My My My Camino
Walking the Camino de Santiago: A Journey of Steps and Stories
There’s a moment, standing at the start of the Camino de Santiago, when the weight of history presses gently on your shoulders. For centuries, pilgrims have walked these paths across Spain and Portugal, each step carrying not just their own hopes and burdens, but also the echoes of countless journeys before them. Today, the Camino is more than a religious pilgrimage—it’s a chance to slow down, to reconnect with yourself, and to discover the world at walking pace.
For me, the Camino isn’t just about reaching Santiago de Compostela. It’s about the rhythm of boots on dusty tracks, the conversations with strangers who quickly become friends, and the quiet satisfaction of watching the sunrise over a new horizon. Each day brings its own challenges—aching muscles, unpredictable weather, and the occasional wrong turn—but also its own rewards: a shared meal, a breathtaking view, or the simple joy of arriving at the next village.
This blog is the beginning of my own Camino story. I’ll share the practical side—routes, tips, and lessons learned—but also the personal reflections that come from spending days on the trail. Whether you’re planning your own pilgrimage or simply curious about what it’s like, I hope these words bring the Camino to life and maybe even inspire you to take those first steps yourself
Portuguese Camino
I have for a long time wanted to walk The Camino, ever since watching 'The Way' with Martin Sheen. Long before that I have always sought out an adventure, but after watching the film I knew that that was the type of adventure I was looking for. The Camino offers so many different options, so many different routes, different paces, different methods. You can do short bursts of the camino or do it over a lengthy amount of time, you can do it solo, with friends, with family, with organised tours, you can start and complete routes over time, dropping in and out when necessary. You can cycle it, jog it, carry a fridge with you, do it with no money, do it with money, you can pay for your bags to be shipped to your next stop, you can stay in hotels, Air BnBs or alberques (hostels), you can camp, whatever suits you.
My FIRST camino was a week long, far enough distance to earn the Compostela, the camino certification awarded by the Pilgrims Office in Santiago de Compostela. To prove you have completed the pilgrimage you have to get your camino passport, your camino credencial, stamped as you walk your route, but we'll talk in more detail about that later. I make a point of it being my first as I intend to do many more caminos, with the main goal being the Via de la Plata, a 1000 km route starting in Saville in southern Spain. This should take about six weeks to complete.
We did the Porto camino, this route starts in Porto in Portugal with a distance of 260km, but we started in Vigo near the border between Spain and Portugal, taking the costal route. This covers around 110km, the minimum distance to qualify for your compostela is 100km but in reality we walked 150km in five days. Unfortunately, on our trip, we all have lives to get on with so we could only make time on this occasion for a one week trip, but that's kinda the point of the Camino ('the way'), there's no hard and fast rules, other than getting your passport stamped.
There are many other routes starting in France, eastern Spain, Southern Spain, Portugal, however some people have started it from their homes in Germany, UK, Ireland, etc. Though you can cycle the pilgrimage it is typical to walk the camino. The poet Laurie Lee, who grew up in the Slad Valley in Stroud, Gloucestershire set out from his home, but without the assistance of the internet or flights and went off on a twelve month stroll around Spain, as he details in his book 'As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning'. That was his pilgrimage.
As you enter Santiago and into what I call the arena, but it is otherwise known as ???????????? you will certainly know when you are there. I don't want to give any spoilers, but oh boy is it worth it.