Camino Pilgrim

There is a good variety of food options that you will come across again and again on the Camino. While hiking inside the territory of Spain, you will find the following:

Fruit

Sometimes there are food trucks for pilgrims on the trail. The selection will be small, but fruit is normally present. More likely you will have access to fresh fruit in village stores that you will pass daily. Larger supermarkets are not that common on the Camino.

Waffles

Although, a very sugary option made with highly processed carbs, waffles are a good option to have as a backup snack to have in your bag. It will not really melt much while hiking in heat. Quite simple to eat and get an instant energy boost at times you feel weak and might have issues walking comfortably to the next café.

Chocolate

Dark chocolate is a healthy snack to have with you. Only problem might be the fact that it melts in heat. The ideal solution would be something like M&Ms with peanuts inside. Those will not be melting and are extremely calorie dense. In terms of nutrition they have little to no value, so make sure to heat a proper meal later in the day.

Tortilla de patatas

This is my favorite meal in Spain to kick off the day. Pretty much every café has them. Extremely affordable and nutritious. Made of eggs, potatoes and onions. Often served with some white bread on the side. Gives a solid amount of calories to hike for several hours and keeps you feeling light on your feet.

Croissant

Absolutely every café in Spain seems to have this available. Processed carbs baked with butter gives you a fast kick of calories. If you have some fruit with you in the backpack, then it can be a good balanced meal next to your morning coffee.

Water

Since there are a lot of cafes then refilling your water bottle becomes easy. Also, public water sources say if the water is useable for drinking or not. I like to keep only around half a liter with me at any time on Camino Frances since usually the next water source is not that far away if needed. If you are doing an extreme trail like Via de la Plata in the Summer then probably even four liters of water might not be enough for some stretches of the trail. You better carry a little more than less. Its not always that the next café is only a few kilometers away.

Coffee

Coffee with milk is the most popular thing on the menu that everyone seems to order. Its a good idea to mix up your coffee. Milk will give you very much needed additional calories and nutrients. Drinking coffee makes your body lose water faster, so be aware that you will need to carry more water on your backpack. Rapid water loss also creates a loss of minerals in the body. Keep in mind to drink some mineral water or Aquarius every few days.

Aquarius

Quite commonly found in cafes and bars. Has an extremely high sugar content, so if you are not losing weight while on the Camino then this probably is one of the reasons. This drink is also loaded with electrolytes. The more you are sweating during the day while hiking, the more important it becomes to keep a balance of electrolytes.

Cola

Its probably the cheapest excuse to sit down in any café and enjoy an air conditioned room that is away from direct sunlight. Under normal conditions drinking regular Cola is a horrible choice for health, but on the Camino this fast injection of sugar and caffeine might be the thing to help you reach the next village. Do keep in mind to consume in moderation. Since it has no nutrition, then once the carbonates gasses have left your stomach, you will be feeling quite hungry.