Safety and Security
The emergency number in Spain, France, Portugal and all of Europe is 112. It reaches police, ambulance and fire.
The Camino is a very safe walk. Still, a little common sense goes a long way toward preventing trouble. Most of the Camino is countryside, but you'll pass through a few big cities, and there you should be as aware as you would in any city in the world.
Before you go, download the AlertCops app. It's Spain's official app for contacting police, and it works in English.
On the trail
Unless you're walking in deep winter, or before dawn to beat the summer heat, you'll usually have other pilgrims around. That's a real bonus. There's almost always someone nearby if you're hurt, sick or need help. Pilgrims often watch each other's packs while friends run into a bar for lunch.
Never walk away from your backpack, and never leave valuables in it. Keep your passport, cards and phone on your body. Always know where they are.
Be extremely careful on roads. You'll walk along a lot of them. Watch traffic, keep your eyes and ears open, and take one earbud out. Traffic is one of the biggest dangers to pilgrims, especially at road crossings. BE CAREFUL!
You'll make great friends on the Camino, some for life. Unfortunately, people can bring problems too. If someone makes you uncomfortable, put distance between you and get around other people: a café, an albergue, a group of pilgrims.
If you ever need help, make yourself heard. Be loud and insistent. Let everyone around you know. Carry a whistle if your pack's chest strap doesn't have one, and use it if you need to.
In the albergue
Problems in albergues do happen. It's an unfortunate part of putting lots of people in one room. Most are very safe, but theft happens now and then, and with so much coming and going, mix-ups happen too. A few easy habits prevent most of it.
Never leave your valuables. Traveling with friends, shower and do laundry in shifts so someone's watching the stuff. Traveling alone, take your valuables to the shower, the laundry and the bar.
Don't trust lockers with your passport and cards. Many albergues have lockers for packs, but keep the important stuff on you.
Don't leave your phone charging unattended. It's the most common way phones go missing. Charge a backup battery at your bunk instead, and charge your phone from that.
Physical assaults are extremely rare and usually involve too much wine. If anything like that happens, report it to the albergue staff right away, and to the police if needed. Be loud, be firm, and make sure everyone around you knows what's happening.
If something goes wrong
If you're the victim of a crime, report it to the local police right away. Ask your albergue host or another pilgrim to help if you need it, but don't wait.
EMERGENCY NUMBER: 112
