Toilets and the Camino

Well this is something I never thought I’d write about…. But apparently finding a toilet is a real concern for some embarking on the Camino Frances. At first, I thought posts on Facebook were made by trolls and had a good giggle. And then the question kept being posted, and hundreds of others commented with their own concerns, so I thought I would put you all at ease and give you the low down.

To be honest, I don’t recall seeing a public bathroom on the way. I’m sure there were some here and there, but not prolific. Public toilets are not as much of a “thing” in Europe, and are often not as available and common as they are in other places, such as Australia and the United States. However, in my entire pilgrimage from St Jean Pied du Port, only once was I busting and in need of a bathroom.

You’re probably now thinking, how is this so if there aren’t public toilets?

The best way I can answer this, help you plan and set your mind at ease, is to take you through my general daily routine on the Camino de Santiago.

A day in the life of my camino

Almost every village and town you pass through on the Camino Frances (and you will pass through A LOT of them) has either a local cafe, or bar, or restaurant, and sometimes all three. At each of these, there are bathrooms available to patrons. So my daily routine (even on a very tight budget) involved stopping in and enjoying a respite from the heat, rain or fatigue.

Each morning I would leave my albergue early (6am-ish) and walk an hour or two before breakfast (sometimes as far as 10 kilometres). As I left early, places were not always open yet, so I would walk until they did. For me, leaving like this was easy, as I am not a coffee drinker and have always enjoyed going for a walk before breakfast. It’s part of my normal daily routine, so on the camino, I did the same. And when I found a nice place I would stop in and have a croissant and Ovaltine (like a hot chocolate) from a cafe, or a Spanish omelette and Ovaltine from a local bar. Before leaving, I would make sure to use the bathroom.

Most pilgrims arrive at their destination around lunch time (those stopping at 20km a day), and your albergue will obviously contain bathroom facilities. However, if you’re a slower walker, or walking long distances like I did, you will need to find a place for lunch.

For lunch, I would often have a little picnic and munch on a baguette, often with a little salami and cheese, which I would pick up along the way. This helped me keep the expenses down. However, I would treat myself to a soft drink, beer or sangria from a local cafe or bar around lunch time/early afternoon, and again use their restroom. Then it was off to my albergue.

Where did I get caught out?

Earlier I mentioned there was one instance where I was busting… Well this happened on my way from Carrion de los Condes to Calzadilla de la Cueza. This section of the Camino is about 17 kilometres from town to town, with no villages or amenities in between. By the time I reached Calzadilla de la Cueza I was bursting at the seams, but I did make it… just! So my tip here is to make sure you “go” before you leave Carrion de los Condes.

Plan ahead and be respectful

To avoid any “instances” make sure you plan your day and use bathroom amenities when you can (even if you don’t really need to go at the time). And when using bathrooms at local cafes and bars, be respectful, and give back to the local community that supports the way by actually buying something there. After all, they are not public toilets, they are for patrons, and are great places to grab drink or a small snack and meet fellow pilgrims. Likewise, learning a little Spanish to ask where the toilets are within these amenities will help you so much when you really really need to go.

And if you do decide to go “natural” be respectful. I have seen shocking photos of farmers fields that have been used by pilgrims as public bathrooms. This behaviour is NOT acceptable. You are not in the wilderness. You are walking on a path surrounded mostly by private land. If you do want to go to the toilet outside, maybe choose a walking path that actually is out in the bush, not the Camino Frances.

But otherwise, enjoy. And trust the Camino will provide, as it always did for me, it will you.

Buen camino.