I walked the Camino Frances for the first time in August 2023 and, without knowing it, I was about to live one of the most special experiences of my life. I’d wanted to do it for over a year, but I always found an excuse: I had no one to go with, I’d never travelled alone, and the idea genuinely terrified my parents. So, as I’d done so many times before, I kept putting it off in favour of other trips, always with company, leaving the Camino for “someday”.
That “someday” arrived thanks to my cousin. There’s an 11-year age gap between us, and one day she confessed that she too dreamed of doing the Camino. Her parents, just like mine, didn’t want her to do it alone, so it turned out to be the perfect opportunity for both of us. Without overthinking it, we booked the train tickets and the hostels and decided to go for it. Sometimes you just need the right person to finally take the leap.
Full of excitement, we took the train from Madrid to Sarria, more than ready for the 115 kilometres ahead of us. The first day was pure emotion: setting off, seeing so many people in the same situation, feeling the good vibes, the nature. Everything just flowed. On reaching Portomarín, we dropped our backpacks, proud of our first stage, and went off to get something to eat and drink. And that’s where something happened that would shape my entire Camino.
Right across from us was a guy with a beard, an infectious smile, and eyes that spoke for themselves. We smiled at each other. He was with a few other guys and, after a while, came over to invite us to join them. I was delighted, of course. Most of them had started the Camino alone, and he — let’s call him “the Viking” — had an incredible knack for bringing people together. In under 20 kilometres he’d already created a beautiful group out of people who were walking solo.
After eating, we all went together to the municipal swimming pool, and that’s where we really bonded as a group. On the second day, my cousin and I set off on our stage and, as luck would have it, the Viking was walking nearby. The three of us set off together. It was a tough stage because of the heat, but full of laughter, endless conversations, and the occasional bit of flirting. At the end of the day, another coincidence: he was staying at our same hostel. Coincidence? Fate? Washing machine, dryer, and a reunion with the group.
The third stage had a reputation as the “leg-breaker” and we were a bit intimidated by it, but for me it turned out to be the best one. We enjoyed the nature, the animals, the villages, the local people, and the pilgrims. Another friend from Valencia joined us, and we became a group of four. On the Camino everything changes: everyone is kind, everyone helps. Conversations come up that only ever happen there:
“How did you sleep?”, “Did you hear the guy next to you snoring?”, “How’s the knee?”, “Did you manage to go to the bathroom?”
Spending several days in a row with the same people creates very special bonds.
Before finishing that stage, we stopped by a stream. Feet soaking, a nice cold Estrella Galicia beer, and a feeling of absolute happiness. That day was very important to me, because the Viking and I kissed in secret, like little kids. A really fun game. People thought we were a couple because of how connected we seemed…
The fourth stage was just as beautiful. I especially remember a woman from Cádiz and her son, whom we met while eating at the hostel. I was completely captivated listening to her life story and admiring the fine person she had raised. That night we all ended up together on a terrace — friends, friends of friends, and the same faces we’d been seeing for days. The evening stretched on, with toasts, dancing, and lots of laughter.
We faced the fifth and final stage with equal parts excitement and sadness. We were finally reaching the long-awaited Cathedral of Santiago, but we knew this experience was coming to an end. We were no longer just four; there were many more of us walking together into the Plaza del Obradoiro. My Camino love, like a summer romance, had an expiry date, but it was so intense that we walked in hand in hand. With tears in my eyes, all I could say was: I did it.
And yes, the Camino is physical effort, but for me it’s above all people, stories, laughter, conversations, and connections. It’s an experience that, truly, everyone should live at least once.
Mábel Fernández
Instagram: @viajayviveportres
