Santiago de Compostela

Day 13
Padrón to Santiago de Compostela — 25km

It’s so hard to put into words the end of 276km (176 miles). ❤️

We woke up feeling refreshed and ready for what we thought would be a cruisy final day. The plan was to take our time, enjoy the last 25km, stop for breakfast and lunch, and just soak it all up.

Well, that was the plan! 😂

We stopped for breakfast after about 10km, ordering our final café con leche and croissant. 🥐 Then, before we knew it, we were in Santiago!

I think we both had that feeling of wanting to get there. We were ready to reach our destination and see the cathedral again. We still stopped for photos and chatted to other pilgrims we’d met along the way.

We also had a little treasure hunt to keep us entertained. The Dutch girls had left small terracotta tiles for us along the trail, attached to markers, and we were on the lookout for them as we walked. I’d never heard of this being a Camino tradition, so I think it was their own lovely idea — and what a thoughtful thing to do! We managed to find two of the treasures. It made the final walk even more special ❤️

I was so thankful to have such a wonderful experience walking into the cathedral square. Having been here last year as well, the experience was quite different this time.

We entered the square just before 1pm, and it was incredibly busy! There were pilgrims everywhere, taking photos, sitting on the ground and celebrating reaching Santiago. There was also a protest camp taking up part of the square, with tents set up by people campaigning for better access to affordable housing. It was quite a contrast to the celebrations happening around them. 🇪🇸

After a quick photo, we headed off to the Pilgrim Office to collect our certificates. Along the way, we bumped into the lovely Charlotte and arranged to meet up with her afterwards.

For me, this felt like the perfect way to finish our pilgrimage: a pilgrim’s lunch, a chilled glass of wine and time to reflect on the journey. 🥂

After lunch, we took a few more photos and had a wander around before heading back to our hotel for a well-earned nap. 😴

My final thoughts on this pilgrimage.

I absolutely loved walking the first week with our gorgeous Camino buddies from last year. They are truly special women who will always have a place in our hearts. ❤️

It took us a little while to meet other pilgrims, as the route doesn’t have quite the same big communal pilgrim dinners we experienced last year. But we eventually met some lovely people, and I only wish we’d had more time to spend with them.

The walk itself was definitely easier in terms of elevation, but harder on the legs because of all the pavement walking!

And perhaps one of my biggest reflections is that I think I’ve finally found my thing at the age of 60 — I LOVE long-distance walking! 🥾Who knew? There’s something so special about being out on the trail, discovering new places, meeting people and having the time and space to just walk and think. I’m already wondering where my feet will take me next!

I’ve really enjoyed walking with Jim, too. We were drawn together 30 years ago by our shared love of nature and adventure, and here we are, all these years later, still out having adventures together. ❤️ Of course, he can be annoying at times! 😂 And I’m sure he’d say the same about me. But there’s something pretty special about continuing to explore the world together.

And the Camino spirit? I do think it’s there, but sometimes it takes a little longer to find. For us, it came through the people we met, the conversations we had along the way.

The Camino is about so much more than getting from one place to another. It’s the people, the unexpected moments, the laughter, the challenges and the memories you take home with you.

At 60, I feel like I’ve discovered something I truly love and I have a feeling this won’t be our last adventure. ❤️🥾Read more