User Guide

The Camino for Good App

Camino for good is an App for your smartphone and desktop that supports and motivates you to walk in your local area.

As you log your daily distance, you progress ‘virtually’ along the Camino Frances from St Jean Pied de Port at the foot of the Pyrenees in France to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia Spain.

Features of the App support your fitness and well being goals by providing many ways to keep motivated to finish the 485mi/780km. You’ll be surprised at how far you can walk with this sort of encouragement.

Registration Sign Up

Simple Sign On

Once you register through your Google account or Facebook account, you have FREE access to all the App features for a distance of 5 miles or 8 km.

After that, it is time to put on your virtual backpack, grab your bottle of water (and your payment card) and join other virtual pilgrims heading towards Santiago de Compostela.

Profits from your registration fee will be allocated towards a relief fund for Camino hostel owners. Using this App is an act of kindness for yourself and others.

IMPORTANT If you have already paid on the site and are asked to pay again… DO NOT PAY. The reason for this is usually that the email address you used to sign into the app and the email address you used for payment are different. This is a straight forward fix for the Tech Support Team and you can contact them Here

Simple Menus

Dashboard – all your important information in one place.
Your Progress – this is where you log your daily distance.
Pilgrims Passport – collect stamps from towns along the way.
Map – see your progress on a map of the Camino Frances.
Destinations – see the rich content in all the towns along the way.
Groups – join a group or start your own with your friends.
Settings – choose mi/km, privacy settings and upgrade to continue.

Dashboard

Your starting point

On the dashboard you will see what percentage of the hike you have completed and how many more miles/ kilometers until you achieve your goal of reaching Santiago de Compostela. You will also see links to the cities you have passed through recently and a link to all destinations.

Progress Tracking

Log your distance

You can log the distances you have walked or run or cycled to keep track of your daily progress. You can choose to record your journey in either miles or kilometers.

Some people use their fitness tracker to keep know how far they have travelled. If you don’t have one, average walking speed per hour is 3-4 mi or 4-5km.

Change is easy

Made a mistake? No problem! You can make edits by clicking on the day. It really is amazing how it all adds up – more motivation to keep on going.

Prepare to be surprised at how well you are doing!

Interactive Maps

Where am I?

As you log your progress in the Virtual Camino App, you will be able to see where you are along your journey to Santiago de Compostela plotted on a map – right there in the menu.

Google Street View

Just when you thought it couldn’t get better, Google ‘Street View’ is active for much of the Camino Frances. You will be able to see the landscapes and streetscapes of Spain as if you were there!

One word of warning though – exploring Spain in this way can be quite addictive especially if you are trying to find the yellow arrows and scallop shell markers that guide you along the way.

Destinations

Visit 207 towns along the way

In the 484mi/780km of the Camino Frances, there are 207 villages or hamlets you pass through. In the App, we call them ‘Destinations’.

You can pass through multiple towns per day depending on how far you walk. Make sure to check out each town because there is unique content for each destination.

Unlock exciting content

As you log your progress along the virtual Camino, you will ‘unlock’ a destination as you pass through.

Each destination has rich content of photos, stories, town guides and quotes that keep you motivated to finish.

Stunning Photos

Over 2,000 photos

The app includes thousands of photos all taken by pilgrims on the Camino Frances. At each destination, the photos depict snippets of the terrain, history, accommodation and social life along the way.

Pilgrim’s Stories

Real pilgrims share their stories

There is always something new at every destination. At many destinations there are audio stories of pilgrims who have gone before. Some stories are funny, some are motivational and some come right from the heart.

Listen to a Pilgrim’s Story

Walking Tips

Stay safe and strong

Experienced walkers have some valuable tips on walking long distances. Take heed for they can help avoid injury and make your experience in line with your fitness goals and purpose.

Motivational Quotes

Inspiration and amusement

The Camino for Good team have collected many motivational quotes related to walking and traveling. As you unlock each destination you may read a quote that will change your life. Sometimes, a pilgrim just needs a good laugh – that is in there too.

One of our favorites…

“My grandpa started walking five miles a day when he was 60. Now he’s 97 years old and we have no clue where he is.” – Cool Funny Quotes

John Brieley’s Camino Guide

Practical and Inspiring

For many pilgrims, John Brieley’s Camino Guide books are like the bible of the Camino. His easy to read, inspirational, and practical descriptions of the landscape and history greatly enrich the pilgrim experience.

With John’s enthusiastic encouragement we have provided excerpts from his books at many of the destinations. Unlocking each destination to read John’s words of wisdom is another great reason to keep on walking.

John Brierley’s website

Groups

Ask others to join you – make new friends

Once you have registered you will be able to create or join groups.

Invite your friends to join you on the journey. For some people, that is just like the Camino experience where you meet your Camino family (friends for life!).

See your friends on the map

When you join the group, you will be able to see who is walking and track their progress by seeing their profile photos plotted along the map.

Pilgrim’s Passport

Your Key to the Camino

As most pilgrims will atest, the pilgrim’s passport (credentials) identifies you as a pilgrim and is your key to getting accommodation along the way. Basically, you get a stamp at every place you stay and is your personal record of your trip.

In the spirit of the real Camino, through the virtual Camino App, you have your own passport that allows you to track the destinations you have visited.

It’s a bit of fun that adds to the whole Camino experience.

Share your Journey

Tell your friends

Let your friends and family track your progress!

A simple click of the share button at each destination will let them know via Facebook or Twitter.

Who knows? They may join you on your adventure and help you give back to others.

They’ll certainly be impressed (or they should be!).

Multiplatform

Desktop, iPhone and Android

There are many way to access the Camino For Good virtual hike App.

You can start your free trial right from your Mac or PC desktop computer or your smart phone with a browser.

Once you have accepted the challenge of walking the 484mi/780km to Santiago de Compostela and paid the $60 USD, we will send you a link to download the App from the App Store (Apple and Android).

You can switch between devices by logging into the same account – all your progress will be there no matter what you use.

It really couldn’t be easier.

Motivational Emails

At Camino For Good, we are very proud of all our virtual pilgrims. We want to see you achieve your goal to arrive in Santiago de Compostela. So from time to time we will send you emails to keep you motivated and let you know of extra features we are constantly building in the App.

Achievement Certificate

You’ve Arrived!

So – the big day comes!

You’ve finally made it to Santiago. Well done!

When you arrive we will send you a certificate of achievement (similar to the official ‘Compostela’ that walkers in Spain get when they arrive).

You can get it framed and hang on your wall to show friends and family what you have achieved in the safety of your local area.

I know it impresses me.

Easy Payment

Time to start – for real

Once you register for the free trial, and you reach the your 5mi/8km limit, when you try to log more distance, you will be prompted to follow a link to pay. Payments may be made by simply entering your credit/debit card details.

Payment is handled using the popular and highly secure Stripe payment gateway.

The fee is $60 USD.

Camino for Good is an initiative to provide a fun way for people to contribute to the businesses along the Camino whose future viability is being compromised by the current global travel restrictions. The App is fun – the mission is serious.

Your support is greatly appreciated.

After you pay you will be able to use the App store app – so easy.