What Happens During an 84-mile Hike Across Spain

I wasn’t a hiker, and yet I found myself walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. (Read to the end for the sign that kept me going on my final day.)

Author and husband on day 1 on the Camino de Santiago, Portuguese Coastal Route

Sometimes, I like to share what I am reading with my husband.

“See, this is the map showing where Sonia walked on the Camino,” I said to my husband, pointing to the illustration in the book. We were in our new home in Florida, having moved from Pennsylvania only a year earlier.

The book in my hands was Walking Home: A Pilgrimage from Humbled to Healed by Sonia Choquette, which narrated Sonia’s trek over the Pyrenees Mountains. The Camino de Santiago is a one-thousand-year-old pilgrimage, made up of many routes, all leading to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, in the far northwest corner of Spain. Sonia’s path (Camino Francés) is one of the Camino routes, and it took her over a month and 500 miles, from France across northern Spain.

A hiker (or pilgrim) is recognized for completing the pilgrimage (with a Compostela certificate) at 62 miles on foot.

Many nights I shared the details of Sonia’s journey until one day at a charming restaurant and cocktail bar in a nearby beach town, Chris looked over at me and said, “Let’s walk the Camino de Santiago.”

“What?” I responded in disbelief.

“Did I tell you that her feet were in pain?” Had I romanticized the hike? I wondered.

“What if it rains on us? You wouldn’t like that,” I said. We were not a hiking couple. Though my husband had hiked the Appalachian Trail for a few days, I had never imagined hiking the Camino de Santiago. This was far removed from our rest-and-relax vacations.

Eight months later, there I was with my husband in a small coastal fishing village in Spain, near the Portuguese border, called Oia. This was the first day of our six-day hiking adventure. We chose the Coastal Portuguese route, rated a moderate-challenge Camino.

The coastal route heads north until it reaches Santiago. While pre-training for long walks along Florida’s coastline, I let myself imagine the hike along the Spanish coast.

Now here I was with a lightly packed backpack on my back, hiking sticks in each hand, and a rolled-up raincoat in my backpack (for that just-in-case rain). On my feet: carefully researched merino wool hiking socks and trail-running sneakers (for the aforementioned potential foot pain). My trail-running shoes with Vibram soles promised to work perfectly for the hike: enough cushion for concrete and traction for trails.

Author on the Camino de Santiago, Portuguese Coastal Route.

Then we were off: in Oia, we walked only three miles to practice and stayed there that night. We had our first fun Camino experience, meeting fellow pilgrims from England on the back deck of a local restaurant with water views. They had started their Camino earlier in Portugal and shared tales of heavy rain. I felt grateful for the glorious weather in that moment.

Our Day-to-Day Highlights

Day 1: Oia to Baiona

It was May, so we walked in layers, peeling off our long-sleeved shirts or pullovers as the day warmed. We placed our seashell from Florida on the Camino route at a wayside shrine, and met a fellow Pennsylvanian who was biking the Camino. A beautiful day and a good start to appreciating the Camino journey. Scenic with hilly elevations, and so grateful to discover an enjoyable town to end the day.

Day 2: Baiona to Vigo

Our longest trek, 17 miles, felt both beautiful and arduous. Surprise walks on the beach started the day. Fortitude ended the day as we trekked up the steep sidewalks of Vigo to reach our hotel, fulfilling this day’s journey.

Day 3: Vigo to Pontevedra

Our travel company's app guided our journey on my husband’s cell phone. However, we also used the visual cues of directional signage (yellow arrows) that pointed the way for Camino pilgrims. Many locales were well signed, though in some areas the yellow arrows seemed to disappear.

This day, we followed the signs through the woods but didn't double-check the travel company's app. If we had, we would have been alerted to cut out of the woods sooner, saving us distance, energy, and our bodies. Tough after the 17-mile hike the day before.

Day 4: Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis

The further North we traveled, the cooler the morning temperatures. I felt grateful for my lightweight merino wool headband, an idea I picked up from a Camino YouTube video. We experienced a beautiful trek through vineyards, yet our bodies were relieved and happy to reach our destination.

Day 5: Caldas de Reis to Padron

Rain threatened all day, yet we rolled into town before the downpour. My thigh muscles really felt it on this trek. By this point in the trip, my toes were bandaged, and painkillers helped my sore muscles. Our reward? The best steak meal around at an Argentinian restaurant. Back at the hotel by 5:20 p.m., my husband crashed into bed.

Author and husband on the final hike day to Santiago de Compostela

Day 6: Padron to Santiago de Compostela - A Surprise Ending

Arriving in Santiago de Compostela, we received our last official pilgrim stamp and our Compostela certificates, our names written in Latin, certifying official completion of the Camino.

They say people cry when they arrive at the Cathedral. It wasn't that way for me. There was more disbelief and joy. Yet, when I saw my name on my Compostela certificate, I was overcome. Teary eyes matched my emotion.

We also visited St. James's interment in the Cathedral. (I had called out loud on the tougher climbs: "We are coming, St. James!")

However, let me back up to the morning of our final day, while I was still asleep…

Author’s photo: Angels in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral.

Something happened that later connected me to the photo above:

I suddenly awoke at 4:44 am and rolled back over to sleep until it was actually time to get up. Because this was the last day of our journey, I wondered what it meant to see 444.

Before we hit the road, a quick online search revealed that 444 was an angel number; the message: angels were around, and our path was being supported toward success. With sore muscles and a last push to go, the message felt timely.

On the road, I felt pretty good physically, and so did my husband, despite the cold, wet weather. I felt driven, and if an ascent felt tough, I said, "444."

(I didn’t have the stamina for a self-pep talk beyond saying 444, which came in handy a few times. The earlier meaning behind the sequence of numbers was enough to hold my imagination.)

Then, in Santiago, walking into the Cathedral, I was surprised to see the biggest angels I'd ever seen anywhere adorning the interior.

The reference to angels in my 444 morning had come full circle to our arrival in Santiago.

Author and husband in front of the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.

We ended the day in the continued spirit of the Camino, making friends with fellow pilgrims from Poland.

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Watch the full 84-mile Camino de Santiago, Portuguese Coastal Route Journey

In May 2025, my husband and I walked 84 miles along the Portuguese Coastal Route in Spain, from Oia to Santiago de Compostela in six days.

The Sign that Inspired Me on My Final Day Walking the Camino de Santiago

Check out my next Camino blog:

What Happens After an 84-mile Walk Across Spain: A Surprising Lesson on Attachment and Letting Go at www.anitawasko.com/blog

https://www.anitawasko.com/blog/after-hiking-the-camino-de-santiago-in-spain