The Rain in Spain: My Camino
October 2024
I turned 65 in July, 2024, and wanted to do something contemplative to mark this milestone. I've felt drawn to the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain for many years, and decided that I would walk a portion of it. I prepared for over a year by reading books, talking to people who've walked the Camino, researching what to bring, and training with my pack and walking poles. Five days into my walk, my journey took an unexpected turn when Hurricane Kirk pummeled northern Spain with heavy rain and high winds. With great sadness, I decided to leave the Camino. I headed south in search of better weather, and took advantage of the opportunity to visit some places on my Spain wish list (Salamanca, Seville, Ronda, and Córdoba). There was still some rain down south, but it was warmer and less windy. It was not the trip I had expected, but it was nevertheless contemplative and insightful.
The Camino de Santiago
The Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) is a network of paths leading to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain, where relics of the apostle James are said to be buried. Throughout the Middle Ages, thousands of pilgrims walked from their homes to the cathedral. Although most of today's pilgrims are not Catholic, many are seeking some sort of spiritual insight. (Compostela means "field of stars," and refers to the Milky Way, which ancient pilgrims followed to reach the cathedral.)
The Camino Francés, or French Way (because it starts in France), is the most popular path, and has the most pilgrim support infrastructure. It’s about 500 miles long. Nearly half a million people walked all or part of it in 2023, and that number has been steadily growing. I had planned to walk the 100-mile section from Leon to Sarria. The movie "The Way," starring Martin Sheen, was filmed on the Camino Francés.
If you want to stay in pilgrim hostels, you must carry a pilgrim "credencial," or passbook.
If you want to receive a certificate when you arrive in Santiago, you need a certain number of stamps (from hostels, sights, restaurants), and you must walk at least the last 100 km (from Sarria to Santiago), or bicycle the last 200 km.
Due to the storm, this became my actual journey. Red is busses; blue is walking; green is a carpool; black is trains.
Burgos
I flew to Madrid and took a 2.5-hour bus ride to Burgos (population 176,000, elevation 2800 feet). This small city is steeped in medieval history. Its cathedral is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture and a World Heritage Site.
The magnificent Gothic cathedral was built between 1221 and 1567.
View of the Burgos cathedral from the hill above town
The Burgos cathedral is enormous. The main altarpiece is 50 feet high and 30 feet wide.
The ancient city walls date from at least the 13th century.
An avenue of plane trees shades the river promenade. It gets hot here in the summer.
There are many very old royal tombs at the Monastery of Las Huelgas. These are the tombs of Alfonso VIII and his wife Eleanor (daughter of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine), who founded the monastery in 1187.
Here is my video of the University of Burgos orchestra and choir performing a free concert in front of the Golden Staircase in the cathedral. The stairs, built in 1523, were inspired by the Cortile Belvedere staircase in the Vatican, and were the inspiration for the staircase of the Paris Opera.
León
I enjoyed the 3.5-hour bus ride from Burgos to León, which went through many small towns. León (population 125,000, elevation 2700 feet) is another beautiful city filled with history and architecture.
One of many pedestrian squares in the old part of the city
I happened to be there during the festival of San Froilán, patron saint of León. Casa Botines, a house designed by Gaudi in 1891, provides a medieval-inspired backdrop to a medieval market featuring crafts and food.
This typical León street has a view of the towers and flower-filled facade of the city hall.
León's cathedral is another Gothic masterpiece.
León's cathedral is magnificent and very different from the one in Burgos. It has almost 20,000 square feet of stained glass. The interior is kept dark, which gives it a more ethereal feel.
Crowded street on a Friday night in the "barrio humedo," or "wet neighborhood" (so-called because it has lots of bars!). Spanish people love to be outside, even if it's damp and chilly.
Here is my video of traditional dancers at the San Froilán festival. The music and dance are both called "Jota" and everyone knows the steps.
The dancers wear beautiful beaded necklaces.
My vidoe of a bagpipe parade at the San Froilán festival
León to Villar de Mazarife
At 7:45 on a Sunday morning, I started walking the Camino. The streets were quiet except for other pilgrims.
The most popular Camino guidebook is called "A Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino de Santiago." This is a typical 4.5x7.5" page, packed full of information about route options, distances, places to stay, and more.
One of the many Camino signs that help you find your way.
The Camino symbol is the scallop shell. This one is embedded in a sidewalk, letting you know you're going the right way.
Another type of wayfinding sign, in the outskirts of León.
Pilgrims on a sidewalk west of León. It was rare to not see pilgrims ahead or behind. October is shoulder season on the Camino, and I can't imagine the crowds in high season.
As I headed into the country, I saw many wine cellars dug into the hillsides, where people store the wine they make from the grapes they grow.
I chose the "alternative route" on this day. It went through the countryside, and had fewer pilgrims than the main (faster) route.
Walking a peaceful gravel farm road. Arrows at regular intervals reassure you that you are on the right path.
A quaint stone town. Spain is experiencing the same rural exodus that is happening all over the world, as young people leave small villages for better jobs in cities. Some people say that if it weren't for the pilgrims, many of these little towns would be empty.
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I walked 12 miles to the small village of Villar de Mazarife, arriving in the early afternoon, just before it began to rain. I stayed at an albergue (pilgrim hostel) run by Jesus and his daughter Nerea. They were incredibly friendly. It cost $11. There is a separate section with more information about hostels at the end of this blog.
Nerea is a great cook and served us a three-course meal for $13 that included soup made from squash the family grew. It was my first "pilgrim meal," and I loved talking with these delightful pilgrims from five countries, in a mix of English and Spanish. Everyone shared why they were doing the Camino, and toasted me on my first day of walking (they'd already been walking for several weeks).
Villar de Mazarife to Puente de Orbigos
On my second day, I walked eight miles from Villar de Mazarife to Puente de Orbigos. A variety of signs and arrows pointed the way.
Pilgrim rest areas provide a place to take a break, or wait for a taxi (blisters, knee pain, heavy rain, or impending darkness are all reasons I heard for hailing a cab).
Scenery along the route
Puente de Orbigos is a charming little town with a long, multi-arched medieval bridge. I stayed in the Parish albergue, which is run by friendly volunteers and cost $11. The weather was cool and cloudy with a little warm sun while I walked and a little rain after I arrived.
I treated myself to my first restaurant meal (I mostly ate out of grocery stores). This is a typical three-course pilgrim menu. A British couple were sitting at the table next to me. They were doing a phone puzzle, with their heads bent together, so I didn't interrupt them to say hello. After they left, the owner told me they had paid for my meal! It was the first of many incredible Camino experiences.
I'd been wanting to try garlic soup, a local specialty. The broth is rich and flavorful, and not too garlicky.
Puente de Orbigos to Astorga
On day three I walked 10 miles across rolling hills and farmland. Here is a rare moment with no pilgrims in sight. Many pilgrims walk in groups of two or more, but if you are walking alone, people seem to understand that you want solitude.
El Jardin del Alma (The Garden of the Soul) appeared like a mirage as I reached the top of a hill. A large round table was piled with food. In the middle was a donation basket. Another table held coffee and tea. There was a meditation labyrinth, a tent with a little wood stove (welcome warmth on a chilly day), pillowed benches, two ukuleles, and more. You are welcome to spend the night if you have a sleeping bag. The Garden was started 15 years ago by a young Spanish man who had fallen into a tough life, and walked the Camino to look for answers. He ran out of money one day and someone gave him food. He felt called to feed pilgrims. As I stood there amazed, I remembered the people who'd fed me yesterday, and put the money I would have spent on that restaurant meal into the basket.
Astorga is a gem of a small city, with a cathedral, a Gaudi building, charming plazas, and only 12,000 people.
The city hall building in the main plaza is famous for its timepiece. If you look closely, you can see two figures in traditional dress standing on either side of the bell. They strike the bell to tell the time.
Gaudi designed the Episcopal Palace as the Bishop's headquarters and home.
The chapel of Gaudi's Episcopal Palace
I stayed in another kind of hostel, run by a pilgrim association, and mostly staffed by volunteers. It cost $8. Here is one of the 20-bed dorm rooms, just before the lights went out. Everyone was quiet and I got a good night's sleep.
Astorga to Santa Catalina de Somoza
Day four dawned with pouring rain and a fierce headwind. My boots were quickly soaked.
I decided to stop early, after 5.5 miles, in the cute little town of Santa Catalina de Somoza.
La Boheme is a "donativo" type hostel: it's privately owned, and payment is by donation. The shared rooms were full, so I got this huge space all to myself.
The wood stove was a godsend for drying boots and warming up.
The kind and friendly owner, Daniel, served a fantastic couscous meal (and a breakfast the next morning). The evening was spent in soulful conversation, and later, playing music. Each person had an amazing story to tell. Many were walking the Camino to help them sort through big life transitions. Many had made new "friends for life" along the way.
Hurricane Kirk was battering the northwest corner of Spain, and the forecast was for continuing heavy rain and high winds. The next part of the walk would go through steep mountains up to 5000 feet. That combination of weather and terrain just didn't sound like fun to me. With enormous sadness, I decided to leave the Camino. I retraced my steps back to Astorga, which had bus connections to the south. During a break from the rain, I passed through this lovely little town with old stone houses.
The rain stopped long enough for the trail to dry out.
Salamanca
The bus to Salamanca took three hours. Salamanca (population 151,000) is known as the Golden City because of the sandstone that was used to build its streets and monuments. It has two cathedrals and the oldest university in Spain, founded in 1218.
After the camaraderie and soul connections of the Camino, being in a big city by myself felt very lonely. I was having Camino withdrawals (it's a thing).
A typical street in the old part of Salamanca has stone pavers and sandstone buildings.
There is a nice trail along the river, with views of the conjoined old and new cathedrals.
Looking across the Roman bridge over the Tormes River to the cathedrals
The old university library
Reproduction of a celestial mural painted in the late 1400s. It was discovered in a hidden ceiling above the old university library.
The Plaza Mayor is Salamanca's living room. It's especially popular on Saturday nights.
I loved watching this brass quartet playing a Pasodoble (bullfighting music) in Plaza Mayor
I saw several bachelor parties with the groom-to-be in drag.
The Spanish love strolling, and the streets around the Plaza Mayor were packed.
It was Spain Day and the town hall in Plaza Mayor was lit up like the Spanish flag. People cheered when the lights came on.
As I toured the gorgeous old cathedral, I was feeling a bit fatigued by religious imagery and gold alterpieces. But then I came upon this wedding, which added a whole different dimension to the experience.
Confetti cannons and flower petals greeted the newlyweds as they emerged from the cathedral.
Choir stalls in the new cathedral
Iberian ham is hugely popular in Spain. Fancy restaurants have special stations for carving razor-thin slices. The ham comes from the black Iberian pig, whose free-range forest diet of acorns gives the meat a nutty flavor. The ham is expensive.
Seville
I found a carpool from Salamanca to Seville through a site called "BlaBlaCar." Passenger fares help drivers defer the costs of a drive they were planning to take anyway. It was a 4.5-hour trip and I paid $30.
Seville (population 700,000) is the capital of Andalusia, the southernmost "autonomous community" of Spain. Andalusia has a wealth of Moorish history and architecture.
The Plaza de España was built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929.
The Plaza de España
The Casa de Pilatos, originally constructed in the late 1400s, was the home of a wealthy family. The Moorish-influenced decor is a beautiful mix of intricate tilework, inlaid wood, and carved plaster.
The tiled walls were added in the early 1500s, and there are around 150 different designs.
Tile walls in the Casa de Pilatos date from the early 1500s.
I enjoyed walking through the narrow streets in the old quarter of Seville.
Old quarter of Seville
Ronda
Ronda is one of the so-called "white hill towns" of southern Spain, whose whitewashed houses help reflect the intense summer heat. Ronda (population 35,000) is best known for an ancient bridge across a deep gorge, and for the oldest bullring in Spain. The area was part of the Muslim empire from 713 until 1485, and was one of the last parts of Spain to be "reconquered" by the Christians. Elevation 2400 feet.
The bus from Seville to Ronda took about three hours. Spain has a good bus system with nice busses. About 30 miles north of Ronda, the scenery changed from flat and brown to rolling hills and greenery.
The famous bridge connects the old and new parts of the town. It was completed in 1793 and is 300 feet tall. It's the main road through town and carries a lot of traffic.
Looking down at the deep gorge from the top of the bridge.
View from the Casa Don Bosco garden, perched on the edge of the cliff
Old walls of this once-fortified town
One of the many gates in the old city walls
The bullring in Ronda is the oldest one in Spain, built in the late 1700s. It has an excellent history museum and is now home to a horse riding school.
Costumes in the bullring museum. The popularity of bullfighting has declined considerably, with many Spaniards calling for a ban.
Ronda was Islamic for 700 years. The Arab baths were located by the north gate of the city to welcome travelers. An ingenious system kept heat and hot water flowing through the various steam, massage, and soaking rooms.
The Iglesia de Santa Maria la Mayor was built on the former mosque of Ronda. But preserved inside the church is a 13th-century arch that was part of the mosque's mihrab (prayer niche that indicates the direction of Mecca).
I spent an afternoon taking a long walk down into the valley below Ronda (and back up again).
I loved being out in the country and walking on this narrow lane. I saw only one car and no pedestrians.
The next day I hiked to Tajo del Abanico, about three miles from the center of town. There are a lot of trails in this area.
View of the Ronda mountains on the empty road to Tajo del Abanico
The trail to Tajo del Abanico
Parts of the trail were cobbled. One website says these were laid in medieval times, but I don't know if that's true.
I passed many olive trees. Olives must be cured to make them edible.
One of the Caminos to Santiago goes through Ronda.
On the weekend, every plaza featured a phenomenal musician.
Córdoba
Another Andalusian city, Córdoba (population 326,000) was an important Roman city and a major Islamic center in the Middle Ages. It’s best known for La Mezquita, an immense mosque dating from 784.
One of the portals that used to be an entrance to the mosque
The mosque is one of the world's greatest works of Islamic architecture. Originally, it had 19 doors along its north side, filling it with light and openness. Those were closed off when part of the mosque was converted to a cathedral, and the interior is now a bit dark.
The striped arches are supposed to suggest a forest of date palms. There were 1293 columns, and 856 are left.
To build the mihrab (portal facing Mecca), the Muslim caliph asked the emperor of Byzantium to send him a superb mosaicist. The Christian emperor also sent 3500 pounds of gold mosaic squares, which were used to create flower motifs and inscriptions from the Quran.
Dome of the mihrab
In the 1500s the center of the mosque was converted to a cathedral. Thankfully the entire mosque was not destroyed. I've never seen such a mixture of Islamic and Christian elements. The mosque sits in the center of what is now called the Jewish quarter. Once upon a time, Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived side by side, with a rich mix of cultures.
Looking across the river and the Roman bridge toward the mosque
Córdoba has a warm climate, with many palm and orange trees.
Workers repaving a cobblestone street
Another Camino sign
From Córdoba I took a two-hour high-speed train to Madrid and then flew home.
Costs
Plane ticket $970 (Air Canada, Seattle>Toronto>Madrid)
Lodging $538 (16 nights hostels, 5 nights hotels; range $11 to $40; average $26/night)
Ground transportation $173 (senior rate when available)
Entry fees $142 (senior rate at cathedrals, museums, etc.)
Food $180 (grocery stores and an occasional restaurant)
Total $1033 for 21 days, not including flight ($49/day)
Lodging
Some pilgrims stay in private rooms, and some stay in shared dorm-style rooms. Some reserve ahead, and some opt for the non-reservable pilgrim dorms. Some walk alone and some in pairs or groups. It all depends on your budget, travel style, and reasons for walking.
I wanted to walk alone, for maximum contemplation, but be able to socialize at the end of the day. I wanted the flexibility of deciding how far to walk each day, so I didn't make reservations. Besides being affordable, hostels are a good way for a solo traveler to meet people. With earplugs and an eye mask I always slept well. Hostels take effective steps to prevent bed bugs (I did spray my sleeping sack with permethrin). I wore a mask on planes, trains, and busses, but didn't sleep with one, and I did not get sick. Most hostels require you to leave your boots outside of the room, and smelly feet were not an issue!
Private hostels take reservations, allow you to stay more than one night, often provide breakfast, and usually cost a bit more. Pilgrim hostels require a credencial, only allow a one-night stay, don't accept reservations, are cheaper, are usually more basic, and usually require you to leave by 8 am. Some hostels provide sheets and blankets; the cheaper ones expect you to bring your own sleeping bag. All of the ones I stayed in provided pillows. I brought an inflatable pillow as a backup.
Bunks at a private hostel in Burgos
Shared bathrooms were always very clean.
Private hostels usually offered a simple breakfast of cereal, toast, milk, juice, coffee.
A 12-bed women's dorm in León
Pinching means stealing.
Common areas usually include a kitchen with fridge space, and hangout areas.
Eight-bed private pilgrim hostel
The parish hostel in Puente de Orbigos. When you check in they give you a disposable mattress cover and pillowcase.
I appreciated this sign at the association hostel in Astorga. I always asked for a lower bunk, but didn't always get one.
Although I never had to wait for bathroom access at any of the hostels I stayed at, I liked hostels that had plenty of sinks, and separate sink/toilet/shower stalls.
I booked women's dorms when they were available. At this one in Córdoba I enjoyed evening chats with the young women, before they went out for a late dinner and I went to sleep! Bunks usually had a power outlet and a reading light.
What Did I Bring?
Some pilgrims carry all of their things, and others carry only a day pack and pay to send their luggage to their next destination. I wanted to carry everything so I had flexibility about how far I walked each day. This meant I had to pack very light. Click here to see my packing list.
The contents of my pack. I also brought trekking poles (which fit in my pack), a fleece jacket, and a sun hat (rarely needed, alas).
My pack weighed 15 pounds, including water.
Me and my pack at the airport, coming home. I loved not having to check any luggage, or to tow a rolling suitcase.