When I Tried to Do the Camino De Santiago

There are things you only do when you are young, and this is one of them. It is a story of a trip that wasn’t well-planned, and many things took unexpected turns. Despise the challenges, it remains a cherished memory. It all unfolded almost a decade ago, and while the finer details may have faded, the essence of the journey still lingers. I was a fearless 22-year-old back then.

In 2016, I attempted to do the Camino de Santiago by bicycle. As an exchange undergraduate student in Dublin, I had ample free time to take on this adventure. While I didn’t have enough weeks to talk the Camino on foot, cycling it seemed like the perfect option. I embarked on this journey alone because I preferred the solitude, and not many of my friends were interested in a three-week cycling experience.

There are several routes to Santiago, but I chose to begin my journey from Fátima in Portugal. I arranged to rent a bike that would be waiting for me at my hostel in Fátima and returned in Santiago. I also obtained my Pilgrim Passport, which is essential to prove that you completed the Camino and helpful for seeking shelter along the way if needed. On February 25, I travled from Dublin to Lisbon and then took a bus to Fátima to start my adventure.

On February 26, I started the journey with my rented bike. As a young man, I haven’t planned very well the path that I needed to follow since I thought it would be as simple as following the signs on the road. Of course I had a rough idea of the cities that I would find along the way but not more than that. I didn’t even know where I would spend the nights.

On February 26, I set off on my journey with the rented bike. Being a young man, I didn’t plan the route very throughly, assuming it would be straightforward by following the road signs. I had a rough idea of the cities I’d encounter, but that was about it. I didn’t even know where I would stay overnight along the way. The plan was to ask for shelter at hostels, fire brigades, etc.

The first part of my journey went as planned. I cycled from Fátima to Caxarias, although it wasn’t always easy to spot the yellow arrows marking the Camino route. Despite that, I managed to find my way. At times, there were long gaps between the arrows, leaving me to hope I was still on the right path.

I planned to travel from Caxarias to Ansião, but things didn’t go as expected. There was heavy rain, the path from Caxarias to Ansião was flooded. To make matters worse, my cell phone got damaged by the water, leaving me without Internet access. Not a great start to the trip. Since the route to Ansião was blocked, I made the decision to head to Pombal instead.

While cycling to Pombal, I began to feel a bit anxious. Heading to an unplanned city, with the sun rapidly setting, I dreaded the idea of riding in the dark. I decided to take a break at a roadside restaurant. As soon as the waitress served my food, I asked her to wrap it up, as I was so nervous that I wanted to keep pedaling without delay.

Upon arriving in Pombal, the sun had already begun to set, but I fortunate enough to find a budget-friendly hostel for the night. Feeling quite hungry, I happily dug into the delicious food I had purchased from the roadside restaurant. The only inconvenience was the lack of cutlery, so I had to eat with my hands.

The next morning, I went to a nearby grocery store and bought some bread and cheese to make sandwiches for the continuation of my trip. My plan was to cycle from Pombal to Ansião.

By the time I reached Ansião, my right knee was throbbing with pain, and it became evident that I couldn’t continue any further. Feeling stranded, I spotted a fire brigade nearby and sought their help. Fortunately, one of the firewomen’s mother happened to be a taxi driver with a spacious car, large enough to accommodate my bike and me. Together, we headed back to Pombal, the same city I had departed from that very morning. The plan was to take a train to Porto.

When I reached Porto, I didn’t have a place to stay, so I wandered the streets with my bike in search of an affordable accommodation. During my search, I took a break to enjoy a delicious Portuguese sandwich called Francesinha at a a local restaurant. It was there that I struck up a conversation and became friends with an American Korean who was in Porto with his MBA classmates. They invited me to join them for dinner that night, and it was a great experience. I still have them on my LinkedIn and Instagram.

After exploring Porto as a tourist, I realized that returning the bike to Santiago would be a challenge. Traveling with a bike proved to be incredibly difficult. The only feasible option to get from Porto to Santiago was to disassemble the bike, wrap it in plastic, and then take a bus. I took the bus close to the Casa da Música.

When I arrived in Santiago, the last surprise of my trip awaited me. After getting off the bus at Santiago station, I tried to put my bike back together, but I did it poorly and hurt my back in the process. My back hurt so much! It took a few days for me to feel better. After taking a taxi to the city center and walking with my painful knee and my aching back, I finally managed to return the bike.

Originally, I had planned to spend only a few days in Santiago, but due to everything that happened along the way, I arrived much earlier than expected. Thankfully the hostel was able to accommodate my extended stay. The hostel was called Roots & Boots.

Since Santiago is a small town, I had to find ways to occupy my time. Often, I would settle into cafes or parks, reading the sole book I had on my iPod touch (Ready Player One). Since the train was affordable, I went to nearby cities like A Coruña and possibly Pontevedra too (I am not 100% sure I visited this city). I also met other travelers in the hostel kitchen, each one carrying their own interesting stories.

Finally, I took a train from Santiago to Madrid, and on March 8 I took my flight back from Madrid to Dublin.