How to share the trail, look after the places you walk through, and deal with the things nobody tells you, like where to go to the toilet. Written for long-distance hikers in Spain and the rest of Europe.
Sharing the trail
- Uphill has right of way. On a narrow path, the person going down steps aside and lets the climber keep their rhythm. If you step aside, step to the uphill side, not the drop.
- Keep right on the trail. Spain drives on the right, so keep right when passing on a wide path.
- On roads, walk on the left, facing the traffic. That’s the rule for pedestrians on Spanish roads without a pavement. In a group, walk in single file.
- Say hello. A “Hola” or, in Catalonia, “Bon dia” goes a long way, especially with farmers and in small villages.
- Give way to horses, livestock and working vehicles. Step off on the downhill side for horses and speak calmly so they know you’re a person.
- Keep the noise down. No speakers on the trail, and quiet near houses and campsites at night.
- Listening to music or a podcast? Use one earbud. You can still hear hikers coming up behind you, bikes, cars, dogs and anything else you might need to get out of the way of.
Farms, animals and private land
- Leave gates as you found them, open or closed. Don’t climb walls or fences where there’s a gate or stile.
- Stay on the path through farmland. Much of the trail crosses private land that owners allow walkers through.
- Guard dogs with flocks: big livestock dogs are there to protect the sheep or goats, not to attack walkers. Slow down, walk calmly around the flock at a distance, don’t run, don’t wave a pole at them and never go between the dogs and the animals. Wait for the dogs to lose interest.
- Don’t feed wildlife, and keep dogs on a lead near livestock and in natural parks.
Hunting season
In Spain, hunting runs mainly from September to February, and on many estates hunters go out on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Exact dates differ by region. Look for signs reading “batida”, “montería” or “caza” at the edge of the trail, and if a hunt is signposted, take another route.
- Stay on marked paths, where hunters expect walkers.
- Wear something bright, such as an orange hat or high-visibility vest. Avoid white and brown.
- If you hear shooting nearby, make yourself seen and heard rather than hiding.
Fire
Most of the Mediterranean burns easily. In Catalonia, lighting any fire on or within 500 m of forest land is banned from 15 March to 15 October without a permit, apart from built barbecues in campsites and recreation areas. Never light a campfire, never throw a cigarette end, and check the local rules before using a camping stove. When the fire risk is very high, access to some natural areas can be closed altogether; check before you set off.
Toilets
Public toilets are rare in Spain and often locked out of season. Bars and cafés are the normal answer: buy a coffee, or just ask nicely, “¿Puedo usar el baño?” Petrol stations, markets and train stations usually have toilets too.
When there’s no other choice:
- Go at least 60–70 m (about 70 big steps) from water, paths and campsites.
- Dig a cat hole 15–20 cm deep with a trowel, and fill it in afterwards.
- Carry out your toilet paper, wipes and period products in a sealed bag. They don’t break down, and animals dig them up.
- Pee on rock, gravel, bare soil or sand, away from water, not on plants.
Leave No Trace
The seven principles, and what they mean on a long-distance trail.
- Plan ahead and prepare. Know where tonight’s bed, water and food are, check the weather and daylight, and know your bail-out points. Good planning is what stops you being forced into an illegal camp or a dangerous shortcut.
- Walk and camp on durable ground. Stay on the trail and don’t cut corners on zigzags; every step off the path wears a new one. Walk through the middle of a muddy patch rather than around it, which widens the trail and kills the plants at the edges. Weigh it up: choose whichever option is safest and does the least damage. Only camp where it’s allowed.
- Dispose of waste properly. Carry out everything you carry in, including fruit peel, nutshells and food scraps, which take months or years to break down and attract animals. Use bins in towns, not overflowing ones at trailheads.
- Leave what you find. Don’t pick flowers, take stones or shells, or disturb ruins and old dry-stone walls. Don’t build cairns: they confuse other walkers about the route and disturb the ground. Never add your own marks to the red-and-white waymarks.
- Minimise fire impact. No campfires; use a stove only where it’s allowed.
- Respect wildlife and farm animals. Watch from a distance, never feed them, and give nesting birds and flocks plenty of room.
- Be considerate of other people. Keep noise down, give way, leave viewpoints and coves as quiet as you found them, and leave campsites cleaner than you found them.
Fire rules and hunting dates change by region and year. Check the local council (ajuntament / ayuntamiento) or the regional government before you go.