Top ten tips for walking a camino
Brendan McManus SJ was invited to join the Crosscare » staff’s Celtic Camino walk from Dun Laoghaire to Dublin on Saturday 5th April, 2025. The walk was approximately 16km. “We had a lovely day for it,” says Brendan, adding, that “spirits were high.” Crosscare is an agency of the Archdiocese of Dublin, working with those most in need.
Brendan, who is a well-travelled pilgrim and author of a number of books including the best seller, Redemption Road: Grieving Along the Camino » introduced reflection, silence, and meditation, as techniques that might help the staff who are going on the French Camino next month. They have been doing training walks on the Irish Camino routes around Dublin for the last two months »
Brendan organised times of walking in silence for the group, shared some walking tips and gave everyone a blessing when they arrived at their finishing point in St James Church. Brendan expressed his gratitude to the Irish Camino Society, “who generously gave of their time and facilitated our final sharing and blessing service,”
Read below the summary of Brendan’s input, namely his top ten tips for walking the Camino.
Drink, Sleep, Pray
As a Jesuit priest and experienced pilgrim, I’ve learned some valuable insights over the years about the Camino de Santiago in Spain. From my own experience and Ignatian or Jesuit spirituality, here are several key aspects:
- We are all pilgrims in this world
Being a pilgrim means living a simple life without any great luxuries. It brings out our common humanity and embodiment, our limits and connection to others. It’s not about the clothes you wear, the exterior or superficiality; rather it is a delightful rediscovery of the relief of being oneself, fully inhabiting one’s body, feeling at home in nature, and relating to others in solidarity on the same journey. - A Spiritual Journey
The Camino reminds us of our mortality, humility and fragile nature; life is limited and precious, and it’s a one way journey. The only time you have is now, there’s no point in gathering wealth or possessions and hoarding things away. The Camino helps remind us of who we really are; we are created and there is a Creator (God, the divine, Mystery etc.) and we walk the physical journey or trail which reminds us that our life is a journey into God or the divine. - Times of silence (up to two hours a day)
Switch off your phone and all devices, and try to keep silence; just be present to yourself and your surroundings- trust that the world can keep turning without you. The reason for the silence is to listen: trying to still that shrill internal voice in our heads, listen to our true selves, listen to nature and to others. This is about being present; free of unhelpful anxiety and worry to find the deeper part (God) within. Even though you are in a group, give each other permission to walk to silence. - Forget perfection; just do ‘good enough’
Forget the idea of perfect gear, looking good, the perfect walk, trail, weather, conditions etc. The Camino is a testing experience and it’s about getting through the day often (with a fair amount of ‘grind’) and getting to the destination. Some days you have to dig really deep and it takes all that you have. Those are the days that you will remember forever and will teach you some valuable lessons if you are open. Sometimes to have to take a lift or take help from others; there are real limits. It’s very humbling. - Do the ‘inner work’ (don’t block the painful process of healing)
Everyone has some level of brokenness or ‘wound’ within us that needs healing. The Camino excels at bringing this to the fore with all the walking, time alone, and reflection, memories start to come back. This can often be unpleasant and there is a natural reaction to avoid this, but the Camino has a deep wisdom that heals wounds if you stick with it and ‘walk through the pain’ in the sense of facing the issue, handing it over (something greater is at work; pray your way) and letting the healing take place. This often happens in silence and with many tears, as a necessary healing process. You will be the better for it. - Be prepared for the unexpected
The Camino is a journey into the unknown and anything can happen, injuries are not uncommon. This can be anxiety inducing and can challenge our sense of wanting to control everything. Living with this uncertainty and learning to trust is what the Camino is about; this is a spiritual lesson, there is something greater in charge and ‘all will be well’ but not in the way you would necessarily like it. ‘Let go and let God’ is the phrase often used. - Stretching the muscles
You need to stretch the leg muscles several times a day, at the beginning and especially the end of the day, and several times in between. We are not machines and muscles get sore and need frequent stretching to keep going and avoid the build up of lactic acid that causes soreness. Keep reading your body, it will tell you when it’s time. We are ‘embodied spirits’ and need time, space and gradual slow progress. - Start walking early (around 6am) to avoid the heat
Walking during the sunrise is one of the most powerful Camino experiences of awe; you realise your smallness and triviality in the light of the enormity of the world turning. It teaches humility and respect for creation and nature; we are just mere ‘insects’ on the earth. The temperature can get up to 20 degrees which makes walking harder. Afternoons are for reflection, resting and journaling. - Keep hydrated (drink lots)
Drink twice as much as you think you need, when you actually feel thirsty it’s too late, so you need to drink all the time. Dehydration has a dramatically negative effect on the body. Keep some rehydration salts in reserve, take them every few days. Reduce alcohol and coffee. - Reflect together at the end of the day
Have a group session at the end of each day that looks back over people’s experience.
Ground rules: everyone get a chance to speak, there is no commentary or correcting; this is confidential and doesn’t leave the group, you don’t have to share everything, respect that others experience will be different, it’s important for everyone to just listen (can be hard work).