What “Camino de Santiago” Really Means
Before I talk about my walk, it helps to unpack the name.
In Spanish, Camino de Santiago literally means “the Way of Saint James.”
- Camino = way, road, path
- de = of
- Santiago = Saint James
So when we say “Camino de Santiago,” we’re talking about walking the road of a saint, following in the footsteps of countless pilgrims before us.
Coming Home From the Camino
I recently came back from the Camino and allowed myself a short recovery period.
It was the only journey I’ve ever taken with no jet lag.
Maybe I was just exhausted. Maybe something “sacred” really does happen on that road.
I don’t know for sure.
But I do know one thing with absolute clarity:
it was the best trip of my life so far.
A Rough Start: Heatwave, Canceled Trains, and Bayonne
I flew into Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) on June 24.
The plan was simple: take the train the next day to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, the classic starting point of the Camino Francés.
The Camino, of course, had other plans.
Europe was hit by an extreme heatwave.
My train was canceled, and I suddenly found myself stuck in Bayonne, my transfer city.
The heat was brutal, and the cultural adjustment to rural France and Spain hit me harder than I expected.
Still, I decided to treat it as part of the pilgrimage.
If I was going to suffer under the hot French sun, I might as well take it as a warm-up.
Thanks to the help of several strangers, I managed to reach Saint-Jean the next morning and finally stood at the starting line of my Camino.
(One thing I kept forgetting: in rural France and Spain, very few people speak English.
It’s obvious in theory, but very real when you’re tired, lost, and trying to ask for help.)
The Heart of My Camino Was People
For me, the Camino was not just about the trail.
It was about the people.
On the Way, age, nationality, and job titles didn’t matter.
I found myself in difficult situations more than once, and each time, “Camino angels” appeared out of nowhere and helped me.
Many Europeans were genuinely impressed that someone my age had come all the way from Korea to walk this road.
They treated me like a younger sibling or even their own child—offering directions, advice, and more meals than I can count.
I felt deeply grateful, and honestly, undeserving of so much kindness.
Every time I asked, “How can I thank you properly?”
I usually got a similar answer:
“You’re young. You don’t need to pay us back now.
When you’re older and you meet a youngster who needs help,
buy them a meal instead.”
I’ve decided to carry that with me.
Someday, when I have the chance, I want to become someone else’s Camino angel, the way so many people were mine.
The Route I Walked: Camino Francés + Fisterra & Muxía
I walked the Camino Francés, starting in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France,
then continued past Santiago all the way to Fisterra and Muxía on the Atlantic coast.
Here’s a high-level overview of my journey.
Overall Itinerary
- Route: Camino Francés + Fisterra & Muxía extension
- Total dates: June 24 – July 31, 2026
- Walking days: 33 days (plus travel days before/after)
Prologue – Getting to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
- June 24
Arrive at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). - June 25
Planned train to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.
Heatwave causes widespread train cancellations.
I spend an unexpected night in Bayonne, then finally reach Saint-Jean the next morning—with a lot of help and a very sweaty backpack.
Stage 1 – Crossing the Pyrenees into Spain
- Day 1 – June 26
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port → Orisson (Napoléon Route)
Distance: 11.88 km - Day 2 – June 27
Orisson → Roncesvalles
Distance: 18.37 km - Day 3 – June 28
Roncesvalles → Zubiri
Distance: 23.81 km
Stage 2 – Vineyards, Villages, and Warm Stone Houses (Navarra & La Rioja)
- Day 4 – June 29
Zubiri → Pamplona — 22.70 km - Day 5 – June 30
Pamplona → Puente la Reina — 23.07 km - Day 6 – July 1
Puente la Reina → Estella — 24.50 km - Day 7 – July 2
Estella → Los Arcos — 23.52 km - Day 8 – July 3
Los Arcos → Logroño — 30.01 km - Day 9 – July 4
Logroño → Nájera — 30.50 km
Stage 3 – The Long Lines of the Meseta
Endless fields, big skies, sunflowers on one side and grain on the other.
- Day 10 – July 5
Nájera → Santo Domingo de la Calzada — 21.84 km - Day 11 – July 6
Santo Domingo de la Calzada → Villambistia — 31.03 km - Day 12 – July 7
Villambistia → Atapuerca — 25.69 km - Day 13 – July 8
Atapuerca → Burgos — 20.93 km - Day 14 – July 9
Burgos → Hornillos del Camino — 22.82 km - Day 15 – July 10
Hornillos del Camino → Itero de la Vega — 33.89 km - Day 16 – July 11
Itero de la Vega → Carrión de los Condes — 33.97 km - Day 17 – July 12
Carrión de los Condes → San Nicolás del Real Camino — 28.40 km - Day 18 – July 13
San Nicolás del Real Camino → El Burgo Ranero — 27.82 km - Day 19 – July 14
El Burgo Ranero → León — 39.05 km
Stage 4 – Gaudí, O Cebreiro, and the Green Hills of Galicia
- Day 20 – July 15
León → Villavante — 34.47 km
(Villavante is about 2 km off the official route.) - Day 21 – July 16
Villavante → Astorga — 24.10 km - Day 22 – July 17
Astorga → Foncebadón — 28.05 km - Day 23 – July 18
Foncebadón → Ponferrada — 29.83 km - Day 24 – July 19
Ponferrada → Las Herrerías — 48.09 km - Day 25 – July 20
Las Herrerías → Fillobal — 29.02 km - Day 26 – July 21
Fillobal → A Pena (Ferreiros) — 39.41 km - Day 27 – July 22
A Pena (Ferreiros) → San Xulián do Camiño — 38.58 km - Day 28 – July 23
San Xulián do Camiño → A Calle de Ferreiros — 37.48 km - Day 29 – July 24
A Calle de Ferreiros → Santiago de Compostela — 37.61 km
Stage 5 – All the Way to the Atlantic: Fisterra & Muxía
I originally planned to stop in Santiago…
But somewhere in the mountains around O Cebreiro, I changed my mind and changed my flight.
I decided to walk all the way to the ocean.
- Day 30 – July 25
Santiago de Compostela → Negreira — 23.87 km - Day 31 – July 26
Negreira → O Logoso — 42.54 km - Day 32 – July 27
O Logoso → Fisterra — 35.36 km - Day 33 – July 28
Fisterra → Muxía — 32.65 km
My walking journey ended in Muxía on July 28.
The distances above are based on my notes from albergue to albergue;
I’ll refine the exact start/end points in separate stage guides later.
Epilogue – Meeting Saint James and Flying Home
- July 29
Bus from Muxía back to Santiago de Compostela.
I attended the famous Botafumeiro Mass at the cathedral and spent the day wandering around the old town. - July 30
Depart from Santiago Airport (SCQ), connect in Amsterdam, fly back to Korea. - July 31
Arrive home in Korea in the evening.
That was the rough outline of my Camino journey:
France to Santiago, then all the way to the “end of the world” on the Atlantic.
Why I Didn’t Blog Daily on the Camino
My original idea was to write and upload a daily blog from the trail.
But once I started walking, I realized something:
being fully present on the Way mattered more than staying constantly connected.
So I chose not to obsess over posting.
Instead, I reduced the noise from the outside world and focused on walking, resting, and living the simple rhythm of the Camino.
I still kept records—handwritten notes before bed and entries in a small journaling app I built.
This post (and the rest of this Camino Journal series) comes from those notes, expanded now that I’ve had time to breathe.
The Camino Is Not Just a “Nice Walk”
On social media, the Camino often looks like a beautiful, easy walking holiday.
My experience was different.
In many ways, the Camino is:
- physically demanding,
- sometimes dangerous,
- and absolutely not “effortless.”
I faced more than a few risky situations.
While your pace and experience will change things, one rule seems universal:
If you don’t follow your own pace, you will eventually get hurt.
Especially for many Young walkers, the standard 35-day schedule from Saint-Jean to Santiago is treated like the default.
But if you try to match someone else’s schedule instead of listening to your own body,
you might end up injured or burned out.
You have to listen to your legs, your feet, and your fatigue.
If you’re tired, slow down.
If you need a short day, take one.
The Camino is long enough to hold your pace.
And remember: Spain is not your home country.
There will be moments that feel unfair or confusing by Korean (or other) standards.
Sometimes the only healthy response is to shrug and say, “Okay… that’s just how it is here.”
You’re Not Just Going for a Walk. You’re hiking.
One thing I really want to say is this:
Most people imagine the Camino as “just walking.”
But for long stretches, especially in the mountains, it feels much more like continuous hiking than a casual stroll.
You are not just going out for a walk.
In many sections, you are hiking—with a backpack, in heat, rain, and sometimes strong wind.
If you’re planning your own Camino, train your body with that in mind.
Learning the Story Behind the Road
Before I left, I spent some time learning about the history, culture, and religious background of the Camino Francés.
In Seoul, there is a small place called Café Santiago in Hapjeong that offers free weekly talks on the Camino every Thursday.
I attended those sessions, and because of that, I could see and feel much more along the Way—churches, symbols, villages, and small details that might otherwise have passed me by.
If you have the time, I highly recommend doing at least a basic study of the Camino before you go.
It will deepen your experience in ways you might not expect.
For now, this is the map of my 33 days on the Way.
If you’re standing where I was—tired, unsure about your direction, but curious about the Camino—
I hope this overview gives you both a realistic picture and a little bit of courage.
In future posts, I’ll go deeper into:
- how I packed,
- how I trained,
- and what each stage felt like, day by day.