El camino de Santiago

Bayonne to Saint Jean de Luz.

June 9, 2025July 13, 2025Posted in El camino de Santiago, El Camino del Norte, HikeTagged El camino de Santiago, El Camino del Norte, The north wayLeave a comment

Stage 1: Bayonne to Saint Jean De Luz, 15.86 miles (25.5 km).

We began our hike at the Cathedral of Sainte Marie in Bayonne.

The trail from Bayonne to Saint Jean de Luz was 90% concrete, with some unsafe sections next to the highway. In France, El Camino markings are quite discreet, typically using only small decals. As a result, we found it safer to rely on an electronic map for navigation.

The route changed significantly when we reached Lac Mouriscot, where the terrain improved. From this point onward, we continued to the beach.

We enjoyed walking along the shore at the beach, where many restaurants lined the coast and people happily celebrated the holiday. Overall, the hike was challenging, as much of it occurred on city streets and highways, and there were few clear trail markings.

A Ponte Ferreira to Melide

July 7, 2024March 1, 2025Posted in El camino de Santiago, El camino Primitivo, Hike, primitive wayTagged Camino Primitivo, El camino de Santiago, Hiking, Saint James way, SantiagodecompostelaLeave a comment

Today, we hiked about 20 km to Melide from Ponte Ferreira. We crossed a historic Roman bridge outside Ponte Ferreira, and at this point, I lost track of how many Roman or archeological zones we passed en route to Santiago.

The hike was easy. We walked through rural towns and villages, and a sense of tranquility was around us. We are approaching Melide, where the French Way and El Camino Primitivo cross. The trail will be busy in the coming days with people doing the last 100 km and those doing the French Way. Today is the last day to enjoy a quiet hike.

We arrived in Melide around lunchtime. It was busy; it was market day, and hundreds of pilgrims were walking on the streets. Some would spend the night here, and others were walking through. I have a feeling about how our hike will be tomorrow.

Grandas de Salime to A Fonsagrada

July 2, 2024September 13, 2024Posted in El camino de Santiago, El camino PrimitivoTagged El camino de Santiago, Hike, Saint James wayLeave a comment

We had a good evening in Grandas de Salime. We had dinner at Cafe Restrepo. This cafe/bar is a good place to spend the afternoon. It was different from the other cafes we had visited in other towns. It had good music and eclectic decoration, and the owners were very friendly. There were a good number of pilgrims here, and we had the opportunity to chat and meet new people.

After a good night’s rest, we found that one hiker in our group could not walk today due to severe knee pain and tendonitis. We arranged for her to take a taxi to the next city and rest for the day. We were aware that today’s journey would be another 28 kilometers (17.5 miles)of descending and ascending hills.

We left Grandas de Salime, which is in the Asturias region and started our journey toward A Fonsagrada, a town in the Galicia region. Most of the hike was good, but the last part leading into A Fonsagrada presented a challenging uphill climb, where we ascended 120 meters (400 feet). After hiking for six hours, it was cruel to finally see the town at the top of a hill. As we were ascending the last hill, we heard someone shouting behind us. Of course, I wasn’t the only one who used the F word and cursed at the sight of that daunting hill.

Tineo to Pola de Allande

June 29, 2024September 13, 2024Posted in El camino de Santiago, El camino Primitivo, Hike, primitive wayTagged Camino Primitivo, El camino de Santiago, primitive wayLeave a comment

Today’s journey from Tineo to Pola de Allande, was a walk of 31 kilometers. As we set out in the morning, gentle rain accompanied our walk through the serene Asturias Forest. The misty atmosphere created by the fog transformed the surroundings into a mystical and introspective setting, inspiring deep reflection.

In the afternoon, we met Castine, better known as the German lady. As we walked through the forest, we saw a woman standing in front of the Jedi bench (see picture) at the foot of a hill, debating if she should go up to the mountain to see the ruins of a hospital today or tomorrow. We told her we would not do it, so she walked with us. It is nice to meet people in El Camino; even briefly, talking with them can impact us or at least make our hike more bearable.

As we strolled alongside her, she imparted her knowledge about the flora around us. She pointed out which flowers could be used for tea and even plucked some leaves that are high water contain. Suddenly, she darted ahead, reaching into a cluster of bushes and emerging with a handful of four wild strawberries. With a smile, she declared -this is gold- and shared these strawberries with us. After accompanying us for a few more miles, she stopped because she had reached her Albergue. The last time we saw the German lady was as she sat amidst the forest, surrounded by blooms and enjoying fresh fruit. Meeting her along El Camino was indeed a captivating experience.

Padrón to Santiago de Compostela.

June 27, 2022April 28, 2024Posted in Camino Portugues, El camino de Santiago, HikeTagged Camino Portugues, El camino de SantiagoLeave a comment

Our second time walking into Santiago but this time with our daughters. We walked 175 miles over 13 days and started in Porto, Portugal. We are tired and sore but very gratified to have finished this adventure as a family. Santiago de Compostela is a city steeped in a rich and intriguing history. Happy to have had the opportunity a second time to arrive here on foot.

Caldas de Reís to Padrón.

June 26, 2022April 28, 2024Posted in Camino Portugues, El camino de Santiago, HikeTagged Camino Portugues, El camino de SantiagoLeave a comment

Our walk was uneventful. Good weather most of the day, we ran into our old friends, and we met new people along El Camino. The sense of camaradería between the people walking is one of the the many experiences in El Camino.

Pontevedra to Caldas de Reís

June 25, 2022April 28, 2024Posted in Camino Portugues, El camino de Santiago, HikeTagged El camino de SantiagoLeave a comment

Another heavy rainy morning here in Galicia. As we get close to Santiago, more families and groups are walking. You can identify who are the ones who have been walking for days from the ones who just started walking.

Today we ran into our friends from the USA who we had not see since Tuesday. Believe me, when you find your lost friends in El Camino, it is a moment of happiness and excitement. Today we walked, ate the mandatory second breakfast and lunch together, and we took different paths when we arrived in Caldas de Reís. We said to each other, see you tomorrow and went to our hotels. Hoping to find them again tomorrow on the way.

Redondela to Pontevedra

June 24, 2022April 28, 2024Posted in Camino Portugues, El camino de Santiago, HikeTagged Camino Portugues, El camino de Santiago, Saint James wayLeave a comment

We reached the point that walking 13.5 miles in less than five hours is not bad at all. Don’t take me wrong; After ten days of walking between Portugal and Spain, we have minor injuries in the feet or knees, and the whole body is sore. But we are in the rhythm of walking, eating, and open to discovering whatever it is in the next miles.

Doing El Camino de Santiago is not only developing physical endurance but also mental endurance.

O Porriño to Redondela

June 23, 2022April 28, 2024Posted in Camino Portugues, El camino de Santiago, HikeTagged El camino de SantiagoLeave a comment

Another rainy day. Today we passed the mark of 100 Km to Santiago de Compostela. At this stage we saw more people walking el Camino, some of them are with tours that leave the group in some point and then are pick up after few miles. Not bad if you have physical limitations.