June 30, 2018
The Camino de Santiago is not a distinct path with a designated starting point. Instead, it refers to the destination – the city of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. How you walk there is up to you, as pilgrims historically began from their homes. But no matter where one begins, all paths lead to the Santiago Cathedral, where the relics of St. James are said to reside.
Many Camino hikers walk the Camino Frances in Northern Spain. For our journey to Santiago, we chose to trek the Camino Portugues, beginning in Porto, Portugal. After six days of hiking in Portugal, we took a day off in the town of Tui, Spain. With our rest day complete, we were ready for the final trek to Santiago.
A New Spanish Routine
After leaving Tui, we walked 73.5 miles through the Galicia region of Spain over an additional six days. Upon crossing the border into Spain, we found that some adjustments to our routine were necessary. Many stores and restaurants close in the afternoon for siesta, so we had to plan our eating and shopping accordingly. Also, we discovered that finding a restaurant serving dinner before 8:00 pm was difficult, as Spaniards tend to eat dinner later. Using our phones, we did find places that opened as early as 7:00 pm to accommodate hikers who wanted an early morning start.
One thing that was easy for us was a routine of eating tapas for dinner. We ordered meat dishes and cheese boards, accompanied by local red wine. The seafood was plentiful, and we enjoyed mussels, razor clams, and shrimp.
In the city of Padron we tried an order of their famous peppers. The green peppers are about two inches long, and while their taste is usually mild, a few may be hot (like jalapenos). Legend has it that the pepper seeds were brought back from the “New World” of Mexico and California by missionaries stationed there. We paired the peppers with an order of sautéed octopus.
Trail Changes with 100 Kilometers to Go
As we hiked in Spain, we noted a significant increase in the number of people walking the Camino. In order to obtain a certificate of completion, one must walk at least 100 kilometers (62 miles). Stamps collected in a Credencial del Peregrino (Pilgrim Passport) from cafes, hotels, hostels, and churches en route are proof of covering the distance.
We knew we had less than 100 kilometers to go because markers began appearing along the trail, counting down our distance to Santiago.
We not only observed more people on the path, but many of them were now in groups. Almost everyone we saw was carrying just a day pack, as luggage service could be purchased to transport large bags from one day’s accommodation to the next. The language of communication changed from English to Spanish as the majority of the hikers were now from Spain.
A welcome change on the trail was the weather, which was cooler than the heat we had encountered during the previous week in Portugal. One morning it even drizzled as we trekked. With the cooler weather and the absence of the cobblestone walking we had in Portugal, we found we could hike much faster, completing most of our stages in only four to five hours each day.
Trekking through Spanish Cities and Towns
The towns we hiked through in Spain were generally larger than Portugal. To that end, our accommodations were geared towards two and three star hotels, with most not including breakfast. After checking out each morning, we stopped at a local cafe to order cafe con leche (coffee with milk) before beginning our day’s hike. It also gave us the opportunity to collect another stamp along the way.
While Spain was more densely populated than Portugal, the trail still took us through a variety of small villages and farms. One of our favorite towns was Arcade. Situated on an Atlantic Ocean inlet, Arcade featured a beautiful stone bridge crossing the Verdugo River.
We had a scenic overnight stop in the city of Pontevedra. Nestled within the pedestrian streets was the distinctive Capella da Virxe Peregrine (Chapel of the Pilgrims).
A Big Splurge for Our Anniversary
Since our wedding anniversary coincided with hiking on the Camino Portugues, we booked one big splurge hotel along the way. The Torre do Rio was located about two miles off the trail. We mapped the walking directions in Google Maps, but were surprised to discover that the paved road abruptly ended about halfway into our walk. There was a dirt track in front of us, so we just kept hiking. After about five minutes, a paved street appeared again, much to our relief.
The hotel choice was worth the momentary anxiety, as the grounds were comprised of a stone building containing the rooms, another older structure left in ruins, and an immaculate garden with a river flowing right into a swimming pool. We were enchanted by the place and explored every inch of the property.
There was also ample time to relax on the balcony outside our room. We ate dinner that night at the hotel and enjoyed a huge breakfast the next morning before reluctantly retracing our steps back to the Camino path.
Reaching Santiago
Our final day of hiking to Santiago was our longest Spanish stage – 15.9 miles. There was a chance of rain in the afternoon, so we left before 8:00 am to hopefully finish before getting wet. Fortunately, the rain held off, but it became extremely humid and warm. The final three miles of hiking was all uphill as we reached the outskirts of Santiago. There was no shade from the sun on the city sidewalks. Tired from the cumulative days of trekking and the muggy weather, we labored on until we reached the old town section of Santiago.
With the end now in sight, we entered the Praza do Obradoiro and walked down one of several stone paths leading to its center. On the other side, we could see Camino Frances hikers coming towards us. At the center of the square, we stopped to celebrate the end of our trek in front of the cathedral, a total of 150 miles of hiking from Porto.
Later that evening we made our way to the Pilgrim office to obtain our last stamp and our Compostelas (certificates of completion). The document is written in Latin.
Our hotel was located in Santiago’s old town, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. It was easy for us to get lost walking around the narrow streets, filled with cafes and shops. The next day gave us a chance to explore the Santiago Cathedral more thoroughly. Once inside, we joined a line to walk into the crypt where the relics of St. James reside.
Overall, we enjoyed our experience on the Camino Portugues. Experiencing the towns and countryside of Portugal and Spain on our own two feet, while trying a variety of local food, was a highlight for us. This hike is certainly within the capabilities of any fit person, especially with the availability of the luggage service option. To that end, we saw both young children and older people walking beside us. We also liked meeting other hikers from around the world and spending time talking to them each day.
Not a trail trek by any means, the Camino Portugues has a significant amount of paved hiking and even a few sections of busy road walking. We knew about it beforehand and were prepared, but that may not be everyone’s cup of tea. However, the beauty of the countryside we trekked through made up for it.
We will spend a week in Madrid exploring the city and taking a couple of day trips, before traveling to Andorra and France. Our next trek, in the Alsace region of France, will begin on July 14.
As we walked our final steps towards the Santiago Cathedral, we recorded a video. Take a look below to hear our Camino Portugues summary.