Review: El Camino Bracelet – The Perfect Travel Memento

I’ve always worn jewellery as a reminder of my travels. It first started with a collection of handmade bracelets that I picked up from different countries. This collection soon took up half my arm and started to look messy. It’s safe to say it didn’t last long. I was then lucky enough to get a Pandora Bracelet and picked out charms that represented my travels and places I’d been but as a very expensive bracelet I was too scared to take it travelling with me. It seemed there was no in between solution, then I found El Camino Bracelets.

I mean I’ve known about them for a while now but hadn’t actually invested in one until the guys at El Camino offered to send me one of their starter packs. Sometimes all you need is a little incentive to jump on the bandwagon and now I’m obsessed with my bracelet. It’s a cross between those handmade colourful bracelets and a Pandora because you can add different charms to it and I feel happy to wear it while travelling because it doesn’t look so expensive.

El Camino Story

These bracelets were the idea of two travellers just like us named Tom and Candace. They wanted a way they could record their travels on a bracelet and build up each step as their journey unfolded. They started out with this small idea while backpacking in Spain, hence the name El Camino which translates to route or path or trail. I think you’ll agree this is the perfect name for these gorgeous bracelets.

Their venture started when they returned and the first few bracelets, made by hand were gifted to friends and family who loved the idea. It has since become their business and they sell bracelets worldwide. However, each bracelet is still hand made in England with the same love and care the first one was.

Let’s talk about the all important bracelet and steps.

El Camino Bracelet

There are several different parts to the bracelet so lets start with the strap. There are two types: the single and the double; the single goes around your wrist once and the double twice, pretty self explanatory really. They also offer a choice of colour and you can pick from different sized bracelets, I went for extra small but probably could have done with an even smaller size (I have tiny wrists). At least this way once it gets full of charms it won’t be too tight around my wrist, something to keep in mind when choosing your size. The bracelet is woven from 4 woven cords and is designed to be as strong as possible to with stand all your adventures. The bracelet also has a sturdy clip to fasten it around your wrist, it feels super safe and it’s easy to clip myself.

I choose the blue single strap.

Charms or rather ‘steps’

El Camino offer three different types of steps; small, country and region.

Small Steps

These could be anything from a city to a famous landmark in a city and they have special occasion ones too. I haven’t really explored this section of the steps enough yet as there are so many to look through but they are great if you want to remember that special part of your trip that isn’t a country.

I choose Amsterdam and Budapest as these were two cities we stopped in on our mini-moon.

Country Steps

These are the steps which allow you to show off the countries you’ve been to, you could just create an entire bracelet using just these steps. They offer 240 different country steps so I’m sure you’ll be able to find every destination you’ve been to.

I choose Maldives (our honeymoon destination) and UAE (where JP is currently living)

Region Steps

I think the regional ones have to be my favourite. Unlike the other steps that are silver with the engraving on these are colourful. The world has been broken down in to more areas than just the continents which allows you to create a greater collection.

I choose the Middle East, partly because of UAE but mostly because I thought yellow would look the best on the blue bracelet. 

These are the main components of the El Camino Bracelets. They do also have spacers available to buy which you can use to break up the silver steps and stop them from rubbing against each other. I received a spacer with all of my silver steps.

It was so much fun picking my steps for adventures we have had or will be having as a married couple. I will certainly be continuing to buy more steps over the coming months and years. Now it’s time to start building your bracelet and keeping your memories around your wrist. Who knows what conversation you might strike up?

Would you invest in an El Camino bracelet?

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*The El Camino bracelet was gifted to me but all love for the bracelet is my own – I literally haven’t taken it off since it arrived.