Camino Portugues - Stripped Down to the Essentials

After years of flirting with the idea, a couple of weeks deciding on the route, and a few days of - loosely - preparing, the day had come to finally embark on the Camino Portugués. 

The alarm went off at 4:30 a.m. 😴 Excitement and a touch of fear made sleep elusive. A quick ride to the airport, a short nap on the plane, and by 8:45 a.m. I found myself in sunny Porto - the perfect welcome to lighten my mood. At the Sé Catedral I picked up my Camino credentials, followed my first yellow arrows, and rewarded myself with a warm pastel de nata and a cachorrinho (local hotdog) recommended by my Uber driver. Too tired for the city crowds, I hopped on an early train to Vila Praia de Âncora - my chosen starting point.

An evening by the beach, early dinner, and quiet time at the hotel helped me feel mentally prepared, physically overpacked 😂, and ready for whatever lay ahead.

Day 1 – 28 km / 6 h 10 min

I left at 8:30 a.m., the sun already rising over the rugged coast. The signs were clear, the shoes comfortable, and the ocean air invigorating. In Caminha, I caught the last taxi-boat of the year to Spain - after today, crossings only run one hour each morning! The five-minute ride cost me an hour due to the time change, and soon people began greeting me with “buen camino.”

Lunch in A Guarda was mediocre but the rest did wonders. Accommodation options were scarce, so I pushed on to Oia. The final stretch was misty and endless, but I made it - tired, hungry, and happy. A sandwich dinner, a local 0 % beer, and a monastery stamp later, I collapsed into bed. 

Day 2 – 19 km / 4 h 10 min

A full night’s rest worked magic. I left late into a sunny morning, walking along quiet roads with few cafés in sight. The trail wound inland, introducing Galician hills and a first taste of elevation before reaching Baiona by late afternoon. My first albergue stay - 20 beds, 20 stories. I explored the harbor, fortress, and a replica of Columbus’s ship before crafting my first Camino haiku:

The time is running / Like it or not, it does so / The time is running

Day 3 – 28 km / 6 h 15 min

Sleep was scarce - snorers, rustling bags, and early risers. By sunrise I was already walking, ankle aching, blister forming, energy low. Still, step by step I found a rhythm, pausing at white-sand beaches and watching a parasurfing championship on the way to Vigo. Overcast skies, green signs of the coastal variant, and the comforting sense of progress carried me through.

Day 4 – Rest & Bus to Pontevedra

My body revolted. Weak, drained, feet refusing my boots. I listened - skipped the 30 km walk and took a bus instead. A slow day in beautiful Pontevedra restored me: quiet streets, good food, and a well-earned pilgrim massage. Sometimes surrendering is the hardest step.

Day 5 – 23 km / 5 h

Back to full energy. Streets empty at 9:30 a.m., but soon I joined a wave of pilgrims - until I branched off onto the Variante Espiritual, a coastal detour through vineyards and rolling hills. The picturesque village of Combarro was a gem before I reached Armenteira, home to the 16th-century monastery where gentle, elderly nuns offered a heartfelt pilgrim blessing. The simplicity of it all moved me deeply.

Day 6 – 25 km / 5 h

Theme of the day: water, from all directions. Headlamp on, slippery descent, fire salamanders for company. The “Ruta da Pedra e da Auga” traced rivers, mills, forests, and beaches - gorgeous, even through wet socks. By early afternoon I reached Vilanova de Arousa, ready for nothing but a hot bath and dry clothes. 🛀 The sun peeked out briefly, teasing better weather ahead.

Day 7 – 6 km + Boat Ride

A noisy night but an unforgettable morning: sunrise on the boat up the Ulla River. We passed mussel farms and riverside crosses, gliding toward Pontecesures. Only 27 km remained to Santiago - both humbling and empowering.

Coffee turned into beer and tapas with new friends, and together we walked to the Franciscan monastery in Herbón. A moving mass, a tour filled with heartfelt wishes, and a communal dinner made this one of the most spiritual evenings of the Camino.

Day 8 – 30 km / 6 h 34 min

The grand finale. Grateful, light-hearted, ready. Rain came and went, the kilometers counted down - 25, 20, 10… and then the spires of Santiago appeared. After 157 km in 8 days, I stood in the square, overwhelmed.

The Cathedral rose tall over the tomb of St. James, and the evening pilgrim mass - with 4,000 pilgrims and the dramatic botafumeiro swinging incense through the air - was breathtaking. A fitting end to this journey. 😇

Farewells, drinks, laughter. The next morning, my body almost reached for the hiking boots again out of habit. Instead, a 5 a.m. taxi, a quick Barcelona layover, and finally home - grateful, tired, transformed.

This Camino was so much more than a walk. It stripped away everything unnecessary until only truth, connection, and presence remained. From physical strain to inner calm, from solitude to community, it was liberating in every sense.

My heart is full 💖 -  my legs and feet, not so much 😛

Essence of the Camino:

Fun. Challenging. Grounding. Humbling. Revealing. Raw.

Sunny. Rainy. Coastal. Ever-changing. Trusting. Intuitive.

Basic. Pure. Kind. Communal. Touching. Rewarding.