Cities of the Camino Part 5: Santiago de Compostela
where to stay, what to do and where to eat
Image: We did it!! Santiago de Compostela, Louise’s iPhone, June 2022
In this five-part series, we’re sharing our experiences (as well as pilgrim and local insights) into five of the bigger town and city stops along the Camino de Santiago (Camino Frances) pilgrimage route. The towns and cities of Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos, Leon and Santiago de Compostela all make for perfect places for a rest day along the Camino or even just a weekend away.
My hope is that this series will provide you with some useful information and advice if you’re planning your own Camino or just some inspiration for a different weekend away in some more authentically Spanish cities than the usual tourist haunts.
Image: The crowds begin to form, Louise’s iPhone, June 2022
First of all, hello and welcome!
I have mixed feelings about reaching the end of this series. Every time I look back and reminisce over our Camino de Santiago journey it is bittersweet. I yearn for it in a way I had not imagined that I would.
This week is the fifth and last in this series. All roads here lead to Santiago de Compostela, and this is where the journey ends.
There will be celebrations and there may also be tears.
I remember our final days’ walk vividly. By Camino standards, it was relatively short. We left O Pedrouzo early in the morning, fueled by coffee and croissants, ready for the 20km walk into the big city. We were at the tail end of a veritable wave of people, everyone keen to get to Santiago in time for the pilgrim’s mass at the cathedral at midday.
It was a strangely quiet morning. We walked with a sense of expectation and excitement to be finally reaching the end of our journey after 40 days of walking across Spain. Excited and yet nor were we quite ready for it to end.
As we passed across farmland, through delicious-smelling eucalyptus groves and wending our way around the airport, our pace slowed. Natural paths soon gave way to pavements as we looked down on this city that we had been aiming for every day for six weeks.
As we started to pass into the old centre of Santiago de Compostela, I realised that we would soon run out of yellow arrows and Camino shells to follow. And then what? When you have followed a path for weeks, getting up every day to follow little yellow arrows, what do you do when the markers stop and you’ve reached your destination?
This bittersweet emotion caught up with me over the last few kilometres. I had been strangely comforted by the simple daily routine for weeks, and here I was suddenly about to be thrown back out into the real world, with no shells or arrows to follow anymore.
Suddenly I was going to have to walk my own path again and I was uncomfortable. I felt untethered stepping back into the unknown.
As I shared in my post reflecting on the Camino de Santiago one year later, I had no idea when we had started this walk that the challenge would actually be returning to normal life afterwards, not reaching our destination.
Image: Only 10km to go, Louise’s iPhone, June 2022
Santiago de Compostela: What you should know
Nestled in amongst hills at the end of the Way of Saint James, Santiago de Compostela is a northern Spanish city that welcomes pilgrims with open arms. Known as the culmination of a spiritual journey, it's a place where history and religion come together. The grand Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, a marvel of Romanesque and Baroque architecture, stands tall in the heart of the city, a symbol of triumph and faith. Strolling through the narrow streets in the old town, you’ll find ancient buildings which have absorbed the stories of the many pilgrims who have come before you.
As the day winds down, enjoy Santiago's renowned cuisine. Try local dishes like pulpo a la gallega (Galician-style octopus) and tarta de Santiago (almond cake decorated with the pattern of the Camino shell) as you connect with fellow pilgrims. Santiago de Compostela's welcoming spirit and seamless blend of history and modernity make it the perfect place to rejuvenate after your epic Camino de Santiago adventure.
Image: Arriving in Santiago de Compostela, Louise’s iPhone, June 2022
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