Miguel Moreno has been on the Camino five times. On foot. By bike. Alone. With friends. With his now-wife. The first time, over 20 years ago, didn’t just give him a great story to tell; it changed  his life.

That’s one of the stories he told me on the podcast. 

You can listen, in Spanish, or read the following summary of our conversation.

The Camino that changed Miguel’s life

Miguel’s first Camino was the Camino Francés, by bike, with his brother and three friends. That was over 20 years ago.

On the Camino he kept meeting people from other countries. And he couldn’t really talk to them. They didn’t speak Spanish and his English was almost nonexistent.

So, after the Camino, Miguel made the decision to learn English. He went to Ireland as an Erasmus student and made close friends from across Europe.

Speaking English opened many doors, like his first job after university, and his second job.

When he moved to Paris seven years ago without speaking a word of French, it was his English that let him start teaching Spanish to international students. One language led to another. One Camino led to a life he hadn’t planned.

Lessons from the Camino

After that first bike trip, it took Miguel over 12 years to return. When he did, he walked part of the Camino del Norte alone. It wasn’t easy, although he soon found his Camino family.

He wasn’t trained. He was carrying too much weight, including hiking boots he didn’t need. He suffered. And he learned.

The next year he went back better prepared with a lighter pack, technical clothing… and some training.  He walked with a carefully chosen friend

That version of the Camino was everything the first walking attempt wasn’t.

Camino miracles

One story from his very first Camino has never left him. Cycling through the route, the group came across a German man in his sixties, riding an ancient bicycle. They got talking. He told them he’d had a bicycle business that had gone under. He’d lost everything. The old bike was all he had left, so he got on it and started walking the Camino, trying to figure out what came next.

He ate with them for a couple of days, then disappeared.

A few days later, Miguel’s group had a string of mechanical disasters . And then the German man reappeared. He fixed every single bicycle. That was when he finally told them about his shop.

A small Camino miracle.

The Camino, Miguel explains, works like this: you help strangers, and then strangers help you. Everyone is going through something. You never know whose path you’re crossing or why.

Miguel’s advice for the Camino

Miguel has now done five Caminos across different routes — the Francés, the Norte, the Inglés. He’s seen it change over the decades, get more crowded, more commercial. But his advice stays simple:

1. Pack as little as possible. The backpack is a metaphor, he says — in life, you have to learn to live with less. The more you carry, the less you enjoy.

2. Train before you go. Not to go fast, but so that your body isn’t fighting you every step. The Camino is for enjoying, not surviving.

3. Don’t obsess about finishing. He’s met so many pilgrims (especially from outside Spain) who arrive with a rigid plan: 30 days, one stage per day, no deviation. Let that go. If you don’t finish, it’s OK. The Camino will be there. You’ll come back. Related to this: if you fall in love with a village, stay. There’s no prize for pushing on.

4. Enjoy it from day one. The destination is wonderful. But it’s the camino, not the arrival, that stays with you.

And if you only have a week? Don’t do the last 100km just to get the Compostela. Do the first week of whichever route calls to you. You’ll meet fewer people, see more of the real Camino — and you can always come back for the rest.

Check out Miguel’s podcast Vivir Lejos Hablar Cerca.

You may remember today’s podcast guest. If you listened to episode 60, you already met her. That time she came with her dad, Toni, a true Camino geek. This time, it was just Sandra and myself, since there were a couple of things I wanted to discuss  with her.

We talked for so long that I split our conversation into 2 podcast episodes. You can read (or listen) both here.

Skip to part 2, about what the Camino has taught Sandra.

Is Spain really that conservative?

One of the reasons I wanted to talk to Sandra is because I see the some questions come up on a regular basis in Camino Facebook groups and forums. Questions like:

• Will people judge me for my tattoos? Should I cover them?

• Should I remove my piercings?

• Is it safe to do the Camino if I’m LGTB?

There’s this idea that Spain is ultra-Catholic, ultra-conservative, and very judgmental. I’m glad to announce that Spain is not stuck in the 50’s. That image doesn’t really match today’s Spain.

Sandra is the perfect person to talk about this because… well, you can’t miss her. She has bright blue hair, shaved on both sides, full tattoo sleeves, piercings, and a very alternative style. In other words: if tattoos or “looking different” were a problem in Spain, she’d know.

Tattoos, piercings, and standing out on the Camino

So, to answer the first 2 questions, about tattoos and piercings, short answer is no, you don’t need to cover anything.

Sandra’s experience is very clear: in Spain, she feels free to look how she wants and be who she is. She’s done the Camino without hiding her tattoos or removing her piercings  and it’s never been an issue.

In fact, quite the opposite. Her tattoos has been conversation starters more than once.

And there’s also a very practical point: if you’re doing the Camino in summer, covering up tattoos just means suffering more heat. You’re walking for hours. It’s a physical activity. Comfort matters more than appearances.

Bottom line: be yourself. Spain in 2025 is full of people with tattoos, piercings, dyed hair… not having any is almost the exception now.

Doing the Camino as an LGTB person

The second big topic we talked about was doing the Camino as part of the LGTB community.

Sandra speaks from personal experience as a lesbian, and her view is refreshingly honest and grounded.

Spain, especially compared to many other countries, is generally LGTB-friendly. Big cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia are very open, but even outside cities, on the Camino itself, problems are rare.

A key point she made:
You’re not walking around announcing your sexual orientation, and nobody is going to ask you about it either.

On the Camino, people connect naturally. You walk together, talk, share meals. If you’re open, you tend to meet open people. Sandra even reconnected with a gay pilgrim she’d met years before, simply through that shared sense of community.

Interestingly, Sandra said something that really stuck with me:
If she worries about doing the Camino alone, it’s more because she’s a woman than because she’s a lesbian. That says a lot.

Villages, cities, and real life

Yes, the Camino goes through small villages, and yes, people there can be more traditional. But “traditional” doesn’t mean hostile.

Even if someone has more conservative ideas, that doesn’t mean they’ll confront you, insult you or make your life difficult.

And as Sandra put it very bluntly (and very truthfully):
your money doesn’t have a sexual orientation.
In albergues, bars, hotels, and restaurants, you’re a pilgrim. Full stop.

The Camino as a moving community

One of the nicest ideas from the episode is Sandra’s description of the Camino as a “nomadic village”. A community that moves together, day by day. You keep seeing the same faces, forming connections naturally.

If you go with an open mindset, you’ll find people you vibe with. The rest? You simply don’t connect. And that’s fine too.

So… should you worry?

Sandra’s message is very clear:

• Don’t hide who you are.

• Don’t change yourself to make others comfortable.

• Come, walk, enjoy the Camino, and live the experience fully.

Spain today is not the Spain many people imagine. It’s more diverse, more open, and more “live and let live” than its reputation suggests.

And with that, we wrapped up part one of the conversation.
In the next episode, we’ll talk about something completely different… but you’ll have to wait a little longer for that.

The Camino as a mirror of life

In the second part of our conversation, Sandra shared what the Camino means to her beyond walking, stages, and destinations. For her, the Camino is full of parallels with life.

These are her key takeaways:

The backpack you carry (and the one you don’t need)

One of the strongest images Sandra talks about is the backpack.

Sandra compares your backpack’s literal weight with the emotional weight you carry around in your life.

You can’t expect someone else to carry it for you… but you shouldn’t overload it either. Just like on the Camino, carrying more than you can handle only makes everything harder. Some things aren’t your responsibility. Some things aren’t yours to carry. Learning to let go of that extra weight is part of the journey.

Both on the Camino and off it.

It’s not just about arriving in Santiago

Yes, arriving in Santiago is emotional. Seeing the cathedral and reaching your goal feels amazing.

But the Camino teaches you something else: the point isn’t just the destination.

The landscapes, the food, the small towns, the conversations, the moments you don’t plan. That’s the main experience. The meaning is in what happens along the way, especially when things aren’t easy.

Doing something difficult (and being proud of yourself)

Sandra talks about something many pilgrims feel but don’t always say out loud:
when something is a bit hard — but still achievable — it feels better in the end.

When you reach your goal, you don’t just think “I did it.” You think: I’m proud of myself.

And that feeling stays with you.

The Camino as a nomadic village

Sandra describes the Camino as a kind of moving village, a community that forms and dissolves as you walk.

You meet people. You share moments. Sometimes you never see them again.

And that teaches you something important: how to be present, and how to let go.

Enjoy the conversation you’re having now, the landscape you’re seeing now, the meal you’re eating now.

Without needing to know what comes next.

Walking alone, silence, and listening to yourself

For Sandra, the Camino isn’t religious — it’s therapeutic.

Walking alone, being with your thoughts, can be peaceful… or uncomfortable. Sometimes both. But being uncomfortable doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Often, it means it’s necessary.

And if you’re going to face your thoughts, doing it surrounded by nature, good food, and a decent tortilla de Betanzos doesn’t hurt either.

So,

Enjoy what you’re doing.
Even when it’s hard.
Even if you don’t finish.

Be proud of what you try.
Be present.
And yes — enjoy the food.

Those, according to Sandra, are the Camino’s biggest lessons.

Find out more about Sandra’s work on her website.

The podcast is back with a new interview. In this episode we travel to A Guarda, right on the border between Galicia and Portugal, on the Portuguese Coastal Camino.

My guest is Rocío, a Spanish and French teacher who specialises in pronunciation and fluency. She happens to have a very personal connection to this part of Galicia. Rocío was born in O Rosal, a small village next to A Guarda. She spent many years living abroad and when she returned to Spain in 2019, she made a surprising discovery: the Camino was now passing straight through her home area.

For a long time, the Portuguese Camino was the inland route that enters Spain through Tui. The coastal route is relatively recent, and it has brought places like A Guarda into the pilgrim experience in a completely new way. For Rocío, seeing pilgrims walk through a place so familiar to her felt like rediscovering her own land.

O Rosal and A Guarda

O Rosal and A Guarda are close neighbours, but they are very different, as Rocío explains. O Rosal is an agricultural valley with a special microclimate that makes it ideal for farming, especially vineyards. Some well-known Albariño wines come from this area. A Guarda, on the other hand, has a strong maritime tradition. For many years, a large part of the population made a living from the sea. It was common for men to spend months at sea and then return home for a short period before leaving again. That contrast between inland and coast, land and sea, is still very present today.

If you’re walking the Portuguese Coastal Camino, A Guarda is an excellent place to stop for the night. The Camino runs alongside the harbour, from where you can enjoy beautiful views of the old town, with its colourful buildings. Walking through the centre is easy and relaxed, perfect for slowing down.

Monte Santa Trega (Santa Tecla)

One of the must-see spots in A Guarda is Monte Santa Trega (Santa Tecla). From the top, on a clear day, the views are spectacular: the River Miño flowing into the Atlantic Ocean, Spain on one side and Portugal on the other, with the Portuguese town of Caminha clearly visible. As Rocío points out, though, the weather makes the rules here. It can be sunny in O Rosal and completely foggy in A Guarda.

If your Camino takes place in August, there’s a very special event worth knowing about: the romería de Santa Trega (pilgrimage festival), one of the most important celebrations in the town. Families and groups of friends walk up the hill dressed in white to spend the day eating and drinking together. It’s also known as the wine festival. People dress in white and throw wine at each, so it’s normal for most people to come back down with clothes stained purple.

What to eat in A Guarda

And what about food? A Guarda is famous for its seafood restaurants (marisquerías). A full mariscada (seafood feast) is not for every budget, but if you can and want to treat yourself, A Guarda is the place to do so.

If not, there are always more affordable options: a simple tapa of mussels, empanada or fresh fish in one of the many bars in the harbour area.

Find out more about Rocío’s work on her website. 

In this week’s episode of the Spanish for the Camino Podcast, I welcome, for the first time two guests: Sandra, a Spanish teacher who specialises in colloquial language, and her father, Toni, a devoted pilgrim who has walked multiple Camino routes. Together, they share stories, challenges, and personal reflections from years of walking either together or on their own.

I’ve known Sandra for a while and I knew she had walked the Camino before, so I invited her to the podcast.

But then she asked: “how would you like to talk to a Camino friki (freak, geek)?”

Yes, please! The friki turned out to be her dad, Toni, who confirmed his huge passion for the Camino. In fact,  he says that if he could, he would walk all year long. When he isn’t actively on a route, he is planning one: checking maps, calling albergues, organising stages, and researching local conditions. His current project is the Camino de Levante, a long and less-travelled route with sparse infrastructure and long stretches between towns. He started in Valencia during Semana Santa, had to pause, and was actually resuming the day after our chat: he was planning to walk another 300 km up to Ávila (he did make it to Ávila).

Toni and Sandra walked their first Camino together around 2017. The route, the Camino Inglés. Sandra confessed she was nervous at the beginning because she hadn’t trained at all, but soon realised that the Camino Inglés is short, manageable, and incredibly rewarding.

Their second route together was a completely different experience: the Camino Primitivo. Much tougher, much more mountainous, and full of physical challenges. Toni tells a very summarized story of  Sandra’s blisters and rash, which made her final couple of days very hard. But she was determined and despite the difficulties setbacks, she made it to Santiago. 

In an extra audio you’ll find with the transcript, Sandra shares the full story, which is far more dramatic than you might think after hearing Toni.

Toni describes himself as a “simple pilgrim”. For him, the Camino is about personal challenge, daily effort, and stepping out of everyday convenience and embracing the challenges as part of the adventeure. Toni emphasizes that preparation is key, whether it’s training your body, planning accommodations, or understanding the risks along the way.

From animals to navigating less-frequented paths, being informed and ready makes the Camino safer and more enjoyable. He shares the story of a mastiff who rushed at him during his last walk on the Camino de Levante, and how staying calm (and using his walking stick wisely) helped him avoid a serious incident.

Sandra highlights something essential for all Camino-bound Spanish learners: you will need Spanish. When you call albergues in small villages, English may not be an option. Many accommodations are municipal or parish-run, staffed by locals who speak only Spanish. Understanding and being understood makes everything, from booking a bed to asking about facilities. much easier.

Finally, both Sandra and Toni talk about the people of the Camino. Even without sharing a language, there is connection. Toni remembers meeting pilgrims he never actually spoke to, yet feeling a sense of companionship simply by seeing them day after day.

And Sandra describes the Camino as a “nomadic village”: a travelling community that forms and dissolves naturally. She shares a wonderful story of recognising a fellow pilgrim years later at a concert. Neither of them realised at first, but after two hours of talking, everything clicked: they had met on the Camino. The bond was still there.

Find out more about Sandra’s work on her website. You’ll also find her on social media as @espanoldpm

Read about Sandra’s return to the podcast, to talk about her tattoos and piercings and walking as part of the LGTBIQ+ community.

Many pilgrims who walk the Camino de Santiago end up falling in love with the country and dream of starting a new life here. Some actually do. But as my guest in the podcast reminds us, moving to Spain 

In this episode of the Spanish for the Camino podcast, I speak with Jimena Ibarra, a Spanish teacher who helps expats in Spain. As an expat herself, she knows that moving to Spain means more than just speaking Spanish: it’s about understanding everyday language, culture, and the little things that make life here unique.

Jimena is originally from Mexico. Before settling in Spain, she lived in Germany, Ireland, and England. Despite being a native Spanish speaker, she was surprised by how challenging it was to adapt when she moved to Spain in 2013 with her husband and three young children.

After 12 years, Jimena now feels like a local, but she remembers well the difficulties of those first months. That’s why she helps others navigate the same experience through her work teaching practical, everyday Spanish for life in Spain.

Culture shock… even in Spanish!

One of Jimena’s biggest surprises was how different Spanish culture (and even the language) can be compared to what she was used to.

She laughs about one of her first grocery trips in Spain: her Irish husband asked her to buy cookies. After 30 minutes walking up and down the supermarket, searching, she couldn’t find any… until she realised they were in the breakfast section! “Who eats cookies for breakfast?” she thought. It was her first taste of cultural shock in Spain.

She also discovered that some everyday words in Mexican Spanish don’t have the same meaning (or aren’t used at all) in Spain. And although she speaks fluent Spanish, she had to learn expressions like ir a la compra (“go grocery shopping”) instead of using ir de compras for everything (ir de compras means to go shopping for clothes, shoes, etc. in Spain).

Jimena noticed another big difference: the Spanish way of speaking. “In Spain, people speak more directly, and sometimes more loudly,” she says. “At first, I thought everyone was angry!”
In Latin America, the tone tends to be softer, and people rarely say “no” so directly. Over time, she learned that people were not angry at her and that this isn’t rudeness: it’s just a cultural difference.

Tips for anyone planning to move to Spain

Jimena shared some valuable advice for anyone thinking about making the move:

• Keep an open mind. Every country has its own way of doing things. Spain works like Spain—not like Germany, the U.S., or Mexico.

• Be patient with bureaucracy. It’s usually slow. We even have a saying for it: Las cosas de palacio van despacio (literally, palace business moves slowly).

• Learn basic Spanish. Even if you’re not fluent, learning the essentials helps you become independent and enjoy your new life without relying on others to translate everything.

As Jimena says, “At first you need help, but eventually you have to take that step toward independence. That’s when you really start enjoying life here.”

Despite the challenges, Jimena wouldn’t change her decision. “We are here to stay,” she says. “Spain is home now.”
Her message is clear: come prepared, be patient, and embrace the differences, because life in Spain can be wonderful.

You can find Jimena online on her website or on YouTube.

The Camino Francés crosses most of Spain from east to west, and goes through 4 different regions. The biggest (and one of Spain’s biggest too) is Castilla y León.

My guest on the podcast today is Sara Castro, a Spanish teacher and host of the podcast Spagnolo a 360 gradi. Although she lives in Italy and mainly teaches Italian students, Sara is originally from Castilla y León, which is crossed by several other Camino de Santiago routes too.

We talk about the Meseta, that long, flat stretch of the Camino Francés between Burgos and León. Sara explains why this part of the Camino can be tough, with its extreme weather and seemingly endless landscape, but also deeply rewarding for those seeking a more introspective journey.

Of course, we also talk about food. The hard weather  we mentioned earlier influences Castilla y León’s cuisine: you’ll find lots of hearty dishes like sopa de ajo (garlic soup), lechazo asado (roast lamb) or lentils and chickpeas stews. The Ribera del Duero wine is produced in this area too.

Valladolid, Sara’s town, hosts a national pinchos and tapas competition.  You have to pay for those, but right on the Camino, in León, you get a free tapa with your drink. 

More on tapas and pinchos here.

Sara also invites us to discover the region’s rich cultural and historical heritage: the cathedrals, castles and other monuments as well as centuries of history: El Cid, Christopher Columbus, kings and queens like Isabel de Castilla and Felipe II, Cervantes… 

If you’re planning your Camino or simply want to learn more about this part of Spain, this episode will give you plenty of reasons to slow down, explore, and enjoy every step through Castilla y León.

More about Sara and her work: https://www.saracastro.net/

Her podcast, Spagnolo a 360 gradi (don’t let the name fool you, the podcast is all in Spanish!): https://open.spotify.com/show/7vjXdkLC5TLYvqXHMGle4B?si=fd6275b07c52464d

And here is when she invited me to her podcast.