“Buen camino!” called the cyclists as they wove through the walkers on the path. “Buen camino,” we and others called back. Meaning ‘good way’ in Spanish – “Bo camiño” in Galician – these daily greetings never failed to lift my spirits and help me on the way.
My nine-day walk along the Camino de Santiago started 115km (72 miles) away in Sarría, the shortest distance possible to gain a compostela, or certificate, on arrival at the Pilgrim’s Office in Santiago.
As proof that you have completed the route, you are given a credencial or pilgrim’s passport, which has to be stamped at hostels, churches or cafés on the route. Getting your quota of sellos (stamps) each day is a serious business but also great fun.
An ancient pilgrimage
The Camino de Santiago or Way of St James dates back to the 9th century and is actually a number of different routes, all leading to the shrine of St James at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain. I followed the last part of the Camino Francés, or French Way, which runs from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France across the Pyrenees.
Although in origin the Camino was a spiritual pilgrimage, and many people still complete the walk for religious reasons, everyone has their own motivation to undertake it. In my case, I love walking in the countryside and had aspired to walk the Camino for some years. I wanted to return to Galicia, where I taught English in 2018, and at 76 it was also a physical as well as a personal challenge – now or never perhaps.
Steeped in history
From the moment that my friend and I crossed the medieval bridge out of Sarría, we were literally steeped in the past. It didn’t matter that it was raining. There was a shared anticipation as we walked along the cobbled pathway, away from the town and our present-day lives. We and all the other raingear-clad walkers starting with us somehow stepped back in time.
This feeling stayed with us throughout the journey. We were always aware that we were walking in the steps of former pilgrims, going back centuries. Camino walkers are still known as peregrinos or pilgrims and I felt proud to become one too for a short time.
The first night, we stayed in an 11th-century pensión or guest house, with beams as thick as tree trunks and a large wood fire. I slept well in a huge four-poster bed as rain poured down outside and thunder rumbled in the hillsides.
Every day we walked through medieval villages, with cobbled streets, stone-built cottages and chapels, passing over ancient bridges and past hórreos or traditional grain stores. Old stone cruceiros or crosses often marked the way, symbolising forgiveness and protection for pilgrims. In one or two villages, the chapel was open and a priest or helper would stamp our credencial and wish us well on the journey. I’m not religious, but the spirituality of places was strong.
Immersion in nature
We were also immersed in nature and the elements. Galicia has high rainfall, so the landscape is lush and verdant and streams often run alongside the Camino. We walked through unspoilt woodlands, full of cuckoo song, huge old oak trees bending over the path, and alongside newly ploughed fields full of rich, red soil with undulating hills beyond.
May was a beautiful time to walk. Drooping bluebells, bright blue borage, red dead-nettle, campion and huge clovers grew in abundance along the hedgerows, while stonecrops and tiny white erigeron flowers grew out of the old stone walls.
Over the days, our senses were heightened by this closeness to nature (remember the feeling during lockdowns?). Time slowed down and everyday life seemed a long way away. It was like a walking meditation.
Community on the Camino
An unexpected aspect of the walk was how many people we got to know over the days. Everyone is walking the same way, with a shared purpose, and there was a strong sense of community and camaraderie. As well as “Buen camino” as they passed, walkers would often stop for a chat on the path or at a café for coffee or lunch.
Almost inevitably we started to recognise the same people and to greet them like long lost friends. There was an Australian woman who often stopped to sketch or paint the landscape, and two friendly American women who we saw and chatted to almost daily, as well as many others.
The majority of walkers were European – particularly Spanish, Italian, German and Irish – but there were also several groups of Americans, Australians and many East Asians. I was surprised and inspired by the number of women of all ages walking by themselves. And it was lovely to see groups of young Spanish children walking with their teachers, chatting and laughing.
A protected route
Unlike other parts of Spain, where there have been many demonstrations against over-tourism, Galicia welcomes its visitors to the Camino. According to an EU report, the economic benefits of the Camino to Galicia, traditionally one of the poorest parts of the country, are great.
You could see this first hand, with the large number of cafés, bars and albergues (hostels) supporting the pilgrims on the route, the vast majority welcoming and friendly. We often saw repairs being undertaken to the paths: the costs of upkeep must be high but on balance repaid many times over.
The historical and religious significance of the Camino puts it into a different category from tourism elsewhere in Spain. Pilgrims generally give great respect to the route and their carbon footprint is low.
A challenge worth taking
As my friend and I started the last 10km of our walk, we felt sad that it was coming to an end. For all the aches and pains – I had a swollen foot – it was worth it to walk through the outskirts of Santiago on the final day.
As we finally reached the huge Cathedral, we were welcomed by the haunting sounds of a Galician piper. And as my pilgrim passport was stamped for the last time by a kindly woman at the Pilgrim’s Office, an unexpected wave of emotion swept over me – a mix of pride, relief, joy and sadness. Over three weeks later, I’m still recalling aspects of the Camino and thinking about the importance of the walk to me.
Viv followed the self-guided Sarría to Santiago Rambler Camino route, organised by UTracks.
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