Mar de Santiago: Vilanova de Arousa to Santiago de Compostela

Final day on the Camino Portuguese
 
In terms of distance, today will be one of our longest days on the Camino Portuguese.  Our journey will begin with a 36.7-kilometre boat ride along the Mar de Santiago or Nautical Way that takes pilgrims along a regional waterway past islands with crosses on them. 

 
This segment is part of the Camino’s Spiritual variant route and offers pilgrims a unique way to connect with nature while still progressing toward Santiago. After arriving in Pontecesures, we will rejoin the Camino Portuguese route where we will hike 25 kilometres from Padron to Santiago de Compostela.
 
Mar de Santiago
 
For no particular reason, neither of us got much sleep last night.  It was simply one of those evenings where we spent the time unable to drift off, and instead counted the minutes waiting for the light of the morning.  Perhaps it was the excitement of once again arriving in Santiago.  We were similarly sleepless years ago on the Camino Frances during our final night on the Way. Regardless, by 6 AM we were packed up and prepared to start the day.  We loaded our backpacks onto our backs, deposited our room key and went in search of breakfast in town.   

 
Today would see us take a boat ride for the second time on this pilgrimage along the Coastal and Espiritual Ways. Our first time on a boat took us from Caminha Portugal to A Pasaxe Spain was a unique experience that saw us climb into a motor boat on a pile of milk crates.  Today we are hoping for something a little less makeshift but will be happy to simply arrive safely in Padron.

 
By 7 AM we stood on the docks watching as a large double-decker tour boat slowly turned and pulled into the harbour.  The closer the boat got the more excited everyone seemed to get.  Then as it pulled alongside the dock the line of individuals which had formed over the last 30 minutes soon dissolved into a mass of pushing and shoving pilgrims all striving to board first.  As the boat was tied up and both the captain and crew disembarked people only got ruder and ruder towards the staff and each other.  Then two things became clear.  First, it was evident that not everyone on the dock was going to be on this single boat.  Second, not everyone had a ticket for this particular vessel or this particular boat company. 

 

Those of us with tickets for the 7:30 AM sailing were to wait for the next vessel.  Yet even this did not calm the fervour with which pilgrims shoved one another to get on board with some even shoving and yelling at others in order to have particular seats.  How quickly the veneer of humility and kindness can be cast away.  The scene could easily have been from an elementary school playground.

 

As this spectacle went on another tour boat pulled up accompanied by a small motorboat.  Not giving much thought to the fact that there were two boats we lined up for the larger craft only to soon discover that our tickets – as well as those of 4 other people – were for the little craft.  The motor boat was our boat to Padron.
 

"Not there, Walter. I mean the other boat! The little boat!"

                                                        Walter Mitty, Movie

 
Camino Crosses, St. James, and Viking Legends
 
To give our vessel and her crew credit – at least this time we boarded from a real dock and the captain helped each of us with our backpacks get on board.  The 6 of us snuggly fit into the front of the boat, the Captain took the wheel and we set off down the river.  As it turned out we were the lucky ones – the small craft meant that the Captain was able to show us more of the waterway, get closer to key areas and give us a detailed description of the route throughout our 1-hour trip.  

 
Departing through the Arousa Bay our first destination we visited was a series of barges floating in the river.  As we pulled up the Captain stopped the boat so that we could watch as local farmers pulled ropes along with thousands of mussels out of the water.  According to our guide, there are apparently between 2500 and 3000 family-owned mussel rafts throughout the Rias Biaxis.  The process involves hanging ropes from the bottom of these wooden rafts which then in turn attract mussel seeds which grow and contrite on the ropes.  The process takes about 9 months, at which point – as we are watching in front of us – the fishermen raise the ropes up for harvesting.  Apparently, Galician mussels are noted for their quality which are due to the nutrients in the water, the warm temperatures, and the duration which farmers wait to harvest them in this region. 

 
As our ride continued we motored up the Ulla River.  In the process, we passed under a truss railroad bridge which spanned the waterway.  Below the bridge was the second highlight of our river cruise, the remains of a castle with two replica Viking boats pulled up onto the shore!  

According to our Captain in the 9^th century, a local ruler built two towers facing each other on the narrowest section of the waterway to prevent river raiders, such as Vikings, from having free access up the river.   Today all that is left are the stone ruins of these towers which are the centrepiece for an annual festival in which the Viking raids are reenacted and the two replica ships are used.

 
As we continued our journey, we saw cruceiros (stone crosses) placed along the route. These 17 placements of crosses are the only maritime representation of the Via Crucis, or Way of the Cross.  Their placement along the route has been done to maintain the history of the Translatio or the historical passage of St. James’s body from Palestine to the interior of Galicia in the first century.   

 
According to the Codex Calixtinus and Camino lore, in 44 AD King Herod ordered the beheading of James making him a martyr.  Soon after his companions Teodoro and Anstasias moved his body from Jerusalem to the port of Jaffa where it was put on a boat.   Then, purportedly, James’s friends along with the help of angels moved the boat across the Mediterranean, up the Iberian coast, down the Ulla River (our route today) to the Roman port of Ira Flavia – now the modern city of Padron in Galicia.

 
Other accounts further the miraculous nature of this tale by highlighting that the boat James was transported in was one of stone. Then with this stunning journey completed and owing to regional politics James’s body was eventually buried and essentially forgotten about until the 9^th century.  As such both this account of James’s arrival to Spain and the route we are travelling today are claimed to be at the centre of the Camino.

 
Despite the pace of the boat and the fact that there was so much to take in we nonetheless saw quite a few birds along the way. En route amid the small islands and thick reeds growing on them, we spotted mallards nesting, ducks eating and cormorants sunning their wings.  Later we found Yellow-Legged Gulls standing on top of several of the crosses while European Shags sat on the rocks at the base of these same religious statues. Throughout it all there were Herring Gulls flying along the waterway.
 
Hiking Resumes
 
We arrived into Pontecesures docking at a nondescript industrial wharf.  Here the Captain once again helped everyone step off the boat and back onto land.  It was now 9 AM, and with our backpacks on, we adjusted our straps crossed the Ponte de Padron bridge and trekked the 1 kilometer into Padron. 

 
Here we took a quick break at a local café to enjoy a slice of cake and a café con leche – for no other reason than to simply enjoy the moment.
 
Hordes of Hikers, Oceans of Pilgrims
 
On the edge of Padron, our time on the Spiritual Variant came to a conclusion as we rejoined the Camino Portuguese which would lead us into Santiago.  Rejoining the main Portuguese route brought together pilgrims who had started in Lisbon, Porto and Tui as well as those on the Coastal and Espiritual.  The result of this meant that we would again shift from walking on our own or with a small group of familiar people to trekking amid an ocean of pilgrims.
 
Indeed there were now so many people on the trail that it was impossible to past them or get around the groups that at times were 5-7 people wide and who walked across entire roadways.  Local drivers on their horns could not get the attention of pilgrims to move aside.   Even when we did manage to squeak past one group we would simply be behind the next shuffling mass.
 
Padron
 
Walking into Padron we followed a long treed boulevard and passed through the local market square making our way to the main church, the Iglesia de Santiago Apostol de Padron.  

We have previously visited this beautiful church when we hiked on the Camino Portuguese Central.

 
Entering today we again received the cathedral’s stamp and made a donation. Inside are several representations of Santiago and a statue of Saint Roch – the patron saint of pilgrims. 

 
Beyond the structure, architecture and works of art is the Pedron, or “big stone” which is under the church’s altar.  According to tradition, this stone served as the post that Teodoro and Anastasias used to tie their boat, with St James’ body when they arrived into Iria Flavia.  The Latin engravings on the post indicate that it had originally been dedicated to Neptune, the Roman god of the sea. Suggesting that like so many other Christian symbols this too was once a Roman religious artifact that was later transformed into an object of importance for the stories surrounding Santiago.

 
Figuring that we still had a long way to go we set off navigating the busy streets of Padron that were literally packed with pilgrims.
 
Meandering streets and highways
 
Following yellow arrows out of Padron’s northern neighbourhood, we were again shocked at the Camino-directed commercialism.  Coca-Cola vending machines with shells on them, fliers selling Camino Tattoos and even posters advertising “pilgrim massages with happy endings”.

 

Beyond Padron, the afternoon was mostly spent climbing up and down small hills and wending our way through small villages. Along the way, we passed several interesting churches, but all were closed, our only reward was fantastic views down the forested valley. 

 
To be honest, however, throughout much of this stretch we were walking on autopilot – despite the heat of the day our excitement grew as we approached Santiago. We stopped at a couple of cafes throughout the afternoon to take a break only to realize that we had stopped in all of them years beforehand.  In visiting these establishments we also collected a few last stellos for our Credential.

 
The trail eventually led us off the busy highway as it wove through several small villages with stone houses, narrow roads, and mossy stone walls. It was a nice stretch, but offered little shade, except in a small oasis with picnic tables, where we paused to sit for a moment and pet a kitten. 

By late afternoon we reached the village of Teo, where years ago we had stopped for what was and still is our most expensive day on any Camino.
 
Following the Pilgrim Superhighway
 
Nearing our destination we followed a gravel track descending through a forested stretch of eucalyptus, between grassed rolling pastures.  Leaving the countryside the Way eventually took us along roadways on sidewalks.  Here, we began to see more and more taxis dropping off more and more pilgrims.  The culmination of this process occurred when a tour bus pulled up and let a mass of identically dressed pilgrims off announcing that they only had a few kilometres to walk to get to the cathedral.  It was amid these hordes of pilgrims we found ourselves firmly in the midst of the Pilgrim Superhighway as we proceeded onward…..slowly.

 
Our first glimpses of Santiago were of red roofs dotting the lush green hills of the region.  We ventured through city parklands, passed abandoned farms, and traversed well-to-do neighbourhoods while enjoying views of the city and the valley. As the density of houses increased so too did our excitement.   Entering into Santiago the trail wove up and down busy city streets, under highways, and beneath overpasses as it crossed the urban landscape.  Eventually, we found ourselves walking along roads bordered by shops, the university and a large park with a lovely green space on the edge of the historic centre of Santiago de Compostela.
 
Approach to Santiago : Hills to Climb, Streets to Trek
 
Over the past decade, we have trekked into Santiago de Compostela on a number of occasions after completing the Camino Frances, the Camino Portuguese Central, the Camino Primitivo and en route back from Muxia and Finisterra.  While we are always very excited to return to Santiago, there is no denying that each time is different.  Who we are as individuals, recent experiences, and the moment always shape the journey into a unique experience.

 
Grateful we reached the suburbs of Santiago feeling entirely at peace – both physically and psychologically.  Since setting out from Faro and Lagos on the Rota Vicentina over a month ago we were now hiking longer distances, feeling stronger, and thinking more clearly.

 

The motion of walking – simply by stepping again and again our bodies had fallen into a rhythm that induced a natural and welcome calm.   Our minds no longer seemed focused on small details and the unchangeable.  The world now seemed to be in better perspective and more manageable.  

 
In actively choosing not to spend so much time online we remembered that people are not built to live and experience the world on screens at our desks or in the palm of our hands.   As living beings, we need to see, smell, hear and feel a place to truly understand it and ourselves.   Though a bit of a troupe – it seems that peace is found in the journey and the Way is truly made by Walking. 
 
Arrival in Santiago de Compostela
 
The approach to the old quarter of Santiago and to the Cathedral is different for pilgrims coming from the south than those on the Camino Frances or Camino Ingles.  On the Portuguese Camino, there is no equivalent to Monte de Gozo, there is only the city for pilgrims to carefully make their way across. 

 
Excited to arrive again we ventured past our accommodations – despite the late hour and possibility of dropping off our backpacks.  Such was our drive to return and stand in the square in front of the Cathedral once again. By 6:00 PM we had found ourselves back to familiar territory as we walked through the historic quarter of Santiago near to our goal the Cathedral!  With paces quickening we strode the final blocks to the Cathedral weaving down narrow streets amid a mixture of excitement and sadness.

 
By the time of our arrival, we had missed the day’s pilgrim mass.  Nonetheless, the thrill of arriving safely back and completing our pilgrimage was undeniable.   

We wove and threaded our way through the narrow lanes to the Praza do Obradoiro – the large space in front of the Cathedral where pilgrims arrive and celebrate.  This is the first year that we have walked into Santiago and the Cathedral’s imposing façade was finally free of construction scaffolding.  Its ornate sculptures, windows, and doorway again revealing themselves to the world – and to us!
 
Arrival, Exhaustion and Emotion
 
While emotions upon arriving are never the same this year everything seemed as though we were simply going through the motions and checking off the list of things modern pilgrims do.  Get to the Cathedral, check.  Give each other a hug, check. Take a selfie, check.  Sit and reflect, check.  

We arrived late while the day’s heat still sat heavy over the region.  We were not able to enter the cathedral with our backpacks on.  And, given the hour, the pilgrim office was closed for the day.  Uncertain of what to do after spending half an hour sitting in the Praza do Obradoiro we decided that the best option was to walk a few blocks to our favourite bar restaurant, Martingala.  

Here we enjoyed a celebratory glass of vinto tinto with fresh salada.  This small bar is wonderfully just off the main route and a few streets up off the Camino – which makes it close enough to easily access but off the busy streets that are typically packed with pilgrims and tourists.

 
An hour later we ventured to our accommodations, checked in, hand-washed our hiking clothes, and soon after gratefully fell asleep.
 
Reflecting on the Camino
 
Awake and refreshed at 10 PM we again set out to find something to eat.  Our goal was to find a seat at one of the bars adjacent to the cathedral where one could have a drink and watch the beauty of the church’s façade lit up at night.  Here at an outdoor patio, we talked and reflected about our long journey from Faro on the southern coast of Portugal along the Rota Vicentina to Lisbon, our subsequent pilgrimage from Lisbon to Porto along the Camino Portuguese and finally our trek along the Camino Coastal and Espiritual Variant from Porto into Santiago.

 
In general, we felt that this year’s trek from Porto northward is best described as a Camino of many ways. 
 
Our goal had been to stay as close as possible to the coast necessitating, when appropriate, that we alternate between the Litoral and Coastal until just after Pontevedra at which point we trekked onto the Espiritual Variant. While it was well marked, was a beautiful time in nature and was culturally wonderful the fact also was, at least for us, that traversing so many different options each day seemed to lead to meeting a new group of pilgrims on each stage.   This feeling pervaded despite the sheer number of pilgrims on the Camino each day.  As such we often felt like we were trekking alone, meeting new faces from time to time or on each stage but never quite connecting or forming Camino family as in years past.  For us then, this year’s pilgrimage from Porto to Santiago was much more isolating than our time on the Camino Portuguese Central.    Though this gave us more time to spend with our own thoughts and more time in nature – both of which have their merits – it nonetheless felt like a much different Camino than previous pilgrimages.   

 
We admit that something was different, or felt different this time. This year, arriving at the Cathedral, getting our Compostela tomorrow, and deciding to walk the Camino Finisterre seemed more like going through a to-do list rather than completing our pilgrimages and preparing to trek to the end of the world.  We are excited to have arrived and to make our plans for what comes next but something has shifted. Whether that change is in ourselves or in the Camino we could not tell. 
 
We have mentioned before that the Camino is always evolving.  The physical trail, the pilgrim’s journey, and the individuals along the Way are always growing and changing.   Each year, the experience is different, and each time we return, it teaches us something new.  Perhaps, as we realized in Porto – the fact is that simply you can never step into the same river twice…