Completing The Camino: Walking The Way from Lisbon to Santiago

If you have seen the film The Way (like every single North American I met on my journey had), or seen some of the minor celebs-on-pilgrimage series on the BBC, you will have an idea what these particular pilgrimages are about.

For over a thousand years since the Middle Ages when 250,000 made the journey on foot, pilgrims have been travelling this network of ancient routes from across Europe to visit the alleged burial site of the body of the apostle St James, Jesus’s brother, who is believed to have preached around the Iberian peninsula. In fact, in the early part of the first millennia before the spread of Christianity, Romans and pagans walked along a similar path following the line of the Milky Way to what was then supposed to be the ends of the earth, Finisterre on the Westernmost point of Spanish Galicia.

Once as important a site as pilgrimage to Rome and Jerusalem to Christians, the route had become largely forgotten until the 1980s when a Galician priest walked the route painting yellow arrows to help fellow pilgrims on their way as he did so. Since then the route has been named a World Heritage Site, and there has been an enormous resurgence in pilgrimage for mind, body or spiritual reasons.

You can read more about the history of this Camino here and see the BBC series walking the first part of the Portuguese Camino ending at Fatima on catch up here.

It was over eight years since I had last taken a lengthy solo adventure anywhere, to Australia in 2016 after my daughter Gabi died and I needed a complete reset and time to walk through my grief.

And here I was in the summer of 2024, working too hard with a long commute to one client, juggling six different projects, stuck in a sense of overwhelm I had promised myself I wouldn’t get into again. And then my car wheels locked taking a corner in the wet and I literally hit a wall at 50 miles an hour. It was the wake-up call I needed. Having lost my husband at 48 and my daughter at 12, I more than most should know we can’t even count on having tomorrow. Today is it. So instead of waiting until 2025, I cleared my diary and booked to walk the Portuguese coastal camino

I chose the Coastal Camino route, rather than the most popular Camino Frances, because it was a big personal and fitness challenge. I had decided to carry my own 10 kilo pack the 400 miles (700 km), but largely on the flat as I had post-menopausal trouble with my knees managing steep downhills, as I discovered descending Ben Nevis and Snowdon recently! And I love the sea with its cool breezes, ever-changing moods and possibility of a few swims along the way.

Carrying my pack like the pilgrims of old, navigating solo, sleeping cheaply in dorms with up to two dozen strangers, foraging in supermarkets for food and taking advantage of the ‘Pilgrim meal deal’ dinners for the occasional treat was enough steps out of my comfort zone. I couldn’t face the stress or trying to book my own accommodation each morning, having to walk further than my energy would hold out if there was no room at the inn, or rush to beat the crowds faster than my body wanted. So I decided to book with the lovely Samantha at Wild Camino, who helped me to plan my route and was a helpline should trouble befall- which it did when wildfires broke out in a 37 degree heatwave at the end of my third week.

Although the police and fire service closed the Camino and roads around for a week, forcing us pilgrims to skip the five route stages after Coimbra, I made the most of the extra time in Porto.

I reached Santiago with my pilgrim companions I had met along the way in five weeks including rest and sightseeing days, after a month of walking up to 25 miles each day. 696 kilometres shown on my smartwatch. 674 kilometres the official length of the Portuguese Coastal-Litoral route. And ended by climbing to the top of the Cathedral for their special rooftop tour. A precious opportunity to give thanks for safe arrivals as I gazed back along the way I had come.

It was a magnificent and life-changing experience. I laughed, I cried, I grieved, I endured the agony of crippling blisters and sore shoulders. I ran out of water and food on two occasions. I connected deeply with myself, others and nature. I met some wonderful people and made memories to last a lifetime. And by ‘feeling the fear and doing it anyway’ once again, I now know I can do this again and again on many more pilgrimage trails. And next time I may well book my accommodation as I go- pushing my comfort boundaries again.

By sharing every step of the highs and lows of my journey through daily posts on my Hope Walking and personal Facebook pages, I also raised over £1100 in donations from beautiful, generous-hearted friends, family and clients. The funds went straight to my favourite international charity, Africa’s Gift as I walked, which will buy over 40 eco-cookbags to change and save the lives of women in Lesotho.

If this post has inspired you to take your own adventure, do take a look at former-solicitor-turned-adventurer Sam’s excellent Wild Camino concierge service, and you can return to read my daily blog on Facebook.

I am now writing a book about my experiences based on this blog- so watch out for more news on that soon by following me on Hope Walking’s page and signing up to my website newsletter.