Santiagodecompostela

Luarca to Navia

June 19, 2026June 19, 2026Posted in El Camino del Norte, HikeTagged Buencamino, SantiagodecompostelaLeave a comment

Luarca to Navia — 13.56 miles (21.82 km)

Luarca is a charming town along El Camino del Norte. We arrived on Saturday, and the city was lively and full of energy. That evening, we enjoyed a great seafood meal in town.

As we left Luarca on Sunday morning, we met an Italian woman we had seen the day before on the trail. She was biking from Turin and had left her hometown at the end of April, traveling through Italy, France, and Spain before reaching this stretch of the Camino.

Today’s hike was easy but hot. We passed a couple of restaurants along the way, but they were closed for vacation. Even so, it was a beautiful day to keep moving west toward Navia.

Muros de Nalón to Santa Marina

June 15, 2026Posted in El Camino del Norte, HikeTagged Buencamino, Camino del Norte, El camino de Santiago, Hiking, Saint James way, SantiagodecompostelaLeave a comment

Muros de Nalón to Santa Marina — 16.01 miles (25.75 km)

It was one of the hardest days of the journey, with constant climbs and descents. The elevation changes made the stage feel longer and more demanding than the distance alone suggests, but the scenery made the effort worthwhile.

We walked through rural villages and along dramatic cliffs, with a mix of quiet roads, forest paths, and beautiful views of the Asturian coastline. We stayed at Pensión Prada, a charming pilgrim-friendly place in Santa Marina. The owner was very kind, and the warm welcome felt like an example of Asturian hospitality.

Colunga to Villaviciosa

June 9, 2026Posted in El Camino del Norte, HikeTagged Buencamino, Camino del Norte, El camino de Santiago, Saint James way, SantiagodecompostelaLeave a comment

Day 22: Colunga to Villaviciosa – 11 miles (18 km)

Today was a short, mostly flat walk. We saw the French pilgrims group, the English women, and new faces along the way. Interestingly, we recognize each other, have small talk,and do not know their names. Everybody is friendly, but no one asks for names.

We arrived at Villavisiosa, the Cider Capital.

Llanes to Ribadesella

June 5, 2026Posted in El Camino del Norte, HikeTagged Buencamino, Camino del Norte, El camino de Santiago, Hike, Hiking, Santiagodecompostela1 Comment

Day 20 (2026), we walked from Llanes to Ribadesella, 20 miles (32 km). The hike was easy but long; there was some confusion with the itinerary and Google Maps. We thought the hike was only 23 km today, but it ended up being 9 km more, taking two extra hours. At least the weather was pleasant. We walked alongside the Picos de Europa mountain range, which we didn’t have to climb today, and we admired the breathtaking views of the cliffs and the ocean.

We had an interesting dinner at a local bar whose owners are Mexican descendants and whose menu is a fusion of Spanish and Mexican cuisines.

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.

Lugo to A Ponte Ferreira

July 6, 2024December 23, 2024Posted in El camino Primitivo, Hike, Hikes, primitive wayTagged backpacking, camping, El camino de Santiago, fitness, Hiking, Saint James way, Santiagodecompostela, travelLeave a comment

We spent one day in Lugo and had the opportunity to tour this walled city and learn about its importance during the Roman Empire.

In Lugo, several people have begun their journey to Santiago. We found more people and groups of recent high school graduates on the trail. Unfortunately, this group has been the loudest and listening to music on the trails.

The trails are now flat, with very little change in altitude, as in the Asturias area. Today is Sunday, and several bars and restaurants are closed, making it impossible to find a place to rest and drink coffee. We only found one restaurant, where we had to wait about 45 minutes until they opened the kitchen. While waiting, a group of English hikers told us that two of their friends had been attacked by a loose dog, and they had to call an ambulance to take them to the hospital.

In all the Caminos we have done, this is the first time we have heard of a dog attacking hikers on the trail.

Cocido en un restaurante en el camino de Santiago

Negreira to Olveiroa

April 19, 2017April 28, 2024Posted in El camino de Santiago, El Camino Frances, French WayTagged Buen Camino, Camino Frances, El camino de Santiago, Olveiroa, Saint James way, Santiagodecompostela

Long 34 km heading towards the sea. Mainly through Galician farmlands, countryside, and hamlets. Fortunately, a good breeze was blowing from the ocean to the north and kept us cool.

Rua to Santiago

April 16, 2017April 28, 2024Posted in El camino de Santiago, El Camino Frances, French WayTagged Camino Frances, El camino de Santiago, French Way, Saint James way, Santiagodecompostela

Santiago! Through more eucalyptus forests in the morning before hitting the city and working our way towards the square and the cathedral. Emotions were high when we arrived a bit after lunch. Tears of joy and stupefaction at reaching our goal. 800km walked, 45000 feet ascended, 45000 feet descended, 33 days walking. Tomorrow we will explore Santiago…..

Moratinos to El Burgo Ranero.

May 22, 2016April 28, 2024Posted in El camino de Santiago, El Camino Frances, French WayTagged Buencamino, El camino de Santiago, Santiagodecompostela

Today we had early rain showers in the morning, and then by mid-morning we had wind. It’s official, I would prefer to walk in the rain than walk-in 15mi/h winds.

We walked 32km today and were quite tired when we arrived at the hotel. We only have one more segment on this leg of the Camino before returning to the States.