On arrival
Where to donate your Camino gear in Santiago
Trekking poles can't board the plane cabin, the boots have given all they had, and half your backpack turns out to be surplus. Before it all ends up in the albergue bin: there are people in Santiago who'll give it a second life.
Updated 10 August 2026.
It happens every day at the Pilgrim's Office and in albergues across the city: perfectly good gear abandoned because it doesn't fit, weighs too much, or airline rules won't allow it in the cabin. Most of it ends up in the bin, which is a shame, because Santiago has small volunteer-run circuits that collect that gear and put it in the hands of people who need it — pilgrims starting their route, or people in the city going through hard times. These are the drop-off points we know of, with one general caveat: they're small, changeable initiatives, so check on the spot before turning up with your whole pack.
Poles: San Martín Pinario and the Pilgrim's Office
Poles are the clearest case: officially airlines don't allow them in the cabin, so you either check them in or they stay in Santiago. At the San Martín Pinario guesthouse next to the Cathedral there's a pole collection run by the Camino Francés federation of associations: as their own volunteers explain on the pilgrim forum, poles are sent back to route starting points — the Pamplona pilgrim office and albergues in Estella, Los Arcos, Navarrete, Burgos and Ponferrada — for other walkers to reuse. Some pilgrims leave a note attached for the next owner, a small tradition that has been catching on.
The evergreen plan B is the Pilgrim Reception Office: dozens of poles are left there every day by people flying home the same afternoon. It's not an organised programme, but poles in good condition tend to find a new owner fast. Some albergues also keep a box of their own: pilgrims confirm that Santiago KM.0, in the old town, has a pole-donation box.
Clothing and boots: the Cáritas box on Rúa de San Roque
For technical clothing and footwear in good condition, the drop-off pilgrims themselves mention most is the red Cáritas donation box on Rúa de San Roque, next to the A Bodeguilla de San Roque bar, five minutes from the old town. Clothes go into Cáritas's social circuit, so the standard for any clothing donation applies: clean and fit to be worn by someone else. Boots destroyed by 800 km aren't a donation, they're waste — those go in the rubbish.
Gear in general: Pilgrim House
Pilgrim House (Rúa Nova, 19), the international welcome centre for pilgrims, has in various seasons collected leftover gear: they clean it, make small repairs and pass it on to the homeless shelter run by the Franciscans in Santiago. Important: they are not a left-luggage service and don't accept parcels, and collection depends on their capacity at any given time — so drop in and ask first. The place is worth the visit anyway: coffee, laundry and a quiet room to land after the Camino.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take trekking poles on the plane?
Officially no: they're on the list of items not allowed in the cabin and security can confiscate them, although some pilgrims report getting blunt-tipped poles through. They travel fine in checked luggage. If you're flying carry-on only, don't count on your luck: donate them in Santiago before heading to the airport.
Where do I donate poles in Santiago?
At the San Martín Pinario guesthouse, where a Camino Francés federation collection sends them back to route starting points (Pamplona, Estella, Burgos, Ponferrada…). You can also leave them at the Pilgrim Reception Office, where they usually find a new owner quickly, or in the donation box at the Santiago KM.0 albergue.
Where do I donate clothes and hiking boots?
In the red Cáritas donation box on Rúa de San Roque, next to A Bodeguilla de San Roque. Only clothing and footwear that's clean and fit to be worn by someone else.
What about gear that's too worn to donate?
Anything broken or worn out goes in the appropriate bin (not the yellow recycling one — textiles have their own collection containers around the city). Donating unusable gear just shifts the problem onto the volunteers who receive it.
Keep reading
On arrival
Arriving in Santiago
The Compostela, the pilgrim's mass and the embrace of the Apostle, step by step.
The certificate
The Compostela certificate
Requirements, stamps and where to collect it at the Pilgrim Reception Office.
The Camino
Camino de Santiago guide
Routes, stages, statistics and everything about the final stretch into Santiago.