Spanish Trails - There's More Than One Way to Walk a Camino
Spanish Trails - There's More Than One Way to Walk a Camino
By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures
Dear Henry,
Of all the long-distance walks I dream about, the Camino de Santiago has always stood out.
The Camino de Santiago, the Way of St. James, is a pilgrimage route of roughly five hundred miles that winds through northern Spain (with a short stretch in France) and ends at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, believed to house the remains of St. James. It is a journey that takes at least a month to complete, longer if you linger, longer still if you listen.
The Camino is not just a hike. It is a rhythm. A decision to move forward one day at a time, trusting that the road will eventually lead where it is meant to. For many, it is spiritual. For others, physical. For some, it is simply a long walk undertaken at the right moment in life.
For years, it has been the route in my imagination.
But Spain, it turns out, has more than one way to walk a Camino.
There is another trail, far less famous, called the Camino dos Faro, the Way of the Lighthouses. This route traces the rugged Galician coastline along the Costa da Morte, the Coast of Death, and takes about eight days to complete. Instead of villages and cathedrals, it offers wind, waves, cliffs, and light. Lighthouses instead of churches. The edge of the continent instead of its interior.
Every account I have read describes it as breathtaking.
It is also far less crowded.
Learning about this coastal Camino changed something for me. It reminded me that pilgrimage does not require scale to be meaningful. Not every journey has to be the longest, the hardest, or the most famous. Sometimes the right path is shorter, quieter, closer to the water, more about watching than arriving.
Spain offers more than one road for those who want to walk with intention.
So the question becomes not which Camino is the best.
The question is: where do you want to go?
xoxo,
a.d. elliott
____________________________________________________________________
About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.
✨ #TakeTheBackRoads
Enjoyed this post? Support the adventure by visiting my sponsors, shopping the gallery, or buying me a cup of coffee!
