farragutpress

Camino Journal: Part 5

To Santiago de Compostela and beyond

August 26, 2026 by Carlos Reveiz, Correspondent

After 32 days and approximately 472 miles of walking from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port across Spain, our journey to Santiago de Compostela had

finally arrived at its final day—a 13-mile walk from O Pedrouzo to the Santiago de Compostela cathedral.

We had been blessed with mostly sunny skies. But on this final day, the forecast called for rain on and off throughout the entire walk.  As Nancy and I went through our normal morning routine —packing our backpacks, taping our feet with Leukotape, covering them with Vaseline and organizing our snacks — we couldn’t help but feel sad. Santiago would be the final destination for two members of our Camino family, Bob from San Diego and Ilona from Holland.  Nancy and I planned to continue walking another three days to Finisterre, the coastal village once believed to be the “end of the world,” followed by another day to the coastal village of Muxía.  That meant we would soon have to say goodbye to Bob and Ilona.

We had walked with them every single day, every single step, since the beginning of our journey. The bond we developed is difficult to put into words and will be unforgettable for the rest of our lives. Although we had known them for only 32 days, it felt as if we had known them for 32 years. We shared fears, accomplishments, frustrations and joys. We laughed together, encouraged one another and had countless deep conversations about life.

A few miles into our walk, Bob told Nancy and me that he had a surprise for us. Without our knowing, Bob and Ilona had been quietly rearranging their schedules so they could continue walking with us to Finisterre! Nancy and I were ecstatic. We couldn’t

believe they had done that for us. After all those miles together, our Camino family wasn’t going to end in Santiago after all. We were deeply touched.

As we continued toward Santiago, the excitement and anticipation grew. The rain couldn’t dampen our spirits. The cathedral was getting closer, and with every step, we knew we were approaching a moment we would remember forever. Because Nancy and I had walked the 200-mile stretch from León to Santiago three years earlier, I was excited to return, but my mind was already looking beyond the cathedral. For me, Santiago was not the finish line. Finisterre was still calling.

As we entered the iconic tunnel leading into the Santiago de Compostela cathedral plaza, something happened naturally. The four of us locked arms as we wanted to arrive as one. As we stepped out of the tunnel, we saw something none of us expected.  Standing in the rain in the plaza were six pilgrims we had met and walked with during the first couple of weeks of our journey. They had eventually gone ahead of us, and we were saddened when our paths separated. We assumed we would never see them again. But there they were waiting for us! They had arrived in Santiago the day before but chose to stay an extra night to greet us and celebrate our arrival.

At first, I thought the water in my eyes was from the rain. It wasn’t. It was emotion. We hugged each other, laughed, cried and celebrated together in the middle of the rain. These people had no reason to wait for us other than the friendship and connection

we had formed along the Camino. It was one of those moments that makes the Camino so difficult to explain to

someone who hasn’t experienced it.

They say “The Camino provides.” Sometimes it provides food, a bed, a helping hand or a little encouragement when your legs are tired. And sometimes, it provides people who appear at exactly the right moment and remind you that the connections you make along the way can be just as important as the destination itself. That moment in the rain in Santiago was truly a blessing. It was a moment none of us will never forget.

The next morning, the four of us left Santiago very early for what would be a 19-mile day. As we walked, we couldn’t stop talking about the previous day’s surprise. Seeing those friends again had lifted our spirits and reminded us just how special this journey had become. But now our focus shifted. The Atlantic Ocean was calling. What had seemed impossibly far away when we started 33 days earlier was suddenly within reach. In just three more days and approximately 87 miles, we would have walked across an entire country. It was difficult to comprehend.

Together, our Camino family had crossed the French Pyrenees, walked across the seemingly endless, unforgiving hot Meseta, climbed to the highest point of the Camino Francés at the Cruz de Ferro and finally reached Santiago de Compostela. Now there was only one major challenge left. The coast.

We still had steep climbs, long days and nearly 90 miles ahead of us. But our legs were strong, our spirits were high, and our Camino family was together.

God willing, in three days we would finally stand beside the Atlantic Ocean.

And that…is a story for another day. Until then, my friends…Buen Camino!