So, you’re thinking of walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain? Maybe you’ve watched the movie, The Way, or have heard some friends talking about it. But the idea is in your head and it’s on your bucket list, so where do you even begin? It can be overwhelming reading message boards and articles about gear, places to stay, and figuring out all the logistics, but in this 3-part series, we want to help you plan the most successful Camino trip possible.
This section of the Camino del Norte (Northern Camino) connects the two most important cities in the Basque Country, known for its fantastic food and impressive landscapes. This route will have you traveling along picturesque fishing villages on the Cantabric seashore and also through beautiful interior mountain landscapes and fertile valleys. Unlike on some of the other Caminos, it is physically more demanding as you will have to negotiate slopes into the mountains.
I love Spanish food with all my heart! But it took me awhile to figure out the hidden gems of the cuisine and what and when to eat certain foods. It’s almost tragic that some travelers walk the Camino without really understanding or caring about what to order. I’ve put together the top 5 list of things you MUST eat while in Galicia.
The official Pilgrim office in Santiago updated the process to request the Compostela. The Compostela is the official certificate and accreditation of completing the Camino. It is a beautiful certificate written in Latin (English translation is below) and is a joyous keepsake for many travelers. Before the new system, you would walk into Santiago and line up at the office waiting your turn to show your stamped pilgrim passport.
When I was a child my dad would always disappear for a week once a year. My mom would vaguely say he was on a retreat, but I never really inquired much about it until I got older. In my 20’s I finally got around to asking my Dad where he went on his mysterious retreat once a year, and he told me he went to some Jesuit retreat center in Louisiana and didn’t talk. He said he just read, prayed, ate and walked around like a typical retreat, but everything was in silence and it was the best week of his life.
This route starts from the town of Tui on the border between Spain and Portugal, across the Minho river. Medieval bridges, the historical old town of Pontevedra and the village of Padrón, famous for its peppers, are some of the interesting sights along the way. This section of the Portuguese camino will take you through green landscapes up the hills and down the valleys into a region well-known for its Albariño wines, an excellent way to explore the last 100Km of the Portuguese Camino.
O Cebreiro, known for its straw roof houses (pallozas), is located on the Galicia border, about 95 miles (150Km) from Santiago. This section of the French route will have you descend from the mountains from the highest point of the Camino in Galicia, through beautiful landscapes and fertile valleys to the city of Santiago. You will have the opportunity to visit sights along the way like the benedictine Monastery of Samos. It is a great route for those willing to explore the French camino beyond the last 100Km.
Even though the Camino seems simple enough, no one really talks about what a typical day looks like. I’m frequently asked- is it just walking?- and while it is mostly walking, I think it’s important to understand that this is more than a hike or walking trip.
The journey that travelers take while walking the Camino is spiritual and meaningful and so much fun.