Hiking The Camino de Santiago: A Pilgrim’s Progress. Day 0, Getting There

My journey hiking The Camino de Santiago started in my hometown of Atlanta, GA on what I’m going to call Day 0.

Day 0 was a long day.

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Packed and ready to go, I headed to the airport with a mixture of feelings:

“Am I ready for this? What if I’m NOT ready for this?!”
“I’m so lucky for this opportunity.”
“What am I getting myself into?”
“This is definitely going to be a unique adventure!”
“Crap. What if I get COVID?”
“FINALLY traveling abroad for the first time in over a year and a half! Woohoo!”
“Shit did I forget my vax. card!? Oh there it is…Why is it WET?”
“I’m so excited to unplug for a week!”
“Is my dog going to miss me?”
“I’m going to FRIGGEN’ SPAIN!!!”
“What if I’m not fit enough to make this hike?”
“I’m going to miss my dog…”
“Did I lock the front door?”
“I’m excited to experience some Spanish culture!”
“I hope I can find the group to meet up…”
“I’m insane. This is insane.”

Some of my anxieties on hiking The Camino de Santiago were for good reason.

About 2 weeks before this day of departure,
I was invited to join a small group of 4 to hike a trail in Spain that I had literally never heard of.

Also- generally speaking, I wouldn’t call myself a “hiker.”

One of the 4 original group members planning on hiking The Camino de Santiago had to drop out at the last minute so there was an open space on the trip. Most of the group was going ahead of me to begin in France and I was to meet them in Sarria, Spain to finish the last 115 km of the hike.

I hadn’t trained. I hadn’t researched. I hadn’t brushed up on my Spanish. I didn’t have the faintest idea of what I was getting into and I was going to be traveling alone.

I just said “Okay. I’m in.”

For someone like me who likes to plan everything down to the last detail- this was a leap of faith.

I had to have faith that the group I was joining had done their research on hiking the Camino de Santiago. I had to have faith in them when they said they believed I could do it without any real training and I definitely had to have faith in the rapid-fire advice and information that was thrown at me:

“Read these guide books on hiking the Camino de Santiago. Watch this movie. Scroll this webpage. Pack this thing and that thing and be prepared for this and maybe that. Meet us at this spot in Spain. OK- SEE YOU THERE!”

That was it.

I definitely had a long journey ahead of me to contemplate all of these emotions.

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Then, I hit a bit of a snag.

To add insult to anxiety, during my flight check-in in Atlanta, I was IMMEDIATELY hit with a roadblock. (sort of)

As I was checking my bag with the airline and handing over my vax card to be approved, the check-in agent suddenly said “I need to see your negative COVID test.”

I politely replied with “Sorry, no, here’s my vax card. I don’t need a negative test to travel to Spain.” (At the time, a negative COVID test was not required to enter Spain, only a vaccination card. THIS much I had definitely researched.)

Then, in a very uncharacteristic scene for me, a quiet, but a persistent argument ensued.

I presented website after website on my phone (including the airline’s own health guide website and the Spanish government’s health website) proving that I didn’t need a negative COVID test to travel to Spain.

Again and again, I was dismissed with “I don’t know what to tell you ma’am. These are the rules. It says it right here on my screen. You’ll just have to leave and come back when you have a negative COVID test. I can’t let you through.”

To be clear, I’m no Karen. I’m usually one to let things slide, accept that I might be in the wrong, and just do what I’m told, but I was NOT going to roll over and miss my flight to Spain over a confused airline agent.

I demanded to speak to someone else. ANYONE ELSE and was met with eye rolls and “No ma’am. These are the rules.” from the agent. Luckily, just as I was running out of steam, another check-in agent was walking by and asked if there was a problem.

All it took was a quick glance at the check-in agent’s screen. The passing agent said “No, look- it says vaccination OR negative COVID test. She’s fine. She can go.”

After receiving an icy stabbing glance from the check-in agent I had been arguing with for 15 minutes, I was handed my boarding pass and quickly went on my way. PHEW.

All of the guidance around traveling during COVID-19 is COM. PLI. CA. TED.
Even for the airline agents.

Rules are different for entry into every country and can change often and swiftly.

If I wasn’t 110% sure that I met all criteria for my international travel, triple-checked all of the regulations that morning before heading to the airport, and been willing to argue the error, it’s likely that I would have been pushed aside and sent home by an airline agent having a bad day.

Just this one agent missing the word “OR” in his on-screen instructions could have sent my entire trip out the window. I absolutely do not advocate starting arguments with airline agents, but be prepared, be polite, WEAR YOUR MASK and know the rules.

After this little hiccup, I was through security and on my way!

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I should say that getting from Atlanta, GA, USA to Sarria, Spain is quite a journey and requires a little more planning than my usual easy bopping around on direct flights with one airline and in quick Ubers.

Delta, my preferred airline, could only get me as far as Madrid.

This meant that I needed to book an additional separate airline ticket from Madrid to Santiago de Compostela, then get from the Santiago airport to the little town of Sarria (about 120 KM / 1.5 hours by car or 6 hours by train).

Iberia Express is a small Spanish airline and one of just a few that make the trip between Madrid and the tiny airport in Santiago de Compostela.

I was able to find an Iberia Express ticket to Santiago de Compostela that corresponded with my Delta landing time in Madrid with plenty of time for possible delays, customs clearance, and a little time to relax on the ground (my layover was 6 hours total).

You really need at the VERY least 3 hours
to make the Madrid to Santiago de Compostela connection.

The Madrid airport is large, spread out, and a little complicated.

(NOTE: the green bus for changing terminals is OUTSIDE the check-in area and is NOT very well marked or visible from inside! You CANNOT walk between terminals. Ask an airport employee for guidance! Luckily “Terminal” = “Terminal” in English and Spanish!)

Couple a complicated airport with clearing immigration, collecting your baggage, changing terminals, and then re-checking in with a new airline, and you’re going to need a serious chunk of time to avoid stress and possibly missing your connection.

Luckily, I made it through with about 4 hours to spare.

After filling my water bottle, using the restroom, and grabbing a quick snack, I realized I was exhausted from my overnight flight (I don’t usually sleep well on airplanes, though I try!) and really wanted to tuck into a corner for an undisturbed nap.

After a quick hail-Mary google of “where can I sleep in the Madrid airport?” I stumbled upon this website* that lists good places to nap and relax in several major airports! *Not a sponsor, just a good website I found accidentally!

I found a good corner behind a huge cement column and away from foot traffic (but not totally out of view of other travelers- just to be safe!).

I used my neck pillow under my head, bear-hugged and hooked my arms around my carry-on bag with the zippers pressed into my chest for security, set my phone alarm for 30 minutes before my boarding time, plugged in my headphones, swaddled myself in my travel scarf, and slipped on my eye mask. I was OUT like a LIGHT and thank GOODNESS for it.

I awoke to my phone’s alarm after a solid 3 undisturbed hours with a refreshed mind and renewed excitement for what was ahead.

In a few minutes, I was boarded for the quick flight to Santiago de Compostela!

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Landing in the tiny Santiago de Compostela airport is easy
and the journey was a BREEZE from here.

Leaving the super small Santiago de Compostela airport is easy. At baggage claim, I was met by a well-dressed and well-spoken man with my name clearly displayed on a digital sign.

Just steps outside the door, the driver loaded my bag while I jumped into a large, very clean, leather-interior van. After confirming my destination, we were off!

Along the 1.5 hour journey, the driver (“Chi” – you can see his silhouette reflected in one of the photos above) pointed out interesting things across the gorgeous green countryside, noted where The Camino crossed our path, suggested good local foods to try, and informed me of little cultural tidbits that came in handy throughout my trip.

(He also played a Florence and The Machine album on low volume all the way, which I think was an attempt to make a young American female feel comfortable.
Or maybe he just loved Flo. Either way I LOVE IT.)

One strange incident on the drive was a very random, middle-of-the-day roadside alcohol breathalyzer test we were forced to stop for. Only the driver was tested (negative!) and we were quickly on our way. Chi told me this was very normal and not to be alarmed. (I have a suspicion that these random stops by the local police are an attempt to quell drunk driving, which has been a tragic killer of roadside hiking Pilgrims in recent years.)

Granted, hiring a car from Santiago to Sarria is a little pricy
(about $200 USD) but this was a splurge
I determined to be worth the cost.

You CAN take a train from Santiago de Compostela to Sarria (for $15-35 USD depending) if your flight arrival timing matches with a train departure schedule and you’re willing to take the extra steps for this leg.

Very simply put- I knew I was going to be exhausted by this time. I was traveling alone. I was arriving in the evening. I don’t speak fluent Spanish.
And though I’m usually a huge advocate of trains over cars, taking a train was going to be a nightmare.

The idea of taking 3 flights before finally landing in Santiago, dragging my luggage to find a train station, riding for anywhere from 3-6 hours, and then getting a taxi from the train station to the hotel in the dark sounded like a type of misery and anxiety I didn’t want to sign up for. So I booked the car.

I really recommend booking the car.

(Try Suntransfers! It’s EASY to book and a wonderful experience!)

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I arrived at the hotel in Sarria (Hotel Alfonso IX) and met up with the rest of my group (already well into their journey hiking the Camino de Santiago) with no problem! The group included my aunt, with whom I shared hotel rooms throughout the trip (you’ll see more of her in the coming days’ posts!)

I had a quick catch-up with my aunt, a shower, and an easy dinner at a small cafe on the steadily trickling Sarria river, just outside our hotel.

At dinner, I ordered something called the “Pilgrim’s Scallops” which is literally a plate of scallops, but cooked and served on their half shells. This is a really common dish in the little restaurants along The Camino and they’re DELICIOUS- usually cooked in lots of butter/oils and herbs.

Realizing that I didn’t have a Pilgrim’s scallop shell (shell significance explained in this post) to carry along my journey, I kept one of the shells of the scallops I ate during this first night’s dinner. (I definitely got funny looks from the restaurant staff and washed it REALLY well in the hotel room sink!)

That night before heading to bed, I attached my shell to my pack-
loving the fact that the shell I would carry the entire Way was one that
I ate from on my very first night in Spain.

Seems fitting, right?

Lights out. At sunrise, I would begin hiking the Camino de Santiago!

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