 of the albergues have closed and even all normal hotels were booked since a lot of del Norte is on tourist locations. It got better as I started booking ahead but this is not something I had hoped for my first Camino, as I had hoped I could be more spontaneous but alas this was not the way it turned out. I hope that infrastructure will once again improve now that most of COVID has passed....

 

[green_spork]

I imagine That some people on the Camino de Santiago might actually be camping out in a tent along the route to Santiago. I saw on a few maps an indication of “” camping “. So what are the guidelines on a trail of this nature which permit Pilgrims to be independent of available housing be at a hospital or a B&B? I love to live under the stars and do not mind being self sufficient on this venture.

I met 2 people using tents while walking the Primitivo in September! A French pilgrim who had walked from his small town in Burgundy. I walked a few stages with him, he was a Blacksmith who wasn’t sticking to a set walking plan. He would walk as far as liked and then just set up his tent! He said he never had any issues wild camping! The other person was a young Dutch girl, she had been camping out for 100 days! She started from her town near Masstricht.
I met in a Albergue, but she slept in her tent that was pitched outside. She mentioned it could be difficult finding suitable camp sites and a lot of albergues wouldn’t let her camp on the their property.

 

[LesR]

I imagine That some people on the Camino de Santiago might actually be camping out in a tent along the route to Santiago. I saw on a few maps an indication of “” camping “. So what are the guidelines on a trail of this nature which permit Pilgrims to be independent of available housing be at a hospital or a B&B? I love to live under the stars and do not mind being self sufficient on this venture.

My understanding is that, in Spain, camping is by default prohibited... It is only allowed where it is specifically allowed.

 

[MinaKamina]

Here's a link to an explanation about wild camping in Spain.
https://wanderingourworld.com/wild-camping-in-spain/
It isn't legal, but it is tolerated in many places, if you are discrete and leave no trace.

 

[CanadianBarb]

Here's a link to an explanation about wild camping in Spain.
https://wanderingourworld.com/wild-camping-in-spain/
It isn't legal, but it is tolerated in many places, if you are discrete and leave no trace.

This information is very appreciated!

 

[Anniesantiago]

I imagine That some people on the Camino de Santiago might actually be camping out in a tent along the route to Santiago. I saw on a few maps an indication of “” camping “. So what are the guidelines on a trail of this nature which permit Pilgrims to be independent of available housing be at a hospital or a B&B? I love to live under the stars and do not mind being self sufficient on this venture.

I've camped several times along the Camino. I have a blog post that you should be able to find if you do a search on Camping - it lists various places to camp,

 

[geraldkelly]

There was a discussion about wild camping on the Via de la Plata Facebook group. I did some investigating about the legal situation. I've described what I found out on the FAQ page of the Via website and have also put it on the Camino Francés FAQ. It's here https://www.caminoguide.net/pages/frequently-asked-questions-about-walking-the-camino-de-santiago#41

 

[JabbaPapa]

My understanding is that, in Spain, camping is by default prohibited... It is only allowed where it is specifically allowed.

This varies both regionally and locally, but the generals of it are that you can't just set yourself down in some location for several days (which for pilgrims is not an issue) and you cannot start a campfire.

There are pilgrim "rest areas" dotted along the Camino, and my impression is that camping is OK in those locations.

 

[wynrich]

In 2019 when walking the Norte, my husband and I met a fellow-pilgrim on the path who said "do you want to see a photo of where I slept last night?" Of course, we did. She showed us the doorway of a shop in Luarca. It had poured rain that night but she had managed to stay dry. She was a Polish woman who had lived in England for several years and was walking the camino a week at a time as she got time off of work. She said she'd had such a bad experience with bedbugs on a previous trip, she slept outside as often as possible. I don't think she had a tent. She was very cheerful and having a great time.

 

[CaminoLars]

There was a German man and his dog who camped out each night somewhere along the Camino. I ran into him in SDC, so he made it without much issue.

 

[good_old_shoes]

I did camp quite a lot this summer on the Francés.

Camping on the Camino is a bit different than for example on the American long distance trails like the Appalachian trail. You can't just camp wherever you want, you have to use official campgrounds or camp at albergues.

"Wild camping" is not allowed, and there is no need to be fully self sufficient and/or to carry lots of food and water. Even if you camp, you can go to the cafés/bars/restaurants if you want to, so there's no need for a stove (it is not allowed to be used because of the risk of forest fires, anyway). Many campgrounds do have a restaurant on site. Camping at albergues, you can use the kitchen or join the communal dinner if there is one.

There are some official campgrounds, some of those are more basic (but always with warm showers), some very luxurious with pool and all.

Some albergues will let you camp if you ask nicely and start your question with "If I pay the same as for a bed, is it maybe possible...?".

Price of an official campground is similar to a bed in a private albergue. At some albergues you pay a bit less with a tent, but I always offered the same price, because tent camping is not popular in Spain and it is often assumed that only freeloaders want to camp. Time to work against that prejudice!

Many albergues do not allow camping even if you offer to pay the same price, but will let you sleep outdoors in their garden without a tent. That's a good option in summer in nice weather. Falling asleep under the stars, no snorers...

I camped to avoid bedbugs and covid, then later because of a pet, and also because I just love to sleep in my tent.

Should I walk the Camino again, I'll certainly bring camping gear again.

It is certainly not needed on the Francés, but if you love camping and want to avoid any bed race, busy albergues, and/or bedbugs, it's a nice option.

 

[Ussasx]

When i walked the Frances in May last year there were a number of people that slept wild. A Dutch chap, an Irish guy and a (I think) German lady regularly would be sleeping outdoors - no camping, more just find somewhere nice to put the roll mat - under a bridge, in woods etc.
Another German Chap and a French Chap frequently did the same.
Finally a group of French people who did have tents would regularly sleep out. Next to the camino and in spots that were open and not far from the trail.
There was no indication they had any problem and did this for most of the journey. I think the rules of stay in one location for one night, be away from houses, be ready to move on if asked and the most important - LEAVE NO TRACE - means that it is tolerated.
I plan to take my tent and air mattress when I walk a longer Camino, though I will probably use it sparingly, i can recall a few places on the frances where albergue options were limited and camping nearby would be preferable, though. As others have said a nice hot shower and clean clothes is a must if you plan on joining the communal dinners, or walking with other pilgrims without offending their noses If i was on the frances again out of my 33 days walking I would have probably camped 10/12 of those - this maybe more or less on other routes - i will find out soon!