How far do most typically walk before resting?

[robindysard]

Hi,
We leave in four weeks to walk the Camino Portugués and have been training (but have a ways to go!). We are working on walking further each day. However, to make it realistic since this is my first Camino, how far do most people walk before taking a break? Four miles? Six? Eight?

I'm sure this varies considerably depending on how fit you are, your load, how many miles you have to do each day and your desires but just to get a general idea, I'd love to hear how frequently in number of miles some of you take a seated rest break during a typical day's walking. Thank you!

 

[Anamya]

I don't rest after a certain amount of miles, I actually stop to rest after each one hour of walking. Because some miles take longer than others depending on terrain!

Walk one hour, stop 10-15 min to stretch and rest, that's my usual rhythm. But as you said, it may vary - if after one hour I'm in a place with no shade, I may go a bit more to rest in a shaded area, for example.

That said, I have been reading all your posts and see you have been preparing thoroughly. However, sometimes you sound a bit anxious about expectations - how much to walk, where to stop, what time things happen. It's normal for the first camino, so plan carefully if that suits you, but remember to enjoy the freedom this experience allows you, ok? Don't be afraid to chuck your plans in the bin if you would be happier doing things differently we all want you to have the best camino!

 

[C clearly]

I like to take a sit-down break every couple of hours. That might correspond to a morning snack, a longer mid-day rest, and a short one later on. But it really depends on many things - just like any day out for a walk. Weather is a big factor, how far I want to get that day, whether there is a nice place to stop, whether there is a closing time at the restaurant or museum I want to visit, etc.

 

[Stivandrer]

Ask your friends- your feet:
If you are blister-prone, you might try the 1 hour solution, which is every hour on the hour, stop take off boots/shoes, inspect and massage your feet, turn out your socks, hang them to dry on the loops of your rucksack. take dry frersh socks, alternate during the day . Third pair of socks are the ones getting washed...
Rehydrate, repeat Rehydrate. My first hour out is usually 2 hours before stopping, full of optimism...

If you are coffee-prone it is a given to stop at every nice looking watering hole, here the CF is good at that, i.e. to entice you to stop.

Once you get the rhythm you might walk on for hours, this especially on lonesome routes like the Via de la Plata where café stops are rare. Here I like to walk slow and let the landscape get to you, to wonder at it all...
( afterthought: My blisters come with excess heat which creates moisture and excess arching!
Slow walking keeps the heat down and prevents blistering, but that is just my feet..)

And then there is the perfect seat!!
It will leap into your sight and invite you to take the weight off your feet.
Take it...
Enjoy

 

[robindysard]

I don't rest after a certain amount of miles, I actually stop to rest after each one hour of walking. Because some miles take longer than others depending on terrain!

Walk one hour, stop 10-15 min to stretch and rest, that's my usual rhythm. But as you said, it may vary - if after one hour I'm in a place with no shade, I may go a bit more to rest in a shaded area, for example.

That said, I have been reading all your posts and see you have been preparing thoroughly. However, sometimes you sound a bit anxious about expectations - how much to walk, where to stop, what time things happen. It's normal for the first camino, so plan carefully if that suits you, but remember to enjoy the freedom this experience allows you, ok? Don't be afraid to chuck your plans in the bin if you would be happier doing things differently we all want you to have the best camino!

Thank you! I appreciate your advice and I'm not anxious but it just helps me to prepare. And my strengths include input and futuristic...you can't turn your strengths off because that is who God created you to be! Thank you for your perspective and you are probably right; time vs miles is a good way to go!

 

[robindysard]

Ask your friends- your feet:
If you are blister-prone, you might try the 1 hour solution, which is every hour on the hour, stop take off boots/shoes, inspect and massage your feet, turn out your socks, hang them to dry on the loops of your rucksack. Rehydrate, repeat Rehydrate. My first hour out is usually 2 hours before stopping, full of optimism...

If you are coffee-prone it is a given to stop at every nice looking watering hole, here the CF is good at that, i.e. to entice you to stop.

Once you get the rhythm you might walk on for hours, this especially on lonesome routes like the Via de la Plata where stops are rare. Here I like to walk slow and let the landscape get to you, to wonder at it all...

And then there is the perfect seat!! It will leap into your sight and invite you to take the weight off your feet.
Take it...
Enjoy

Ha ha! That's beautiful! Yes, I'm sure my feet will be "talking" to me and guiding my rest breaks, lol! Didn't think about that! Thank you for your perspective, it helps!

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Ditch the miles. Learn kilometers. 10km. Rest. (It's 6.2 miles).

 

[klimmo]

Once the train is moving, I can go on for hours, and I often do, happily plodding along. Untill something entices me to stop, a café, an interesting looking place/museum, the daily menu, whatever. Unless weather needs biding, I surrender to whatever the day brings. It's what I love about walking.

I love Portugal and so enjoyed the CP, wishing you a lovely time out there!
Buen camino

 

[J Willhaus]

I like to stop when there is a place to get a drink or snack and use the bathroom.

 

[CTLawGal]

At home while training, I tend not to stop during my walks, which tend to range from 2 to 6 hours, I just walk until I'm done. As a result, I think I didn't rest often enough while on my Camino, maybe a stop after 2-3 hours for a coffee, and then plowing straight through until I arrived (hoping to make it to my destination in time for a late lunch - I don't like to eat much while walking and don't like to eat dinner at 8.

However, I learned that the soles of my feet seemed to recover better when I did take a second break - just resting for 20-30 minutes really made a difference in my recovery and my feet didn't feel as tired, so I started forcing myself to stop to rest. The rest stops were also at times nice socially, and I might have connected with more people had I stopped more often, especially at the beginning - but I also felt shy about that aspect, which might have fueled my impulse to keep pushing onwards without a stop

It was also good during the rest periods to remove shoes and socks, soak my feet in water where available, or just stand in cool grass. But that meant reapplying the Hikegoo to my feet afterwards and by the 5th or 6th week I started to worry I was going to run out, so stopped removing my socks. Yes, I know I could have stopped at a pharmacy to buy some vaseline to replace it, but I didn't want to risk blistering by trying something new at that stage of the game.

So, bottom line, I would recommend stopping to rest a bit even if you're feeling strong and don't really feel you need it. Screw up your courage to chat with some fellow pilgrims while you're at it!

 

[KiwiJohn]

I like to take a sit-down break every couple of hours. That might correspond to a morning snack, a longer mid-day rest, and a short one later on. But it really depends on many things - just like any day out for a walk. Weather is a big factor, how far I want to get that day, whether there is a nice place to stop, whether there is a closing time at the restaurant or museum I want to visit, etc.

On the Te Araroa trail here in New Zealand, I tended to have a half an hour rest after 8/9 kms. Then another hour for lunch after a similar distance, completing the day's hike an hour of two later.
With the Camino, I will probably be able to rest every two hours as the terrain/track condition isn't as difficult. Hopefully, I will be able to manage 25+kms on average.

 

[trecile]

The good news is that you don't have to decide now!

On the Camino stop and take a break when you feel like it. The most important thing is that if you feel the beginnings of a hotspot on your feet or any kind of unusual pain stop immediately and address it.

Ditch the miles. Learn kilometers.

I agree. It will make it easier to talk to communicate things like how far is the next town with your fellow pilgrims.

I like to stop when there is a place to get a drink or snack and use the bathroom.

Me too.

 

[C clearly]

I learned that the soles of my feet seemed to recover better when I did take a second break - just resting for 20-30 minutes really made a difference in my recovery and my feet didn't feel as tired,

I find this to be true. A half-hour rest helps a lot. Of course, if you have blisters, starting up again after a rest can mean that your blisters hurt more for awhile until they get beaten into submission again.

 

[AnneO]

I took a break whenever I felt like it mostly. I had a few times I took two breaks less than an hour apart if I was having a tough day. A lot of times it had to do with when I needed to use a bathroom or sometimes a place just looked like a cool place to stop or I saw people I knew so I stopped even if I didn’t really need to.

I would say on average I stopped every couple of hours.

 

[robindysard]

Ditch the miles. Learn kilometers. 10km. Rest. (It's 6.2 miles).

ha ha! I do need to learn km, old habits die hard! Sounds longer too, lol!

 

[robindysard]

I took a break whenever I felt like it mostly. I had a few times I took two breaks less than an hour apart if I was having a tough day. A lot of times it had to do with when I needed to use a bathroom or sometimes a place just looked like a cool place to stop or I saw people I knew so I stopped even if I didn’t really need to.

I would say on average I stopped every couple of hours.

That sounds like the average people are reporting and correlates with what we've been practicing, so good to know thank you!

 

[alhartman]

I found more mental peace on my caminos when I started thinking 'time' as my metric and (mostly) ignored distance. From teenage backpacking in the Sierras, I generally walk an hour and rest 5-15 minutes (more and I lock up) During rests I take off my shoes and socks and inspect my feet. Since blisters are a function of heat, friction, and moisture, my breaks refresh my feet.
YMMV

 

[sarahchicago]

Hi,
We leave in four weeks to walk the Camino Portugués and have been training (but have a ways to go!). We are working on walking further each day. However, to make it realistic since this is my first Camino, how far do most people walk before taking a break? Four miles? Six? Eight?

I'm sure this varies considerably depending on how fit you are, your load, how many miles you have to do each day and your desires but just to get a general idea, I'd love to hear how frequently in number of miles some of you take a seated rest break during a typical day's walking. Thank you!

Like others who responded above, I stopped every couple of hours on the CP from Porto this April, or more often in the afternoons on long days. I changed socks at least once and elevated my feet above my heart to counteract swelling (from chronic shin splints). Whichever route, look at elevation profiles. On the CF you will see that some days are very hilly, others are very flat. That’s one factor that will affect your pace and rests. So will weather, fatigue, hunger, boredom, excitement, etc. Also, you will become stronger and more comfortable in weeks 2 and 3 and will find a rhythm that works for you. Follow the traditional rule for hiking and go at the pace of the slower/est hiker in your group or plan to walk separately. Pushing yourself to go fast can lead to pain from tendinitis and/or blisters.
On the CF in May-June last year, my husband and I averaged 26 km/day and usually stopped 2-4 times/day, more often on hot days, 30+ days and in the hilly early days, less often on shorter, flatter, cooler days. Buen camino! Every little thing gonna be alright.

 

[robindysard]

Like others who responded above, I stopped every couple of hours on the CP from Porto this April, or more often in the afternoons on long days. I changed socks at least once and elevated my feet above my heart to counteract swelling (from chronic shin splints). Whichever route, look at elevation profiles. On the CF you will see that some days are very hilly, others are very flat. That’s one factor that will affect your pace and rests. So will weather, fatigue, hunger, boredom, excitement, etc. Also, you will become stronger and more comfortable in weeks 2 and 3 and will find a rhythm that works for you. Follow the traditional rule for hiking and go at the pace of the slower/est hiker in your group or plan to walk separately. Pushing yourself to go fast can lead to pain from tendinitis and/or blisters.
On the CF in May-June last year, my husband and I averaged 26 km/day and usually stopped 2-4 times/day, more often on hot days, 30+ days and in the hilly early days, less often on shorter, flatter, cooler days. Buen camino! Every little thing gonna be alright.

Thank you, good advice. I do plan to elevate my legs! I can totally imagine you get stronger after walking and can develop a better pace later, makes sense! That's great you guys walked that far every day, sounds like the perfect goal! I'm looking forward to it!

 

[sarahchicago]

Thank you, good advice. I do plan to elevate my legs! I can totally imagine you get stronger after walking and can develop a better pace later, makes sense! That's great you guys walked that far every day, sounds like the perfect goal! I'm looking forward to it!

Next time we walk the CF (probably in winter) we will go slower and explore more. 20-22 kms is a more comfortable pace for me, which was my pace on my solo portugues Camino.

 

[Robo]

My feet tell me when to stop.
I learnt on my first Camino not to ignore them.
On a couple of occasions they went on strike in the middle of nowhere!

So I let them choose now and all is well.
Sometimes they surprise me as they want to plod along for 2-3 hours without a break.
Other times, on hard terrain usually, they might want to stop every 20 minutes!

I don't argue.

When they stop.............I stop.

Gives me a chance to enjoy the view anyway.......

 

[Damien Reynolds]

ha ha! I do need to learn km, old habits die hard! Sounds longer too, lol!

I still haven't figured out Celsius. But like 23 is perfect for hiking and 36 is body temperature. So I just interpolate.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

, I surrender to whatever the day brings. It's what I love about walking.

Me too. Initially I tried to plan, but there wasn't always a good place to stop. Often, I'd just passed a great place 20 minutes earlier..
After a couple of days I learnt the above.
As many have said, I also listen to my body. In this order:
1/Eyes - Spain is beautiful!
2/Feet- ain't going nowhere without them
3/Heart - sometimes something/ someone appeal's so much you've just gotta stop!
4/Stomach - snacks are great, but real food is important!
5/Head - occasionally, I simply tell myself that enough is enough

Wonderful people, fresh OJ and good coffee trump all.

And distance? Somewhere between 20 and 35 km, depending on how I feel and who I'm walking with at that particular point in time. ( I walk alone, but you meet so many wonderful people/ fellow pilgrims.. )

 

[Jodean]

I stop whenever there is a chance to stop, have a coffee or a snack, or an Aquarius, and visit the WC. Some days it is in the 1st hour, other days it is longer. No set times. Has more to do with opportunity and that WC.

 

[Leaderene]

I tend to stop every 1.5- 2 hours. Sometimes that may be for 15 mins ot sometimes at a cafe for a coffee which will be a longer stop. Sometimes you feel you don't need it but in my experience your body will perform much better for you as a result of stopping.

 

[M2ME]

Hi,
We leave in four weeks to walk the Camino Portugués and have been training (but have a ways to go!). We are working on walking further each day. However, to make it realistic since this is my first Camino, how far do most people walk before taking a break? Four miles? Six? Eight?

I'm sure this varies considerably depending on how fit you are, your load, how many miles you have to do each day and your desires but just to get a general idea, I'd love to hear how frequently in number of miles some of you take a seated rest break during a typical day's walking. Thank you!

Every 10 km for 15 minutes or so to remove shoes, in soles, air out feet, reapply Vaseline and change socks.

 

[alexwalker]

I tend to stop every 1.5- 2 hours. Sometimes that may be for 15 mins ot sometimes at a cafe for a coffee which will be a longer stop. Sometimes you feel you don't need it but in my experience your body will perform much better for you as a result of stopping.

Agree. Get a cold beer, shoes off, and enjoy where I am.

 

[lt56ny]

Hi,
We leave in four weeks to walk the Camino Portugués and have been training (but have a ways to go!). We are working on walking further each day. However, to make it realistic since this is my first Camino, how far do most people walk before taking a break? Four miles? Six? Eight?

I'm sure this varies considerably depending on how fit you are, your load, how many miles you have to do each day and your desires but just to get a general idea, I'd love to hear how frequently in number of miles some of you take a seated rest break during a typical day's walking. Thank you!

My advice is really simple. It seems safe to say this is probably your first camino and first attempt at a long distance pilgrimage. If it is possible to take more time then you originally planned that take an extra week (also if it fits your budget of course). I assume also (I am assuming alot) that you will walk the Frances.
Walk shorter distances to start.
The advice of the person who said they stop after an hour and rest is good. I would go further and tell you to only listen to your body and never your head. When your body says stop, then stop. Take off your pack. Stretch a little, rest eat and drink something. In 10 minutes or so go again. Walk shorter distances early on your camino. If you have walked 18K and feel pretty good and the next town is 5 or 6k further. Stop at 18. More times than not those last few extra kilometers may eat you up. Your body will start to tell you that you can walk longer distances after a week or 10 days. Or you may find you like doing shorter days. Let your body dictate the speed you walk. Your rhythm is so important. Too fast or too slow can really tire you out. It is your camino. Don't feel pressured to walk more or less than your body tells you. When you are in tune you will know instinctively when to stop to rest, stop to eat and stop to sleep. (Also when to start again). Anyway that is my long winded simple advice. haha

 

[TexasIndia]

Hi,
We leave in four weeks to walk the Camino Portugués and have been training (but have a ways to go!). We are working on walking further each day. However, to make it realistic since this is my first Camino, how far do most people walk before taking a break? Four miles? Six? Eight?

I'm sure this varies considerably depending on how fit you are, your load, how many miles you have to do each day and your desires but just to get a general idea, I'd love to hear how frequently in number of miles some of you take a seated rest break during a typical day's walking. Thank you!

Depends on the day and whether I'm planning more or fewer miles that day. My ideal day is get out right after breakfast and go for 2-3 hours. Have a snack or take coffee break. Then go for another hour or two. My average time walking each day was about 6 hours, average miles were 15 and average pace was 22:00.

At my second break, I'd hopefully be at a cafe and could see how far it was to where I wanted to stay. I liked to get a menu del dia for lunch every other day or so. I would start looking for a place to eat if it was late enough. Otherwise, I'd get a tortilla or something at a cafe.

I was on the Camino del Norte and didn't always have cafes or restaurants. Also some days had more climbs than others. So on higher elevations days, I took more breaks.

If you have an idea of your pace, you can plan out your days. I know a lot of people who wait for breakfast later. I can't do that. I need coffee and something right away. Probably because I rarely eat in the evenings.

 

[wynrich]

ha ha! I do need to learn km, old habits die hard! Sounds longer too, lol!

Ha ha, yes I'm terrible at thinking in kilometers. I do a lot of math in my head. 10 KM sounds longer but each of those kilometers goes by a lot faster.

 

[John Sikora]

Normally, about every hour or so. If it's all uphill, maybe every 3 minutes. I tend to stop for a water break every 5K-8K and maybe a snack every other break along with taking off my shoes and just letting my feet cool and air out a bit.

 

[backpack45]

I don't have any set time, but generally we take a snack break mid-morning (and sometimes mid-afternoon), and a lunch break--which for our is usually picnic style since we generally aren't near any restaurants on the less-populated Camino walks we do. However, as a photographer, I make a lot of stops to take photos. I think you will find yourself playing it by ear--hot days might require more water breaks, rainy days (assuming you encounter any!) might make you move along faster to find a shelter.) And, as others have said, if you are having foot problems, take off shoes and socks often.

 

[trecile]

If it's all uphill, maybe every 3 minutes.

I've been there!

 

[GraemeHall]

I don't stick to this rigidly, but my general rhythm is:
Walk two hours, have a brief stop (15 min or so) to have a snack, take off shoes and put back on;
Walk two hours, stop longer (maybe lunch?), take off shoes and change socks to the opposite feet
Walk two hours and a short break, take off shoes and put back on

That's 6 hours or about 25km. If necessary, walk on for up to two more hours.

 

[PortTrekker]

ha ha! I do need to learn km, old habits die hard! Sounds longer too, lol!

When you see local distances in kilometres just multiply by 0.6 (or multiply by 6 and divide by 10!) to get the miles you’re familiar with.
You may also want to get Celsius weather forecasts into Fahrenheit, it’s near enough to double the Celsius and add 30.
Have a great trip!

 

[trecile]

Here's what I learned about Celsius temperatures
0 is cold
10 is cool
20 is nice
30 is hot

Obviously less than 0 is really cold and higher than 30 is really hot.

 

[Marbe2]

For the most part, where we stop depends mostly upon, where there are bathrooms and food.

 

[Bellbutt]

Hi,
We leave in four weeks to walk the Camino Portugués and have been training (but have a ways to go!). We are working on walking further each day. However, to make it realistic since this is my first Camino, how far do most people walk before taking a break? Four miles? Six? Eight?

I'm sure this varies considerably depending on how fit you are, your load, how many miles you have to do each day and your desires but just to get a general idea, I'd love to hear how frequently in number of miles some of you take a seated rest break during a typical day's walking. Thank you!

Stop whenever you want to. Or anytime you pass a cafe or Donotivo or a place with a great view. Don't be in a hurry, enjoy it

 

[tpmchugh]

Hi,
We leave in four weeks to walk the Camino Portugués and have been training (but have a ways to go!). We are working on walking further each day. However, to make it realistic since this is my first Camino, how far do most people walk before taking a break? Four miles? Six? Eight?

I'm sure this varies considerably depending on how fit you are, your load, how many miles you have to do each day and your desires but just to get a general idea, I'd love to hear how frequently in number of miles some of you take a seated rest break during a typical day's walking. Thank you!

I rest up when I get tired but always before starting a steep ascent. While climbing say, the Pyrenees, I will stop to rest many more times than on the flat. On the flat, say the long stretch out of Carrion, I will stop at the rest area at start and rest area at end which must be about 10 to 12 km. My body and conditions dictate when I rest, not any planned routine.

 

[pelerine]

Here's what I learned about Celsius temperatures
0 is cold
10 is cool
20 is nice
30 is hot

Obviously less than 0 is really cold and higher than 30 is really hot.

0 is point of freezing…

 

[trecile]

0 is point of freezing…

That's why I said it was cold!

 

[tfw]

Hi,
We leave in four weeks to walk the Camino Portugués and have been training (but have a ways to go!). We are working on walking further each day. However, to make it realistic since this is my first Camino, how far do most people walk before taking a break? Four miles? Six? Eight?

I'm sure this varies considerably depending on how fit you are, your load, how many miles you have to do each day and your desires but just to get a general idea, I'd love to hear how frequently in number of miles some of you take a seated rest break during a typical day's walking. Thank you!

About every two hours.

 

[robindysard]

I found more mental peace on my caminos when I started thinking 'time' as my metric and (mostly) ignored distance. From teenage backpacking in the Sierras, I generally walk an hour and rest 5-15 minutes (more and I lock up) During rests I take off my shoes and socks and inspect my feet. Since blisters are a function of heat, friction, and moisture, my breaks refresh my feet.
YMMV

that seems to be a common theme, to take shoes and socks off during rest break and even change socks. Time is a great metric to focus on, thank you!

Normally, about every hour or so. If it's all uphill, maybe every 3 minutes. I tend to stop for a water break every 5K-8K and maybe a snack every other break along with taking off my shoes and just letting my feet cool and air out a bit.

That sounds like a healthy stop schedule, thank you!

 

[robindysard]

I don't have any set time, but generally we take a snack break mid-morning (and sometimes mid-afternoon), and a lunch break--which for our is usually picnic style since we generally aren't near any restaurants on the less-populated Camino walks we do. However, as a photographer, I make a lot of stops to take photos. I think you will find yourself playing it by ear--hot days might require more water breaks, rainy days (assuming you encounter any!) might make you move along faster to find a shelter.) And, as others have said, if you are having foot problems, take off shoes and socks often.

That makes sense, thank you! I hope to take lots of great photos also (although with my iphone

 

[robindysard]

I don't stick to this rigidly, but my general rhythm is:
Walk two hours, have a brief stop (15 min or so) to have a snack, take off shoes and put back on;
Walk two hours, stop longer (maybe lunch?), take off shoes and change socks to the opposite feet
Walk two hours and a short break, take off shoes and put back on

That's 6 hours or about 25km. If necessary, walk on for up to two more hours.

I like that schedule. Thank you for sharing!

 

[robindysard]

I rest up when I get tired but always before starting a steep ascent. While climbing say, the Pyrenees, I will stop to rest many more times than on the flat. On the flat, say the long stretch out of Carrion, I will stop at the rest area at start and rest area at end which must be about 10 to 12 km. My body and conditions dictate when I rest, not any planned routine.

That makes perfect sense, thank you. I'm really just trying to figure in terms of our training, but I'm sure my "body" will be dictating everything once I start walking!

 

[C clearly]

I'm really just trying to figure in terms of our training,

It has never occurred to me to factor expected rest stops into my training. I walk as much as I have time for in the months before my Camino, but rarely would it be for a full day. (It is still good to do 3 consecutive days of 15-20 km before your first camino, at least, to test your clothes and equipment and to identify any blister-prone areas.)

We leave in four weeks to walk the Camino Portugués and have been training (but have a ways to go!)

At this stage, be careful that you don't overdo your training and end up injuring yourself before departure. I would ease off in the last week or two and get some rest instead.

 

[Lydia Le]

I walk between 12 to 15 miles a day. I would stop twice for personal needs, drink, lunch and restroom. But I stop for cow, horse or dog that need petting.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

that seems to be a common theme, to take shoes and socks off during rest break and even change socks. Time is a great metric to focus on, thank you!

That sounds like a healthy stop schedule, thank you!

Ok so like the blister thing may be genetic. Walk a lot. Like now. Get callouses. My feet are totally destroyed with thick skin whenever I walk multiple Caminos. No Vaseline. No changing socks. No blisters. I've seen some crazy shit tho.

 

[SureFtWayEli]

Hi,
We leave in four weeks to walk the Camino Portugués and have been training (but have a ways to go!). We are working on walking further each day. However, to make it realistic since this is my first Camino, how far do most people walk before taking a break? Four miles? Six? Eight?

I'm sure this varies considerably depending on how fit you are, your load, how many miles you have to do each day and your desires but just to get a general idea, I'd love to hear how frequently in number of miles some of you take a seated rest break during a typical day's walking. Thank you!

If I start between 6:30 & 7, my first stop is where I can get cafe con leche & tortilla or something thereof around 10 & 10:30, then walk & maybe eat a piece of fruit or Kinder Bueno & drink midway between morning snack & pilgrim dinner. Surprising how far carbs will take you.

 

[dougfitz]

However, to make it realistic since this is my first Camino, how far do most people walk before taking a break? Four miles? Six? Eight?

Not knowing what most people do, I can only tell you how I think about this. I plan my my day around having three roughly two hour periods of walking time when on the camino, with the option of adding a fourth if I need to if there is a longer distance to cover on some day. After about an hour I will eat a snack - fruit if I have it, or a snack bar - from my pack. Towards the end of the next hour I will be looking for a bar/cafe or supermercado - somewhere where I can sit for 10-15 minutes. If there is a seat or bench in a village, this is a good place to do this, and watch the world, pilgrims and locals, go by.

This pattern gets repeated, with a longer break at the end of the next walking period for lunch. Towards the end of the next period, I start looking for somewhere to stay if I haven't booked the night before.

Some refinements to this:

• if I haven't had breakfast where I stayed the night before, I will be looking for a bar/cafe somewhere in the first hour of walking. Then the basic pattern described above kicks in.
• I do not pass an open bar/cafe if the next one looks like it will be much more than an hour away, and sometimes I just don't pass an open bar/cafe anyhow.

 

[grayland]

The simple and basics of Km to miles:
1 km is .62 mile
1 mile is 1.62 km ..thus 10 miles is 16.2 km



An easy way to keep it in mind..
10 miles is 16.2 Km
5 miles Is 8.1 Km

or...in the opposite
10 km is 6.2 miles
5 km is 3.1 miles.

Write it on your guide book to refer to when you see signs.

Not rocket science so just embrace it.

If you use a tracking app when training..I suggest setting it to Km when training to be accustomed to the distance as you will be seeing and hearing kilometers in Spain.

 

[trecile]

The simple and basics of Km to miles:
1 km is .62 mile
1 mile is 1.62 km ..thus 10 miles is 16.2 km

An easy way to keep it in mind..
10 miles is 16.2 Km
5 miles Is 8.1 Km
Not rocket science so just embrace it.

I do the same conversion in my head, except I leave off the decimal, and just think 10 mi is 16 km and 5 mi is 8 km. My brain isn't that precise.

Also 5 km is 3 miles
10 km is 6 miles

 

[dick bird]

When you stop (after approx 2 hrs for us), take your shoes/boots and socks off. This will dry out your feet and re-arrange your socks thus reducing the risk of blisters. Don´t do this in a café though.

Conversion: divide miles by 5 and multiply by 8 to get kms.
Divide kms by 8, multiply by 5 for miles.

 

[Daddyfrog]

I still haven't figured out Celsius. But like 23 is perfect for hiking and 36 is body temperature. So I just interpolate.

Try this:
At 30 it’s hot
At 20 it’s pleasing
At 10 it’s cold
And 0 it’s freezing

 

[HappyValerie]

My suggestion: Listen to your body, your mind & your heart. Each is important & each is unique to you. See a beautiful little flower or vista that calls you? Take time to savour it. Pause to just breathe & reflect . Or find a spot to sit & cry. Of course, loo stops or sore feet (& cafe con leche opportunities) often call louder, but tune in to every part of you & stop whenever. Make your Camino yours.
Buen Camino.

 

[CWBuff]

ha ha! I do need to learn km, old habits die hard! Sounds longer too, lol!

Ha ha, yes I'm terrible at thinking in kilometers. I do a lot of math in my head. 10 KM sounds longer but each of those kilometers goes by a lot faster.

As already mentioned think 5 miles equal 8 km. Take it from there and even if you roughly approximate- no biggie. Nobody wants you to be a scientist.
Re: "sounds longer" - look at it as bragging rights. Here you are, post Camino talking to friends, colleagues, neighbors, in-laws...
I walked 800 sounds MUCH BETTER than I walked 500 .... ok ok there IS THAT SONG....
As to your original question- I am also in the "time" crowd vs distance.
That said my math is based on my comfort level to walk 20-25 km\day.
So say I start early in the morning - I'll hoof it up for approximately 2hours to wherever that next village is where I can get my Dessayuno Numero Uno. Hopefully I cover 10-12 km.
Say up to 1 hrs ret here and let's hoof it up for the next 1 - 1.5 hours, but at more leisurely pace ( plus it's getting warmer). Get to that village for Desayuno numero duo and hopefully distance covered is around 5km.
Repeat rest and now it's only 5km to go, so take your time and enjoy smelling the roses
Obviously adjust accordingly for longer than 20 distance days, but it worked very well for me.
Good luck and Buen Camino

 

[AidaYYC]

Hi,
We leave in four weeks to walk the Camino Portugués and have been training (but have a ways to go!). We are working on walking further each day. However, to make it realistic since this is my first Camino, how far do most people walk before taking a break? Four miles? Six? Eight?

I'm sure this varies considerably depending on how fit you are, your load, how many miles you have to do each day and your desires but just to get a general idea, I'd love to hear how frequently in number of miles some of you take a seated rest break during a typical day's walking. Thank you!

Hello Pilgrim,
How exciting it is as the hour of your departure approaches.
I trained all of 2019 for my first Camino in 2020 but that did not happen, so I continued to train during covid to depart from SJPP to do the Camino Frances. At 72 yrs of age being a hiker and having trained I thought I was in very good shape, but the weight of my backpack together with the fact of walking every single day, paid a toll on my feet. I would leave at 7 am and walk for about 5-10 km until I found a cafe where to stop and rest while enjoying a cafe con leche, I would resume my walk after 20 min (any more than that and you begin to get stiff). My next stop would be around lunch time anywhere between 12:30-1:30 and one or two stops before reaching the albergue I was targeting, all of this of course depending on weather and road conditions. The night before I would plan based on my guides how much I would tentatively walk, but ultimately, you have to listen to your body. It is better to make multiple stops to ensure you make your destination, but if you cannot make it, then stop at the nearest town and rest up for the night. Your body will thank you and you will feel much better the next day.

Buen Camino

 

[@Ditts]

Hi,
We leave in four weeks to walk the Camino Portugués and have been training (but have a ways to go!). We are working on walking further each day. However, to make it realistic since this is my first Camino, how far do most people walk before taking a break? Four miles? Six? Eight?

I'm sure this varies considerably depending on how fit you are, your load, how many miles you have to do each day and your desires but just to get a general idea, I'd love to hear how frequently in number of miles some of you take a seated rest break during a typical day's walking. Thank you!

Really depends on the terrain. If you’re climbing the pyranees you might need to rest frequently and if you are on the flat, maybe not as much. I used to set off without breakfast and look forward to the first cafe for a coffee and pain au chocolate. Sometimes 5k sometimes 5 minutes. Your body will tell you.

 

[Harland2019]

If starting from SJPdP then about 2 minutes after starting up the hill to take off waterproof, then 5 minutes later to take off fleece, then about 5 minutes later to pretend to take a photo!

 

[LTfit]

When walking alone (which is more often that not), I typically do not stop unless it's for a coffee and even then only if I've already walked about 3 hours. And when there are no cafes on route I just keep walking until I reach my destination. I don't count a pee or water stop as a break as that usually only takes a few minutes.

It all comes down to what your body is used to. I've often walked 25-30 km without a break on very solitary Caminos. The only time I've taken conscious stops for a snack or to take off shoes is when I walked with someone else who wanted to do so.

 

[NYSE]

Ha ha, yes I'm terrible at thinking in kilometers. I do a lot of math in my head. 10 KM sounds longer but each of those kilometers goes by a lot faster.

4 hours and it’s time for a beer.

 

[Jackie Robinson]

I don't rest after a certain amount of miles, I actually stop to rest after each one hour of walking. Because some miles take longer than others depending on terrain!

Walk one hour, stop 10-15 min to stretch and rest, that's my usual rhythm. But as you said, it may vary - if after one hour I'm in a place with no shade, I may go a bit more to rest in a shaded area, for example.

That said, I have been reading all your posts and see you have been preparing thoroughly. However, sometimes you sound a bit anxious about expectations - how much to walk, where to stop, what time things happen. It's normal for the first camino, so plan carefully if that suits you, but remember to enjoy the freedom this experience allows you, ok? Don't be afraid to chuck your plans in the bin if you would be happier doing things differently we all want you to have the best camino!

Couldn’t have put it better myself I started my Camino with a ‘plan of action’ which I abandoned having reached Orrison and undertook the rest of my journey on a “day by day/as it came” basis.

 

[C clearly]

I started my Camino with a ‘plan of action’ which I abandoned having reached Orrison

Any plan for normal frequency of rest stops does NOT apply in the walk up to Orisson, unless you have planned for rests every 60 seconds.

 

[robindysard]

It has never occurred to me to factor expected rest stops into my training. I walk as much as I have time for in the months before my Camino, but rarely would it be for a full day. (It is still good to do 3 consecutive days of 15-20 km before your first camino, at least, to test your clothes and equipment and to identify any blister-prone areas.)


At this stage, be careful that you don't overdo your training and end up injuring yourself before departure. I would ease off in the last week or two and get some rest instead.

Thank you, I appreciate your advice! It's been very helpful to determine the best shoes, backpack, weight of pack, etc and we are continuiing to make adjustments. Makes sense not to overtrain before we go!

 

[robindysard]

Ok so like the blister thing may be genetic. Walk a lot. Like now. Get callouses. My feet are totally destroyed with thick skin whenever I walk multiple Caminos. No Vaseline. No changing socks. No blisters. I've seen some crazy shit tho.

Yeah, it makes me think of people in biblical times who walked everywhere! It's just something we aren't used to with vehicles and mass transportation.

 

[robindysard]

If I start between 6:30 & 7, my first stop is where I can get cafe con leche & tortilla or something thereof around 10 & 10:30, then walk & maybe eat a piece of fruit or Kinder Bueno & drink midway between morning snack & pilgrim dinner. Surprising how far carbs will take you.

Yum!! You are making me hungry, ha ha! I'm def loading up on carbs!

 

[robindysard]

Not knowing what most people do, I can only tell you how I think about this. I plan my my day around having three roughly two hour periods of walking time when on the camino, with the option of adding a fourth if I need to if there is a longer distance to cover on some day. After about an hour I will eat a snack - fruit if I have it, or a snack bar - from my pack. Towards the end of the next hour I will be looking for a bar/cafe or supermercado - somewhere where I can sit for 10-15 minutes. If there is a seat or bench in a village, this is a good place to do this, and watch the world, pilgrims and locals, go by.

This pattern gets repeated, with a longer break at the end of the next walking period for lunch. Towards the end of the next period, I start looking for somewhere to stay if I haven't booked the night before.

Some refinements to this:

• if I haven't had breakfast where I stayed the night before, I will be looking for a bar/cafe somewhere in the first hour of walking. Then the basic pattern described above kicks in.
• I do not pass an open bar/cafe if the next one looks like it will be much more than an hour away, and sometimes I just don't pass an open bar/cafe anyhow.

Thank you, that makes sense and sounds very realistic. I like the idea of watching the world and pilgrims and locals going by. Sounds very peaceful!

 

[robindysard]

The simple and basics of Km to miles:
1 km is .62 mile
1 mile is 1.62 km ..thus 10 miles is 16.2 km



An easy way to keep it in mind..
10 miles is 16.2 Km
5 miles Is 8.1 Km

or...in the opposite
10 km is 6.2 miles
5 km is 3.1 miles.

Write it on your guide book to refer to when you see signs.

Not rocket science so just embrace it.

If you use a tracking app when training..I suggest setting it to Km when training to be accustomed to the distance as you will be seeing and hearing kilometers in Spain.

Thank you, we were just talking about this today in the car! I copied and pasted your explanation into the notes on my phone; I appreciate this advice!

 

[robindysard]

When you stop (after approx 2 hrs for us), take your shoes/boots and socks off. This will dry out your feet and re-arrange your socks thus reducing the risk of blisters. Don´t do this in a café though.

Conversion: divide miles by 5 and multiply by 8 to get kms.
Divide kms by 8, multiply by 5 for miles.

Don't take your socks off in a cafe; love it!! Thank you!

 

[robindysard]

As already mentioned think 5 miles equal 8 km. Take it from there and even if you roughly approximate- no biggie. Nobody wants you to be a scientist.
Re: "sounds longer" - look at it as bragging rights. Here you are, post Camino talking to friends, colleagues, neighbors, in-laws...
I walked 800 sounds MUCH BETTER than I walked 500 .... ok ok there IS THAT SONG....
As to your original question- I am also in the "time" crowd vs distance.
That said my math is based on my comfort level to walk 20-25 km\day.
So say I start early in the morning - I'll hoof it up for approximately 2hours to wherever that next village is where I can get my Dessayuno Numero Uno. Hopefully I cover 10-12 km.
Say up to 1 hrs ret here and let's hoof it up for the next 1 - 1.5 hours, but at more leisurely pace ( plus it's getting warmer). Get to that village for Desayuno numero duo and hopefully distance covered is around 5km.
Repeat rest and now it's only 5km to go, so take your time and enjoy smelling the roses
Obviously adjust accordingly for longer than 20 distance days, but it worked very well for me.
Good luck and Buen Camino

Aww, thank you; you sound like a fun person and I hope we meet on the Camino one day! Yes, I think I'll brag in km, ha ha!! So you eat two breakfasts? Interesting...actually breakfast is usually better than lunch so I like that idea. Thanks for your tips and I'll be sure to stop and smell the roses!!

 

[robindysard]

Hello Pilgrim,
How exciting it is as the hour of your departure approaches.
I trained all of 2019 for my first Camino in 2020 but that did not happen, so I continued to train during covid to depart from SJPP to do the Camino Frances. At 72 yrs of age being a hiker and having trained I thought I was in very good shape, but the weight of my backpack together with the fact of walking every single day, paid a toll on my feet. I would leave at 7 am and walk for about 5-10 km until I found a cafe where to stop and rest while enjoying a cafe con leche, I would resume my walk after 20 min (any more than that and you begin to get stiff). My next stop would be around lunch time anywhere between 12:30-1:30 and one or two stops before reaching the albergue I was targeting, all of this of course depending on weather and road conditions. The night before I would plan based on my guides how much I would tentatively walk, but ultimately, you have to listen to your body. It is better to make multiple stops to ensure you make your destination, but if you cannot make it, then stop at the nearest town and rest up for the night. Your body will thank you and you will feel much better the next day.

Buen Camino

Thank you, it sounds like you are a wise traveler and a good reminder that no matter what I plan or intend, my body and feet will dictate what I can do! Thank you for your encouragement and sound advice!

 

[Devereaux]

I don't stick to this rigidly, but my general rhythm is:
Walk two hours, have a brief stop (15 min or so) to have a snack, take off shoes and put back on;
Walk two hours, stop longer (maybe lunch?), take off shoes and change socks to the opposite feet
Walk two hours and a short break, take off shoes and put back on

That's 6 hours or about 25km. If necessary, walk on for up to two more hours.

This is my strategy as well, when I can apply it; although I often change into new socks at the middle stop.
Another solid rule (advice of a good friend): Stop at the first place you see. It may be the only one in town and you don't want to turn around and go back.

 

[CWBuff]

Aww, thank you; you sound like a fun person and I hope we meet on the Camino one day! Yes, I think I'll brag in km, ha ha!! So you eat two breakfasts? Interesting...actually breakfast is usually better than lunch so I like that idea. Thanks for your tips and I'll be sure to stop and smell the roses!!

Rule of the thumb- while on Camino, any meals eaten before CENA is a DESAYUNO.
Prudence, thus, dictates that for the sake of your own sanity, a number should be appended to Desayuno consumed and hene referred to as such.
Just imagine if you embark on a 30km day and use "my system" - by the time you reach your next albergue stop for the night you'll have 5 Desayunos .
P.S. thanks for the compliment
My motto is that "Laughter is the shortest distance between 2 people" and I DO genuinely love to make folks laugh (or at least perhaps chuckle).
So... smile, eat Desayunos and be a Happy Pilgrim
Buen Camino

 

[Itsnever2late]

Hi,
We leave in four weeks to walk the Camino Portugués and have been training (but have a ways to go!). We are working on walking further each day. However, to make it realistic since this is my first Camino, how far do most people walk before taking a break? Four miles? Six? Eight?

I'm sure this varies considerably depending on how fit you are, your load, how many miles you have to do each day and your desires but just to get a general idea, I'd love to hear how frequently in number of miles some of you take a seated rest break during a typical day's walking. Thank you!

Lots of great advice above.

Would also consider the following (which I need to tattoo inside both eyelids). "never pass a rest stop" without assessing the state of your body and ensuring you have enough food and water onboard to get to the next stop. Never assume there is an open restaurant, bar or cafe just up the road.

 

[Harland2019]

Never assume there is an open restaurant, bar or cafe just up the road.

So true, the number of times I have walked past the first bar as it was quite busy with a view to stopping at the next one only to find myself walking out of the village a short while later as it was the only one!

 

[robindysard]

Lots of great advice above.

Would also consider the following (which I need to tattoo inside both eyelids). "never pass a rest stop" without assessing the state of your body and ensuring you have enough food and water onboard to get to the next stop. Never assume there is an open restaurant, bar or cafe just up the road.

That's a good one! Thank you, I will add it to my list!

 

[robindysard]

Rule of the thumb- while on Camino, any meals eaten before CENA is a DESAYUNO.
Prudence, thus, dictates that for the sake of your own sanity, a number should be appended to Desayuno consumed and hene referred to as such.
Just imagine if you embark on a 30km day and use "my system" - by the time you reach your next albergue stop for the night you'll have 5 Desayunos .
P.S. thanks for the compliment
My motto is that "Laughter is the shortest distance between 2 people" and I DO genuinely love to make folks laugh (or at least perhaps chuckle).
So... smile, eat Desayunos and be a Happy Pilgrim
Buen Camino

Me gusta comer desayuno! Ja ja! Me alegro leer esto. Buen Camino!

 

[SureFtWayEli]

4 hours and it’s time for a beer.

Agreed!

 

[Pathfinder075]

If it's all uphill, maybe every 3 minutes.

The hill out of Ourense, try every 30 secs. I was so glad of the fountain at the top of it. 3.2km of seriously hard graft.

 

[AlwynWellington]

I still haven't figured out Celsius

@trecile is close

Here's what I learned about Celsius temperatures
0 is cold
10 is cool
20 is nice
30 is hot

For me the following works - wind / rain? use parka/Altus for one layer

<0 = three layers
<5 = two layers
>9 = one layer (plus wind/rain loosely worn as required)

The point being, our limits can be learnt or our bodies are just different

Kia kaha (take care, be strong)

 

[Smash123]

On the Te Araroa trail here in New Zealand, I tended to have a half an hour rest after 8/9 kms. Then another hour for lunch after a similar distance, completing the day's hike an hour of two later.
With the Camino, I will probably be able to rest every two hours as the terrain/track condition isn't as difficult. Hopefully, I will be able to manage 25+kms on average.

That was close to my rythme on the Via Podiensis. I would usually try to get almost half way thru my day’s distance (so, 10 ish kms), before a morning break, then another 8km before lunch and the remainder after. I was averaging 23km/day. Of course, tempting rest spots and cafés did influence the pattern

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Stop at the first place you see. It may be the only one in town and you don't want to turn around and go back.

Ok, I have an alternative theory. So like if I KNOW there is a second bar available in town (Google maps helps) I like to go to the second one. I just imagine they have to try harder. That being said, I've walked back to the first on occasion!

 

[David Tallan]

Ok, I have an alternative theory. So like if I KNOW there is a second bar available in town (Google maps helps) I like to go to the second one. I just imagine they have to try harder. That being said, I've walked back to the first on occasion!

Sometimes the second bar will let you know they are there on the way into town.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Sometimes the second bar will let you know they are there on the way into town.
View attachment 154747

Too funny... I didn't know it is a "thing". But now that I think of it, just before that little "village" just past the airport on the way to SDC there are always signs to the effect of "there are two bars in the next village"...

 

[Andy CMcD]

Hi,
We leave in four weeks to walk the Camino Portugués and have been training (but have a ways to go!). We are working on walking further each day. However, to make it realistic since this is my first Camino, how far do most people walk before taking a break? Four miles? Six? Eight?

I'm sure this varies considerably depending on how fit you are, your load, how many miles you have to do each day and your desires but just to get a general idea, I'd love to hear how frequently in number of miles some of you take a seated rest break during a typical day's walking. Thank you!

I tend to walk about 90 minutes then take a break, then repeat until feeling like stopping for the day.

 

[jgiesbrecht]

I actually was kinda bad and very rarely stopped to rest no matter how long the day. I don't suggest it, but for me I really struggled to get back going if I took breaks much more than a few minutes. I definitely was not one that could stop and take off shoes and stuff. I do suggest taking breaks, but do what you need to. Most people would say take off your shoes and air your feet, etc. We're all different. Hydration is the most important whether walking or breaking. You will figure out what works for you.

 

[Sailing Pilgrim]

I don't rest after a certain amount of miles, I actually stop to rest after each one hour of walking. Because some miles take longer than others depending on terrain!

Walk one hour, stop 10-15 min to stretch and rest, that's my usual rhythm. But as you said, it may vary - if after one hour I'm in a place with no shade, I may go a bit more to rest in a shaded area, for example.

That said, I have been reading all your posts and see you have been preparing thoroughly. However, sometimes you sound a bit anxious about expectations - how much to walk, where to stop, what time things happen. It's normal for the first camino, so plan carefully if that suits you, but remember to enjoy the freedom this experience allows you, ok? Don't be afraid to chuck your plans in the bin if you would be happier doing things differently we all want you to have the best camino!

This is a wise attitude to life, let alone walking the Camino. Thank you.