Walk Your Way - Camino de Santiago
Part of my 2025 Hemingway pilgrimages in Spain
September has arrived. It’s early Saturday morning and I’m brushing my teeth on the terrace. The soft late summer sun kisses my skin tenderly. The sky has a paler hue of blue, silently whispering that autumn is on its way. It brings me back to last September and Camino de Santiago. I close my eyes and see the arid northern Spanish landscape in front of my eyes…
First, I had to let go of some preconceptions
To be honest, doing the Camino was not my idea. It’s become trendy, and trendy things are not my first preference. Plus, I would not dedicate an entire month to it. Plus, I’m not religious.
Then my darling friend Muriel suggested it to me. She lives in Spain and had done sections of the Camino before. It sounded like a fabulous experience! Listening to her, I realized that some of my preconceptions were not correct, so I changed my mind and gave her carte blanche to suggest a week’s itinerary.
First of all, there’s not just one Camino, there are twelve alternative main routes called “ways”. The Camino is actually a network of open trails and you are free to choose any section, to suit your interest, level of fitness and the time you have available. The most famous route, often featured in films, is the “Camino Francés” i.e. the “French Way”. It starts on the neighboring side of the Pyrenees and runs almost 800km from there to Santiago de Compostela.
Camino Francés, i.e. the French Way. Map source: Wikipedia.
Second, being religious is not a mandatory requirement for this experience.
As for the trendy part, I was not mistaken. Last year, a record-breaking over 500,000 people collected the Compostela completion certificate in Santiago. On top of that, you have thousands of people like ourselves who walk a selected section without intending to reach the finishing point in Galicia. These numbers mean that the trails and the accommodations can indeed get crowded.
Hemingway & I, in front of the Pamplona bullfighting ring.
Muriel and I, having an aperitivo in Pamplona.
Our Chosen Way
When Muriel proposed we walk a section of the Camino Francés from Pamplona to Logroño, I was all in - this was Hemingway pilgrimage territory! The walk was around 100km in total, and we split it across four walking days.
Day 0: Arrival and evening in Pamplona.
Hemingway loved both Spain and bullfighting. His 1926 novel “The Sun Also Rises” made Pamplona and its San Fermín festival world-famous. I wanted to visit Pamplona ever since I first read the book.
Walking Day 1: Pamplona - Puente la Reina.
An enjoyable 24km walk, with 466m of elevation gain according to my sports tracking app, featuring dry, harvested fields and a few beautiful viewpoints.
Lifesize metal installation on Alto del Perdón, 770m above sea level.
The Camino is incredibly well signposted, no navigator needed.
Walking Day 2: Puente la Reina to Estella.
Another pleasant 24km with around 400m of elevation gain.
Walking Day 3: Estella to Sansol.
This was the longest daily walk, almost 29km door-to-door. Total elevation gain was over 500m, and the highest point was around 700m. It was the most varied day nature-wise, featuring some forest and gradually greener landscapes. We also made a pit stop at a winery that offered a free wine fountain for us “peregrinos”.
The Bodegas de Irache winery near Estella offers a free wine fountain to Camino pilgrims.
Somewhere between Estella and Sansol.
Walking Day 4: Sansol to Logroño.
The easiest daily walk, 22km, from the hills of La Navarra province to La Rioja, with a total elevation gain of around 350m. The closer to the city we walked, the greener the scenery became, decorated with a beautiful patchwork of vineyards.
Extra Day: winery visits in Logroño
Logroño is the capital of La Rioja province, a vibrant historic city and the heart of the world-famous wine region. What kind of a Sommelier would I be if I passed through La Rioja without visiting some wineries?
Last Day: homeward travel.
After breakfast, we walked to the train station, happy and sad at the same time. I didn’t want the experience to end and promised myself I would do it again.
Hemingway visited the Bodegas Franco Españolas winery in Logroño in 1956.
Hemingway loved the winery’s “El Diamante” white wine and mentioned it in “Death in the Afternoon”.
What did I love about the Camino experience?
When I got back from the trip, I was beaming with happiness but could not pinpoint the precise reasons why. Now that a year has passed, I’m better able to articulate what I loved it so much:
The Camino with a friend is a bonding experience which makes the friendship deeper.
Long walks in nature are incredibly relaxing and meditative.
You have to get back to basics when you carry all your belongings in a small backpack.
You can unplug. The Camino is so well signposted you don’t need any devices to navigate. During the daily walks, I used my cell phone only to take photos.
You get to see a different side of Spain, with stunning landscapes and lovely little towns.
There’s a sense of community with walkers from everywhere in the world. Everybody greets each other on the trail. “Buen camino!”
It’s safe and social. We met plenty of solo walkers and I could imagine doing it by myself next time, if a friend is unable to join. You can make friends along the way if you like to, or walk alone in silence. Whichever way is right for your soul.
Some practical tips, if you are considering the Camino
Timing is important. July and August are extremely hot. I live in the Southeast of Italy and would not dream of walking 24km a day during those months! May, June and September are more pleasant weather-wise but also crowded so require good planning. Winter months are a theoretical option, but you run the risk of extreme weather and finding many services closed.
Book your transport and accommodation well in advance. If you don’t feel like organizing the trip by yourself, there are numerous travel agencies that offer guided Camino experiences. Being seasoned travelers, we preferred the independent option. If that’s also your preference, remember that you will be sleeping in little towns and villages with limited accommodation options that can be sold out if you leave it too late. Also, trains in Spain can be completely sold out for days in advance.
Fitness. You must be in good shape and used to walking long distances. You must not have issues with your joints and your back. This may sound like a futile point but alas, it is not. We saw many people struggling on the trails.
Pack light. We had small backpacks that weighed around 7kg, not too heavy to carry on the trail but big enough for what we needed. Many hostels have washing machines, so don’t exaggerate by bringing a lot of extra gear. I packed my usual summer running outfits, easy to wash even by hand and dry quickly.
Choose the right shoes. Find out in advance how mountainous your “way” is - or not. In the latter case, proper hiking shoes are not necessary. We used (trail) running shoes and they were an excellent choice. The most important thing is that your shoes are comfortable and give adequate support while not being too heavy to slow you down. I wore an old pair and had zero blisters all week.
Get the official Camino Passport, especially if you’re going to walk all the way to Santiago and would like to get the completion certificate. We were not this time, but it was fun to gather stamps at the towns and villages where we stopped. I ordered mine a month in advance at Casa Ivar Camino store.
Take it as a beautiful experience, not an athletic performance. You can do the impressive workouts at your home gym, let your heart and soul enjoy the Camino. We were told many times that “fit people like us” could easily have done more than 25km per day. We could have, but that was not the point!
Camino, I’ll be back next year…
Writing this piece brings back powerful and beautiful memories from last September. I would have loved to go back this year, as I initially thought, but something came up. (I’m not complaining as it’s another exciting adventure, and I will write about it very soon!)
In the meantime, I’ve already started studying the Camino map for September 2027… would you like to join me?
*****
This blog post is dedicated to Muriel without whom this life-enriching experience would have not taken place.
Are you, like me, a Hemingway aficionado? If so, you might enjoy reading another blog post from my “2025 Hemingway pilgrimages”: A Beautiful Illusion - San Sebastian