El Camino de Santiago- The Walk of Santiago- is a medieval pilgrimage which still attracts thousands of tourists today. With routes spanning across the whole of Spain, all converging upon the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in the North-east, it’s a great way to explore this diverse country which, unknown to many, boasts great mountains as well as barren semi-desert terrain. Whilst on the Camino you will walk, eat and sleep with your fellow pilgrims, spending nights in varied refuges, known as Albergues, which are found along the route.
Although the majority of pilgrims commit to reaching the great cathedral, and set goals for the distance they want to travel each day, I found myself on the Camino without a map, walking boots, or a definite goal. At first I spent five days walking along Spain’s picturesque north coast, before myself and a German priest decided to leave the route and busk in a nearby city for a couple of days. However it wasn’t long before I was back on the Camino trail.
I found it virtually impossible to travel around Spain without walking parts of the Camino, as you are never very far away from one of its many routes. This inevitably means you are never far from an Albergue, which has great appeal to someone who doesn’t want to spend a lot of money, as their prices range from donativo (donation) to 10 euros. As well as being an all-round cheap venture, the routes takes pilgrims through many beautiful and interesting places in Spain’s varied history and landscape.
Walking up to distances of 40km a day allows plenty of time for contemplation, and the journey is often undertaken by those in search of enlightenment, or self-discovery. However, the Camino is what you make of it, and there is huge flexibility in how you shape your journey. For example I arrived in Spain via ferry and intended to travel southwards, with the eventual aim of arriving in Morocco, and therefore after a while I became known as the boy “walking the camino backwards”, because I was walking away from Santiago de Compostela.
I hitch hiked and occasionally caught buses between different cities and towns while in Spain, but nearly always found myself back on El Camino de Santiago. The Albergues are a refuge after a long day, and places where people of all ages and backgrounds can rejoice in the spirit of the Camino, sharing their ups and downs, as well as the varied experiences they have had. I discovered that the people I met were often walking their second or third Camino, demonstrating its unique ability to engross people, who become infected with the Camino ‘bug’.
Walking the Camino is undoubtedly a rewarding experience, partly because it’s a great way to explore Spain’s varied culture, across its many autonomous communities. The relative low cost of walking the Camino is also a big plus, as are the friendly people one is bound to meet. And although walking the long distances is inevitably difficult, I am sure the euphoric emotion felt by pilgrims when entering the great city of Santiago de Compostela makes it all worthwhile.
