Camino de Santiago
Camino Francés Overview
The Camino de Santiago Dream
I had dreamt of walking the Camino de Santiago for about 10 years, but kept putting it off, as I couldn’t justify the time away from work. Or maybe I was avoiding taking myself away from a very comfortable routine, and going outside of my comfort zone. I decided if I was going to walk it, I would do the entire Camino Francés, starting in Saint-Jean-Pied-De-Port in France, walking over the Pyrenees, and across the top of Northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. That’s over 800kms of walking with a backpack.
Some people walk just 114km, from Sarria, in just 5 days. That’s enough to say you officially “walked the Camino”, and get a compostela certificate from the Cathedral to prove it. Others walk a section at a time, maybe one or two weeks, and then fly back the next year to walk another few weeks from where they left off the previous time.
No, none of this was for me, I wanted to walk the entire thing in one go, over a period of about 6 weeks. Just like Martin Sheen did in The Way, a movie by Emilio Estevez that has inspired thousands of people since it came out in 2010, to walk the Camino. As a kid I loved to watch epic adventure movies, where someone is on a quest and undertakes a long journey into the unknown. When I was older, I enjoyed the travel adventures Michael Palin undertook, starting with Around The World In 80 Days. This was the sort of travel adventure I wanted. This was an epic challenge, something that can take you outside of your comfort zone. This was exciting! These early influences were responsible for me becoming a travel photographer. I’ve been fortunate to work for brands, publications and tourism organisations and head off to exciting new destinations to explore and capture, but usually for no more than a week or two at a time. I’d never undertaken such an epic adventure, over such a long period of time, that El Camino had been tempting me with.
Camino Francés – My 800km+ Walking Adventure across Northern Spain
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France. The starting point of our epic adventure.
Author Paulo Coehlo said, “One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted. Do it now.” And my partner Karen said, after two years of being stuck at home due to Covid, “We should walk the Camino, it’s been years since we talked about doing it. Let’s do it!”.
For many days after starting, the sprawling Pyrenees accompany you, often in the distance, but always spectacular.
It was finally time to take things seriously. I’d spent years reading about the Camino, and watching other people’s video journals on YouTube. I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. I had walking boots and a well-fitted backpack. All that remained was to plan out our schedule by researching places along the way, figure out what we wanted to see, places we wanted to explore, etc. If we were to do this, we wanted to make the most of it, so that meant spending two nights at some of the larger cities like Pamplona, Logrono, Burgos and Leon, so we had at least an entire day to explore and experience those places.
The Camino de Santiago is lots of adventures rolled into one. In 40 days, we would make our way across northern Spain – through Navarre, Rioja, Castille & León, and Galicia – to the official end of the pilgrimage, at the Cathedral in Santiago De Compostela. That’s around 825kms. We actually walked further, including the days exploring cities and towns during and after the Camino, we estimate we covered 1,000kms.
The magnificent scenery was ever-changing. The architecture alway impressive, from elaborate cathedrals to crumbling medieval farmhouses. The regional food and drink was incredibly good, and one of my favourite aspects of travelling to experience other cultures.
Zubiri
Pamplona
The long steady climb from Pamplona is rewarded with stunning views at the iconic Alto del Perdón
The Way takes you over vast sprawling mountain ranges, starting with the Pyrenees dividing France and Spain, and ending with the lush Galician mountains. In between there are ancient oak forests laden with lichen, winding undulating dirt tracks through farmland, following pretty rivers, or hot dusty highways lined with colourful flowers. Paths passing through wineries and olive groves are a plenty, and the section of vast open arid prairie, or Meseta, feels at times like it may never end.
You walk through hundreds of medieval villages which is like going back in time. Wildflower meadows, and misty woodland with eucalyptus groves, are a visual feast. Dark grey storm clouds on the horizon and rain showers are common, yet somehow welcome and invigorating.
On this page are a small selection of photos that attempt to show the changing landscapes of the Camino Frances. At least, through my eyes and lens. We all see things differently, have different perspectives, likes, and expectations. These images are how I saw the Camino. This is my Camino…
The famous bridge at Puente La Reina
Ages, a wonderful medieval village not far from Burgos
Night time in Burgos is rather magical
Castrojeriz viewed from the hilltop castle
The hardest part of the Camino Frances for many, were the days walking across the vast Meseta
Léon is a great city to spend an extra day to explore
On a few occasions we walked through industrial areas that weren’t so pretty, but an interesting part of the experience
Architecture fans will enjoy Gaudí’s Episcopal Palace in Astorga
The climb up to O Cebreiro was spectacular.
As we got close to Sarria, misty mornings were to become a regular sight.
Eucalyptus trees in the Galician forests
Santiago de Compostela Cathedral
I kept a daily journal on our Camino, and shot over 7,000 photos. I’m working on a book, sharing what I saw through my lens, places of interest, and there will be some tips to help you take better photos of your own Camino too.
If you’d like to keep informed about the process of this book, and other posts on this website about the Camino, hiking, or photography, please do sign up to receive my news updates using the form below.
Camino Frances – Full Length Version (35 minutes)
Camino Frances Pt 7: Burgos to Fromista
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My entire 800+km Camino Frances in just 3 minutes!
Enlarge the map to see our Camino Francés route and the town and cities we stayed along the way.
Camino Frances Pt 2 : Zubiri to Puente La Reina
Camino Frances Pt 4: Los Arcos to Najera
My Camino Frances Pt 1 : Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Zubiri
Camino Frances Pt 3: Puente La Reina to Los Arcos
Camino Frances Pt 5: Najera to Villafranca Montes de Oca
Camino Frances Pt 6: Villafranca Montes de Oca to Burgos
Photography Tips for the Camino de Santiago