Sep 19: Sea and sand

So, it turns out that there are two different “coastal” Caminos, When we walked this stretch last year, we took the well-blazed “Official” coastal trail. And, given the terrible weather last year, having a trail that was more trails and roads, more sheltered, shorter and, frankly, not often on the seaside, was exactly the right choice. However, this year, our app offered us the “Senda Litoral”, which is truly “coastal”, including tens of kilometres of beach- and dune-walking. Not only is the weather intensely better than in March 2025, much of the trail is new. We come in, go through, and end in the same towns, but in between, we are truly walking with the ocean.

We were both exhausted at the end of today. I feel it’s largely because the amount of sun we have experienced in the last three days (cloudless skies, no shelter, UV bouncing off the water, off the sand…). The sun is a physical weight on your body, particularly when there are “yellow warnings” about seasonally extreme heat. It reached 30 degrees C today. Fortunately, the strong, cold wind off the Atlantic really helps to manage the kilometres, even if the toll on your skin is just as intense. I have also been fighting a cold all day. My nose has really been dribbling (that’s the only word for it - sorry!) and I ache. But, I am still walking and grateful that (i) I can, albeit fortified with aspirin and (ii) this extraordinary terrain is on offer to me/us.

The whole experience has been magical. I haven’t ever walked on sand for hours, across grey dunes, and green ones. I made Carey choose a wave-polished stone to carry on our Camino next year. I chose one for myself too (and picked up a couple more, small ones for our 2027 Winter Camino). Something about walking on the beaches is/was timeless. To be fair, walking on cobbles and trails is also pretty timeless (harder on the feet, but easier on the calves!), but there is something a little primordial about trekking across the dunes. The days are blue and bright and full of the hiss and roar of water. To be fair, again, there was one wonderful stretch where pilgrims shared the sand with surfers, which was hardly “timeless”, but was a unique mash-up.

Yesterday, we walked almost 30km and then arrived at our accommodation, which turned out to be a 4-star spa hotel, complete with, not one, but TWO swimming pools in an elegant courtyard, pool bar and precise rows of blue lrecliners. It does not really feel like a Camino when you have a choice of pools! We did eat from Aldi, which re-grounded us, but a loungy beer, on a lounger, was a splendid way to recover from the day!

Today, we are similarly at a “fancy” hotel. We are too full of sun to sit outside, but we have enjoyed a couple of much-needed cold beers in their inside bar

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Inspired by our 2024 Camino Francais, Karen has a periodic podcast called "I sent you a bloody boat", personal thoughts on faith by a person who believes in thinking. Also, known as "The Reluctant Christian". You can listen to it on Spotify and on Apple Podcasts at: